Click88   Interview
made over the net about 20.10.2002

Nice to have you here. I'm TikTak. Too bad we're talking over the net, but technical difficulties are to be overcome. By the way, have you ever visited Poland?

Nope. Never got a chance to go over there yet. Hopefully soon though...

I know that Poland is a long way from Cali, but you really should come here. Polish audiences are thirsty for creative artists and the popularity of beatboxing is really increasing. Sort of like a rediscovery. A show like that would bring you a big piece of respect & love from the heart of Europe.

Well, hopefully, i'll get a chance. I definitely wanna attend the beatbox battle in the UK. Maybe I can get booked for something out your way while I'm already overseas ya know?

Okay, let's start with the obvious. When and WHY have you started beatboxing? What were your inspirations, your basics?

Well i got into Beatboxing in '84.... of course from the time i heard The Fat Boys... I was hooked. Then Doug E. Fresh came with the "CLICKS", and then Ready Rock C was the first person that I heard do double sounds and was dope! That got my attention. The basics, like a kick and snare, hats, etc. came pretty easy. Practice develops a better sound. Double sounds were difficult at first but once i understood the process, it got easier.

Was bboxing a kind of breakthrough for you? In which elements of hip hop were you involved before you started bboxing?

Yeah, I was always shy so this helped create attention for me without me having to actually interact with people on a more personal level. I was into B-Boyin' b4 beatboxin'. I can still do it... I just get winded after 3 moves. Ha Ha!

Click88, Click da Supah Latin and more...Why did you choose these aliases?

Click 88 was first. I was Beatboxing for a crew at one time and things weren't so cool after a while, so I left in '88. It just represents the year i went solo. CLICK tha SUPAH LATIN came from a rhyme I wrote where I described myself as a "..Supah Latin bringin' fake M.Cs to their knees"... I thought it had a dope ring to it so I started using it. Plus, the reason I liked the name was 'cause i do alot of things such as Beatbox, M.C, Producer, B-Boy...yes....B-Boy....although i weigh 240lbs, i can still hit some dope headspins, windmills etc.. I also, at the time, was a radio personallity at the #1 station in L.A (Power 106), I'm a father to 3 kids, a husband (to one wife - ha ha), a coach for my younger sons football, basketball, and baseball teams, a recording engineer, actor/voice over talent, etc. ya gotta be supah to juggle that many jobs and anyone who is a parent knows that that in itself is a difficult job to hold.

Iz any of your kids involved in any bboxing activity? Do you try to guide them or let them choose whatever they like?

I let them choose whatever they like. My oldest son wanted to rhyme with me so I started workin' with him on writing lyrics. My younger son wants to rhyme also but he likes the b-boy aspect a little more.

What do you think about hiphop and especially bboxing scene in the US right now?

I'm just enjoying my artform right now. It's dope to have new people doing it. As far as hip hop is concerned, I'm not so happy with the state of it. Too many bullshit songs are being released...no Creativity, no consiousness, just a bunch of lost people on the mic. Everybody had a different sound in the '80s-'90s. Now everybody sounds the same and talks about the same thing. There are very few dope artists and producers out there. And it's definitely a rarity to hear something innovative today.

How will beatbox look, like, twenty years from now?

I don't know. If it doesn't evolve into something bigger, you're gonna see a bunch of 50 year old men still on stage rockin' the beats you always loved to hear them rock. Ha ha ha!!! That's still not too bad though.

Who do you think is the world's best bboxer and why?

Wow that's hard. I think that the ones who currently are makin' a name for themselves should be considered some of the best. To be called the "BEST" though, you'de have to have a crowd decision and it would have to be showcased somewhere neutral. A place that has not been exposed to too much of one particular artist. So far, everyone seems to have a distinct style, even if some of us beatbox certain cuts that others may do as well, there is always something that one artist does that's unique compared to the others.

Could you explain what breath control is? [i know u've done it on the forum but please do it again:))]

Well, to me, Breath Control is controlling your breathing as you beatbox. I really try very hard to not let any of my beats differ in volume, except when that is the effect I'm trying to accomplish, but I mainly try to keep stable breathing throughout my whole set. Some people can't do it. You can usually hear heavy breathing after a while.

Do you smoke tobacco or weed? I mean a majority of beatboxers doesn't, or they do it occassionally with respect to their lungs...

No, i don't drink or smoke... anymore. I used to though. I don't do it anymore for spiritual reasons.

Will we hear from you in the near future? Will you come up with some new shit?

Yes. I'm currently working on my 3rd album. It's called "Contact". Right now I'm workin' on just the songs. I'm into the concept thing. I want to bless people through music. I'm a Christian also, as of the end of 2000 and from reading the BIBLE, there is no way I will contribute to SIN by suggesting things in lyrics that I know that GOD considers to be sin. The album will be a HIP HOP album tho and believe me.....it will be one of the dopest albums next year. As far as more beatbox joints, there will be some new stuff I will be exposing to the world. Hopefully I can get it to be next level stuff.

A piece of advice 4 the beatboxing newbies?

Don't give up. If someone says you're wack...so what. We we're all wack at one point. My Dad used to tell me to shut up all the time when I would practice... He said I sounded retarted. Now, I've made a living being on films, radio, performing and I've made him a proud parent by being one of the best..... at sounding retarded.

Just to finish smoothly - how about a short tutorial on one of your favourite techniques in bboxing - I mean clicks:)

Well, as far as CLICKS go, I usually like to do off rhythm Clicks. Abstract beats while clicking. It's hard to explain certain things. If I ever get booked to perform out in your part of the world, I promise to do something like a beatbox class or clinic or something... to show newbies and pros some of the things that I've learned in the past 18 years of beatboxing.

Thanx. Cya for now.