Having had the privilege of being at the Shaolin Jazz Listening Party last year which was held in Philadelphia, I thought it only necessary to feature the people behind the project (and try and see if they’d consider bringing it to European shores). The brain child of Gerald Watson and DJ 2-Tone, the sounds of the Wu-Tang clan are effortlessly mixed with the cool tones of Jazz. Having come across the artwork by Logan Walters which combined the Wu’s album covers in the iconic Blue Note graphic style, Watson got in touch with DJ 2-Tone to created Shaolin Jazz: The 37th Chamber.
Introduce yourself
My name is Gerald Watson – I’m a buffalo wing connoisseur and I produce creative experiences for brands, agencies, and myself through my company Art vs Commerce.
I go by DJ 2-Tone Jones, I’m a Taurus, I enjoy short walks on a long beach, and I am a professional DJ.
Favourite lyric from a song
GW: “Get my blueprint down to my very last move/every mood every motivation/that I need/ain’t no hesitation when it comes to rockin’ every speed/just follow my lead on a journey” -Buckshot
2-TJ: “Now question is every n#gga with dreads for the cause? Is every n#gga with golds for the fall? Naw” (Aquemini – Outkast)
I’m inspired by
GW: Art, 90’s Hip Hop, Jazz, Roots Reggae, Good Design
2-TJ: Hip-Hop from the ‘90s, Funk, Jazz and Soul.
My icons past/present
GW: Gil Scott Heron, Frank Lloyd Wright, De La Soul, Star Wars, LEGO, Bruce Lee, Wu-Tang Clan, Ornette Coleman, Boot Camp Click, ATCQ, Bad Brains.
2-TJ: My family, Grover Washington Jr., James Brown, Curtis Mayfield, Donald Byrd, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Salaam Remi, Roy Ayers, DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Tha Alkaholiks, Jay Dee, Wu-Tang Clan, Boot Camp Click, ATCQ and De La Soul.
Thenublack philosophy
GW: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit” –Aristotle
2-TJ: “If great is possible, then good is no longer good enough.”
Check me out
GW:
2-TJ: