Jammin with Starchile
By: S. Peterson

     Enter Starchile. This individual wears many hats in his career like other indie artist but some of the hats he possess aren't worn by the masses. Not only is he an artist but he is a gateway. Opening doors for the hard working. As the host of the highly acclaimed Jammin Underground Show of KXJM 95.5fm, he plays nothing but underground music including local flavor.

But the hustle doesn't stop their. This living ora of hip hop trapped in a humans body also VJ's Portland's Newest and Hottest video show, WHAT,WHAT. And when he is done with that, then it's time to host some of Portland's hottest night clubs along side DJ OG One. After he is done playing the host and doing his promotions for other acts, he concentrates on his own sound and stage performance.

Starchile has opened for such acts as Nelly, E-40, DJ Quik, Dru Down, Dilated People, and Donell Jones to name a few. He has also appeared on several NW albums, including We Bring Heat, and the Western Conference Allstars. Now with all that experience he brings to the table his debut album, Twist: Genesis Chapter 1.

Q. How did you even get involved in the rap game and at what point did you know that you wanted make a career at it? It started back in high school...in the Wilson Cafeteria. We use to sit around the tables and make beats on the tables and freestyle. Everybody kept telling me how good I was and I was already in love with Hip Hop, so I figured it would be in my best interest to pour my soul into it. I knew I wanted to do this for life after my first battle. The feeling of destroying another MC and getting the respect plus rockin the crowd, I loved that sh*t!!

Q. After featuring on several albums and performing in most of Portland’s biggest shows, you’ve decided to drop your own album. How is that going for you so far? What type of feedback are you getting? The album is doing good, but it could always do better. It's hard work pushing an album independently! All of the feedback has been really good. People say it doesn't sound like a Portland album. That's probably because of the lyrical content. I don't spit like other cats around here. I'm a MC first and foremost, I rock mics and crowds. That's what a real MC does. I don't rhyme about killing because I aint never killed nobody. Let the truth be known, most of the self proclaimed thugs and killers aint never killed nobody either, but when you hear their music you would think that they kill 3 n***as a day. I aint feeling that.

  I don't understand why you would go buy anybody's CD from outside the northwest before you buy ours....we talking about the streets you be on and the spots yall be at.

Q. What song off the album is your favorite and which is seeming to get the most response from the public? I don't have a favorite song on the album. The songs on this album are like my kids. Your suppose to love them all the same, Although there are some I like more than others.

Q. Being that you work at the radio station, I know you meet a lot of big name and local artists. Is there a particular reason why you’ve decided to limit your guest appearance in an industry where albums are basically made full of guest appearances? I limited my guest appearances just for that reason. I wanted to show that there are still some MC's that can hold it down for a whole album with out it being like a compilation. That's one of the problems with the game today, you buy a CD and it will have like 22 tracks. Six of them will be skits. Fifteen of them will have one or two features on them and then you got the single. My next joint will have more catz on it, but it still aint gonna be no compilation.

DJ OG One & Starchile

Q. How do you feel about the NW music scene? Is it going anywhere, what problems need to be fixed etc. I feel that there is way to much hate and separatism. We need to get off that, although it's getting better. It's going to get stronger, but what's starting to happen is North West Artist are going other places because we don't get the support we feel we should be getting here at home. I don't understand why you would go buy anybody's CD from outside the northwest before you buy ours. I'm not hating on them but the truth is we talking about the streets you be on and the spots yall be at. Them dudes could care less about where you from! We get clowned when we go to other places. They be like is there really black folks in Portland? Hell yeah!! Don't think it's all white folks and dirt roads potna! Anotha thing is...and this isn't a knock against white folks. White people buy 80% of hip hop music, that's a fact. And when we do shows there are almost always more whites than blacks. I would love to see more blacks at hip hop shows as well as ladies. Ladies be telling me they don't come to shows no more cuz cats is always fighting.

Q. How did you first come to work at Jammin 95fm? Hmmm...well that's a really complicated story and the one that's in the streets ain't the real one. When I decide to make what really happened public (and I am) somebody's gonna wish they kept that knife in their pocket instead of putting it in my back! I'll just say that I know the difference between business and kickin it. So to keep the Portland hip hop scene from being cut off of a major beneficial avenue, I took one for the team.

Q. Are you allowed room at Jammin 95 to break in local artist or is there a strict format you have to follow? Yeah, I break new music almost every week. That's what I love about my show. I get the opportunity to put local catz music in the ears of ten's of thousands all over Oregon and parts of Washington. As well as the faithful online listeners from other states.

Q. Do other groups harass you and bombard you with their music? And when they do, do they offer to network with you or do they just want you to help them out? Yeah catz hit me up all the time, and I show everybody love! There aint a MC or group around that can honestly say they gave Starchile their music and it didn't get no spins. As far as the networking aspect....I know some of these catz wouldn't say two words to me if I didn't have the show, but since I can help them they be at me. It's actually pretty funny talking to some people. I look in their eyes and I know on the inside they saying, damn I hate I have to go through this dude to get some air play. I've had Mr. D.O.G. and Mac Money, Cool Nutz, GOTM, Maniac Lok, Ray Ray of G-Ism, Brotha Luv, and Livio on my show just to name a few. That's not even counting the folks that have sent me stuff and I played it out of love. From all over Oregon and Washington. So we'll just see how many of their projects I end up on.

Q. How do you deal with all the mad rappers, being mad about not getting their music played on your shows, radio or television? In actutality the number of mad rappers is small because I tell catz off top how things are with me. If you send me something, regardless of what I think about it I'll play it at least once, but if my listeners don't feel you then that's not my fault. I'm alot more understanding than most of these radio catz because I'm a artist first. So I know the hard work that goes into this game, and I know how hungry n***as is to get put on.

Q. Are you still doing What, What? And how is that going? What What TV isn't on the air right now, but we'll be back on at the start of the new year or so I'm told.

Q. What do you do in your spare time? Not that you have much considering that you do a radio show, video show, and MC at several of Portland’s night spots. No habla Espanola...I don't know what that is. I barely get a chance to sleep.

Q. Any last words, shot outs, etc? Yeah, Buy my CD!! If an artist needs help, holla at me. If I can help you I will, if I can't I'll let you know and probably plug you with someone who can. I gotta say Big shouts out to EVERYBODY that purchased my CD and support Starchile. Shouts out to my two DJs, O.G. One, and Reckless, and of course Mr. D.O.G. and everybody at Bow Wow Records. KEEP IT HIP HOP and let's get this paper!!

So make sure you check out his show every Sunday from 9pm-12am on KXJM 95.5fm. Guaranteed you will hear cutting edge music local and national. And if you don't have a copy purchase the debut album from Strachile, entitled 'TWIST: Genesis Chapter 1'