Jesse Perez: Being Mr. Nice Guy

If you’ve not already checked in with ‘Kama Sucia, (The Art of Slangin’ D)’, then it’s perhaps high time you got around to checking in with the man they call Jesse Perez. Famed for his off-kilter house sounds, his out-there samples and his simply bodacious lyrics, the Miami-based producer has brought his many talents to the fore on the aforementioned album, a long-player that’ll make you laugh, cry and dance in one listening sitting. A house album with many a hip-hop sensibility at its core, it’s very much a manifestation of the man behind the music too, while its autobiographical nuances don’t go unnoticed either. With all this in mind, we decided to call up the sometime Hot Creations man, as Mr.Perez gave us a fascinating insight into what makes his world go around…

When did you first become involved in house music?

Around 2003 I would say. I started producing around ’01-’02 but when I was 17 I making trance at that time. But in 2003 I started working at a record store in Miami and from there I started learning more about music and that lead to buying house records, and then producing house tracks shortly after.

What was it about the sound that really appealed to you then?

I liked the repetitive groove in it. One could just vibe to it. But the one thing that really appealed to me was the freedom behind making the sound. There’s no right or wrong in house.

You also seem indebted to hip-hop too. What’s your current take on the sound and the scene? Do you think it’s lost some of its credibility in recent years?

Honestly ,I stopped listening to anything hip-hop that was released after like 2006. I grew up listening to the best, so it’s kinda like being fed T-Bone steak all your life and then suddenly it stops and they’re trying to feed you some dog food. But every generation goes through that. Like I remember my parents asking me what am I listening to, and they’d say something like “In our time music was better”. I think with hip-hop now, you just have to search more to find the good stuff, what’s being played on the radio is just very gimmicky. I’ve recently discovered young hip-hop artists that are actually making quality stuff, and it’s like falling back in love with it.

You’re from Miami, right? Was it a good place to grow up for electronic music? Have you been involved with the WMC for years?

Yes, born and raised in Miami. Well in Miami the electronic scene was very underground while I was growing up. In fact, house music was pretty rare here. Like I said, I didn’t even know what house was until the late 90’s. Breakbeats, Miami breaks, Drum N’ Bass and trance were among the more popular genres of electronic music here, and even then it was still underground. It wasn’t played on the radio, you really had to be a bit older to come in contact with that kind of music. Your average kid would have no access to music like that really. There was no Internet to help someone discover it, the only way you could truly discover electronic music was if you were 18 years old and going out to parties/raves, or if you had an older sibling that went out to parties like that and they introduced you to the music. Of course, we had record shops too, so that was another outlet to discover electronic music. I started attending WMC parties around 2004. Back then it was a whole lot different then now. So many of the DJs that had the popular parties then aren’t even mentioned now. There also weren’t so many parties like now. Even Ultra Festival was much smaller then. It’s cool to see how far Miami has come in the last 10 years though. 

Talk to us if you would about your label, Mr Nice Guy. What’s the thinking behind it?

I started Mr. Nice Guy back in 2010 for the simple reason that I wasn’t getting many tracks signed because my sound wasn’t fitting to other labels. I like being in creative control over my music, so starting the label gave me complete control over the music, art, and the way each release is marketed. It also gave a chance for a few talented artist in Miami to have their work showcased. It turned out to be a great decision starting Mr. Nice Guy, I think the label has offered electronic music something unique, and it’s also inspired new labels and artist to make music.

And you also have a new LP out too, “Kama Sucia”. Is there a story behind the LP at all? Is it semi- autobiographical in a way?

 It’s my experiences of growing up in Miami translated into music. From start to finish it really captures the Miami that I lived in. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

You’re not the first producer to merge hip-hop aesthetics with house, but why do you think the two sounds and styles compliment one another so well?

There were guys that did stuff like hip-house years back, but what I do is totally different. It’s especially different from all the copy cats that are doing it now. I think the rawness and soulfulness in hip-hop is the same as it is with House, so naturally when both are correctly combined it creates synergy. But lately I’ve heard so many awful tracks that try to do this. You can actually tell what producers really listened to both House and Hip Hop, and what producers spent their whole life just listening to one genre.

So from a house music perspective, who’s been a big influence on you over the years?

I’ve never really been influenced by any House artist specifically to make music, because I never really paid attention to who was making what. I was more influenced by the scene and the freedom that comes with making house music and releasing it without the need of a major label. But I would say guys like Josh Wink, DJ Sneak, Derrick Carter, Murk etc. have influenced me to work hard at this. All these guys are from North America, so I really respect their work since I know it’s not easy to become successful at this when your based on this side of the pond. I think that’s why a lot of guys move to Europe.

Your house music career really took off when you met the Hot Creations guys. How did you first hook up with those guys? And how indebted to them are you?

Yes, it really did. It all happened by meeting Jamie Jones after his set at Nikki Beach during WMC of 2011. He gave me his email address and a few weeks later I sent him the tracks that would later become my Hot Creations EP. Anyone that says that WMC is no longer good for networking, is wrong. I’m very grateful that Hot Creations gave me a shot. I always tell everyone that without my release on Hot Creations no one would’ve really cared what I was making now. People that ignored me for years, all of the sudden wanted to be my best friend [Laughs].

Are you a full-time musician then? And what else takes up your time?

Yes, I’m a full-time musician. It’s a bit hard to get by at times, but in life every path one takes has its challenges and its struggles. You can’t really succeed in this game if you’re not 100% on the grind everyday. You’d have to be really connected with the right people if not. Apart from music, I’m also a full time father. Cartoons, messing around with music, and playing basketball with my son make up the rest and best part of my day.

What 5 tracks are you currently digging right now?

Sex Sells – “And I’m Back” Chalk. – “Take It 2 Da House” Hector Morales & Chris Carrier – “April’s Groove” Flavio Acaron & Z Boys feat. Gera – “In Da Hood” Mika Materazzi – “Party Activated”

What else can we look forward to from Jesse Perez?

I’m working on a double disc mix CD that should be out early summer. Also working on putting together a few Mr. Nice Guy Label Showcases in the UK & Europe later in the year. So watch out!