Na Palm featuring Bad Boy Bill — Electronic Chronic Mix Tape Series [Exclusive]

June 26th, 2012 ⋅ Music, News ⋅ by Megan ⋅ 1,214 Views

Chicago’s finest have come together to produce a collaborative 2 set mixtape that layers the vocals of MC Na Palm over the beats and sounds of DJ Martinson and master producer/DJ Bad Boy Bill.  These guys have taken house music to another level, and we are thrilled at what an honest and outstanding production Electronic Chronic truly is.  We are here to bring you an EXCLUSIVE first listen to the podcast and a unique artist to artist interview between Na Palm and Bad Boy Bill as they discuss music, the city, inspiration, girls, and super powers.

Get listening to the podcast and check out the interview below.

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First up, Na Palm sits down with Bad Boy Bill….

NP:  What record or DJ inspired you to pursue a career in house music?

BBB:  Listening to The Hot Mix 5 (legendary group of mix show DJ’s) on WBMX Radio. Each member of the group influenced my style, and helped me become the DJ I am today.

NP: What would you say was your ‘big break’ or breaking point when you realized it was official…something big was about to come out of a deejay career for you?

BBB: When Farley JMF offered me a spot on his new mix show team on WGCI. The first time I heard my mixes over the radio, I knew something special was happening.

NP:  In a lot of peoples’ eyes there are both positives and negatives to the dance music culture becoming mainstream in the U.S. Can you give me one positive that you see and one negative (if any)?

BBB:  The positive is that DJ’s and electronic music are actually being supported and embraced and I think that is a great thing. The Hip Hop movement, and House music movement started around the same time, and while Hip Hop has flourished House remained underground. Now its our turn. The negative is with anything that becomes too popular, people tire of it, and look for something new. The good thing is that EDM is founded on the idea of new sounds and ideas in production, so I think EDM music will constantly evolve and in turn become something new.

NP:  What kind of personal projects do you have in the works set for release this year?

BBB:  My new single “Unsaid” featuring Tamra Keenan just came out in June, and I have a track that I’m just finishing up with DJ Bam Bam and Miss Palmer called “Looking For Something”, which should be dropping over the summer, and I just finished up a remix for my friend Jonas Tempel who has a song coming out on Toolroom, so be on the lookout for that.

NP:  Outside of Chicago, favorite city in U.S.??? Rest of world??

BBB: I really enjoy places that are warm and sunny. Hawaii is prob my favorite US State. As far as the rest of the world, I like visiting those places, but there’s no place like home.

NP:  What kind of advice do you have for the new guys on the dance music scene?

BBB: Get into the scene for the right reasons. Hopefully because you enjoy music, as well as making it, and performing it. Anyone who wants to succeed in EDM right now should be focusing on producing original tracks. Get your music out there and build fans thru social media, blogs etc. Most of all, have fun!

NP:  What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you on the road?! (I.e stranded bc of lost ID or luggage, equipment ruined/stolen, creepy fan etc)

BBB:  Almost getting thrown in jail for signing an autograph. The party was over but there were a lot of people waiting to take pics and for me to autograph stuff. I was going as fast as I could, but the cops were yelling at people to leave and then started to get mad at me because the people were crowded around me.

One officer came up and said, “If you sign one more autograph, you are going to jail” I couldn’t believe it…Could you imagine me in jail talking to other inmates, what are you in for? ….signing one too many autographs.

NP:  If you could be stranded alone on an island to play a private show for one beautiful celebrity woman….who would that be?

BBB:  Kate Upton, but only if she does the Dougie.

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Time for Bad Boy Bill to take the reins and flip the questions on Na Palm….

BBB:  When / how did you get started rapping?

NP:  Oddly enough, I used to freestyle for fun back in college and just have mobs of people huddled around me because I could go for hours…battling, flirting with girls, makin fun of whoever, just doin my thing. Never thought anything of it. Graduated, did the 9 to 5 thing and moved to Chi to be near my brother/manager and the party and music scene. We split a shitty one-1BR and rotated sleeping in the room and the foldout couch bed, ha. My brother had connects with buncha clubs and gm’s and I got my shot to do my thing a couple times at some big clubs. We brought in 150+ people consistently and started to get
decent money for our efforts. Buzz grew and eventually we were serious enough to be able to gradually quit our day jobs and go at it full time. That took 2 years of griiiinding and risk-taking though! I was a complete underdog, and random average whiteboy on the scene, but never doubted myself once. Now we are still grinding daily, city by city, and have ever since. We are moving pretty well, considering I didnt get in to my first official studio with a producer 2.5 years ago.

BBB:  Have you ever dj’d, or are you strictly on the mic?

NP:  I would be a disaster on the decks!! Ha. I have def stepped in the booth to do some moronic drunk ‘dancing’ (if you call it that) when my boys’ have spun though…i’ll leave the spinning to the masters like you, Bill!

BBB:  Whats your ultimate goal with your music career?

NP:  I definitely wanna be respected as a pioneering MC and overall music artist of this EDM generation. I dont wanna just be some “rapper” that had a lil run and then faded off into obscurity. Im not in this for the money or the radio hit. I truly love what i do, and this is all i have now…i left everything for this (and I have a tattoo on my hand so im effed for a 9 to 5 anyways!!!, ha). But really, I believe my passion comes off in my music and people gravitate to that. Life is short, so Im here to make people move, and dance, smile, think, and enjoy this journey with my team and I. I wanna build my song catalog by collaborating with my favorite deejays/producers (like Bad Boy Bill) and many others in the coming years. I would even even love to develop into a frontman of sorts and have a live electronic band as my craft matures and grows into whatever direction I choose to go. I’m a midwest boy, so i was born with blue-collar hunger…im in this for the long-haul.

BBB:  What are some of your favorite places you have toured?

NP:  I have never toured outside of the U.S. (yet!!), but as far as crowds, I have a huge following in our backyard, Michigan…some of my fav gigs (along with Chi obviously) have been there because of the energy. As far as cities I loved…Austin, TX has a great vibe and I ripped at SXSW and had a blast ths year. Also, I opened for Mac Miller’s soldout Austin crowd on my bday in February 2011 and that was an honor. Crazy crowd that embraced me. Dope city on all points.

BBB: What do you like to do for fun when you aren’t doing music?

NP:  I grew up an avid golfer. Dont get a lot of time to get out because Im usually in studio during week and shows on weekends, but I love golfing. Its so relaxing to just turn the phone off, crack some beers with the buddies and be alone with the course for the day. Other than that, I love to go to the bar with the crew and catch sports games and kick back…and I hit the club here and there when Im not performing at them. I like to get into some trouble from time to time, ha…harmless toruble! But still….

BBB:  If you could have any superpower, what would you choose?

NP:  To be able to teleport anywhere I want. So i could see Bad Boy Bill ripping in Ibiza…then, boom, meet all my hooligans to go catch Daft Punk rippin at a festival in Sweden…or wherever the hell I need to be to soak it all in!