A don must be crowned for the illest intros. Grab any of DJ Clinton Sparks mix-tapes and you’ll see what I mean. His aggressiveness behind the scenes and his persona in the face of the music game is something fierce and almost unheard. Get Familiar! His movement sifts through the industry like smoke, but when the fog clears he is still there. DJ Clinton Sparks.

After sitting with Sparks at his home, he spoon-fed me tips about the music industry business. We cut the chase and went straight into analyzing the mix-tape game and his position moving forward. He made it clear that his mission was to make the

Get Familiar movement a brand name. Funny, I don’t doubt him.

Sixshot.com:

What’s up Sparks? Let’s get away from the traditional get to know you question. Tell me why some mix-tapes are unorganized? Like I sit and listen and think where the hell did that cut come from? Where the hell did that shout out come from?

DJ Clinton Sparks: (Laughing) I don’t even think that like---like on Volume 7(Sparks mix-tape of last season hosted by 50 Cent), like when me and 50 were joking around, we were saying they shouldn’t even be called DJ’s---they should just be called Dudes That Put Songs On A Tape. Because I mean t hat’s an insult to being a DJ. You’re not even doing nothing. You gotta be creative, you gotta be actually spinning the records, not on a dual cassette deck---anybody can do that. What’s so special about that?

Sixshot.com: But what made you want to get into the mix-tape territory? What made you not want to be an accountant slash lawyer slash doctor? I’m often interested. I want to know why?

DJ Clinton Sparks: It was just the next step to go. I’m a work-a-holic. I don’t even understand life without working. Like if I’m not working, I feel inadequate. I don’t hang out. I don’t go to clubs unless I’m smashing. I don’t drink. I’m not out chasing ass in the streets. If I’m awake, I’m working. My real agenda is production. I’m a producer. So in order for me to be heard, I felt that I needed to do something to make people that were important enough to hear my music…to get it places. I sat and said---what do I need to do to make myself important? I need to get on the radio. So I got on one radio station. Got on another and got on another. I’m on like 50 radio stations now.

I don’t leave work behind. I just take on more. I want to be the Martha Stewart of music. I want to brand the Get Familiar Movement.

Sixshot.com: That’s my motto. Go ahead take on more.

DJ Clinton Sparks: So getting on radio worked and people were starting to check for me more. But now you can’t just have the radio and the industry on lock, you gotta have the streets on lock. So I mean around my way the streets were feeling me already. I mean I’ve been performing since I was a young teenager. I’ve opened up for Busta Rhymes and Usher.

Sixshot.com: Funny, most people in this creative circle have always had like other creative things they’ve done first.

DJ Clinton Sparks: I’ve seen Missy driven. You just have so much stuff in your head like you don’t even really know where to go with it. I tell you what, I’ll tell you a big thing that major people in the industry know me for and I get like respect for…It’s my branding, hustling, and promoting myself. Everybody says that. The whole Get Familiar Movement. Powerful people show me a lot of respect.

Sixshot.com: I feel that’s what a lot of people lack in the mix-tape game. A lot of the hustle is missing and you can read right in it.

DJ Clinton Sparks: To cap on that, I definitely don’t think I’m nowhere near where I’m going to be. Second of all I definitely don’t think I am here from favors. I mean people have done me favors, but it’s not because they just like me, but it is because of my talent.

Sixshot.com:

How do you deal with non-believers?

DJ Clinton Sparks: You hear my intros.

Sixshot.com: I find that non-believers are a motivational piece for a lot of artists. For 50 Cent, that was like his stronghold, if you look at it from a psychological aspect. A lot of people didn’t believe in him, his consistency, or his perseverance. Did you really have to deal with a lot people saying: Well Clinton Sparks could he really get…get in there like that? Will people really be familiar?

DJ Clinton Sparks: Not anybody credible. Only like haters. You know people who are mad…one because I’m white. Like racism is so wack! For someone to say something like that is so ridiculous to me. I don’t care if you’re Black, Spanish, Chinese…if I’m hotter than you. I’m hotter that you. There are cats out there that hate on me because of the fact that I’m white. Dude come see me! I’m not saying on no violent shit. Put your skills up against mine. If you really think you’re hotter than me then come and try to take my position. My uncle doesn’t own the radio station…my cousin isn’t the mix show coordinator. I don’t know the dude at that label. I got it because of my talent. If your talent was speaking as loud as your mouth was---then you probably would have gotten the position to. So just shut up and show me some skills.

Sixshot.com: Tell me about some of the work you’ve done. Obviously I see contribution plaques on your wall. So tell me a little bit about your background and getting some of these records in flight.

DJ Clinton Sparks: I did a track on Memphis Bleek’s new M.A.D.E album. I’ve worked with Clipse, B.G, and Chico Debarge. A lot of them are for actually breaking the artists on radio.

Sixshot.com: Is your focus mainstream artists? Or are you interested in pulling unnoticed artists off the ground.

DJ Clinton Sparks: I got my own group XL, they are four dudes, seventeen and eighteen years olds. They write, they sing, and they produce. They are mix between B2K, Jodeci, 50 Cent, and BBD. They are like B2K from the streets.

Sixshot.com: In conclusion, tell me how new and upcoming artists should or shouldn’t pursue the game.

DJ Clinton Sparks: I don’t think pride should play a role in the process of being successful. A lot of people think they are already Hollywood and they don’t fell like they need to grind. A lot of people will be like…well listen to Jay. Jay has been though a world of shit already. He has already sold millions. So when he says something people feel like they are on the same level. For instance say you get a new artist, he’s hot. He’s on a couple of mix-tapes. A label hollers at him. He’s walking in there like…yeah I want a million and nothing less. I want a production company. Dude relax, I’ve seen artists get nothing because all of that and have burned all their bridges just because they thought they were the shit.

Clinton Sparks: Get Familiar, the Movement!

A don must be crowned for the illest intros. Grab any of DJ Clinton Sparks mix-tapes and you’ll see what I mean. His aggressiveness behind the scenes and his persona in the face of the music game is something fierce and almost unheard. Get Familiar! His movement sifts through the industry like smoke, but when the fog clears he is still there. DJ Clinton Sparks.

After sitting with Sparks at his home, he spoon-fed me tips about the music industry business. We cut the chase and went straight into analyzing the mix-tape game and his position moving forward. He made it clear that his mission was to make the

Get Familiar movement a brand name. Funny, I don’t doubt him.

Sixshot.com:

What’s up Sparks? Let’s get away from the traditional get to know you question. Tell me why some mix-tapes are unorganized? Like I sit and listen and think where the hell did that cut come from? Where the hell did that shout out come from?

DJ Clinton Sparks: (Laughing) I don’t even think that like---like on Volume 7(Sparks mix-tape of last season hosted by 50 Cent), like when me and 50 were joking around, we were saying they shouldn’t even be called DJ’s---they should just be called Dudes That Put Songs On A Tape. Because I mean that’s an insult to being a DJ. You’re not even doing nothing. You gotta be creative, you gotta be actually spinning the records, not on a dual cassette deck---anybody can do that. What’s so special about that?

Sixshot.com: But what made you want to get into the mix-tape territory? What made you not want to be an accountant slash lawyer slash doctor? I’m often interested. I want to know why?

DJ Clinton Sparks: It was just the next step to go. I’m a work-a-holic. I don’t even understand life without working. Like if I’m not working, I feel inadequate. I don’t hang out. I don’t go to clubs unless I’m smashing. I don’t drink. I’m not out chasing ass in the streets. If I’m awake, I’m working. My real agenda is production. I’m a producer. So in order for me to be heard, I felt that I needed to do something to make people that were important enough to hear my music…to get it places. I sat and said---what do I need to do to make myself important? I need to get on the radio. So I got on one radio station. Got on another and got on another. I’m on like 50 radio stations now.

I don’t leave work behind. I just take on more. I want to be the Martha Stewart of music. I want to brand the Get Familiar Movement.

Sixshot.com: That’s my motto. Go ahead take on more.

DJ Clinton Sparks: So getting on radio worked and people were starting to check for me more. But now you can’t just have the radio and the industry on lock, you gotta have the streets on lock. So I mean around my way the streets were feeling me already. I mean I’ve been performing since I was a young teenager. I’ve opened up for Busta Rhymes and Usher.

Sixshot.com: Funny, most people in this creative circle have always had like other creative things they’ve done first.

DJ Clinton Sparks: I’ve seen Missy driven. You just have so much stuff in your head like you don’t even really know where to go with it. I tell you what, I’ll tell you a big thing that major people in the industry know me for and I get like respect for…It’s my branding, hustling, and promoting myself. Everybody says that. The whole Get Familiar Movement. Powerful people show me a lot of respect.

Sixshot.com: I feel that’s what a lot of people lack in the mix-tape game. A lot of the hustle is missing and you can read right in it.

DJ Clinton Sparks: To cap on that, I definitely don’t think I’m nowhere near where I’m going to be. Second of all I definitely don’t think I am here from favors. I mean people have done me favors, but it’s not because they just like me, but it is because of my talent.

Sixshot.com:

How do you deal with non-believers?

DJ Clinton Sparks: You hear my intros.

Sixshot.com: I find that non-believers are a motivational piece for a lot of artists. For 50 Cent, that was like his stronghold, if you look at it from a psychological aspect. A lot of people didn’t believe in him, his consistency, or his perseverance. Did you really have to deal with a lot people saying: Well Clinton Sparks could he really get…get in there like that? Will people really be familiar?

DJ Clinton Sparks: Not anybody credible. Only like haters. You know people who are mad…one because I’m white. Like racism is so wack! For someone to say something like that is so ridiculous to me. I don’t care if you’re Black, Spanish, Chinese…if I’m hotter than you. I’m hotter that you. There are cats out there that hate on me because of the fact that I’m white. Dude come see me! I’m not saying on no violent shit. Put your skills up against mine. If you really think you’re hotter than me then come and try to take my position. My uncle doesn’t own the radio station…my cousin isn’t the mix show coordinator. I don’t know the dude at that label. I got it because of my talent. If your talent was speaking as loud as your mouth was---then you probably would have gotten the position to. So just shut up and show me some skills.

Sixshot.com: Tell me about some of the work you’ve done. Obviously I see contribution plaques on your wall. So tell me a little bit about your background and getting some of these records in flight.

DJ Clinton Sparks: I did a track on Memphis Bleek’s new M.A.D.E album. I’ve worked with Clipse, B.G, and Chico Debarge. A lot of them are for actually breaking the artists on radio.

Sixshot.com: Is your focus mainstream artists? Or are you interested in pulling unnoticed artists off the ground.

DJ Clinton Sparks: I got my own group XL, they are four dudes, seventeen and eighteen years olds. They write, they sing, and they produce. They are mix between B2K, Jodeci, 50 Cent, and BBD. They are like B2K from the streets.

Sixshot.com: In conclusion, tell me how new and upcoming artists should or shouldn’t pursue the game.

DJ Clinton Sparks: I don’t think pride should play a role in the process of being successful. A lot of people think they are already Hollywood and they don’t fell like they need to grind. A lot of people will be like…well listen to Jay. Jay has been though a world of shit already. He has already sold millions. So when he says something people feel like they are on the same level. For instance say you get a new artist, he’s hot. He’s on a couple of mix-tapes. A label hollers at him. He’s walking in there like…yeah I want a million and nothing less. I want a production company. Dude relax, I’ve seen artists get nothing because all of that and have burned all their bridges just because they thought they were the shit.

Check http://www.clintonsparks.com

*Disclaimer: Exclusive DJ Clinton Sparks interview and text was conducted by Kay Konnect of SixShot.com.  No part of this interview may be duplicated without written permission from SixShot.com.  The interview content or text layout may not be altered in any shape or form.