Behind the Beats: JR & PH7

First and foremost, introduce the masses to JR & PH7...

We are JR & PH7: two nice gentlemen, hiphop heads and producers from Cologne, Germany.

Your latest project, called The Update, is awesome because it features amazing production and stellar features. What was the concept of the project?

The concept of the project is to do everything we did on our debut album The Standard but just a little bit better. Step up the beats, the mix, the business and everything. With this project we just want to keep growing and present the people some dope hiphop music.

Describe how the dynamic duo meet and your first collaborations with one another.

Well, I met JR was when I working at a small German record label and at that time I did a track for a 12" that the label was putting out. I happened to move to Cologne a little later and we soon became friends and hung out more and more. First I started to make some beats for JR's crew at the time. Then he started to record a couple tracks for a single with US emcees and asked if I could mix it. From there we just hit it off and started working closely together and eventually all the tracks we did became our first album.

In our First Interview, you expressed that a majority of the collaborations were a result of networking with the artists via live shows, through the Internet, and more. Identify the strength of face to face communication and email communication. Do you believe that a lot artists rely on one form of communication more than the other?

I don't know how other people do it but we always prefer to meet the artists we work with in person. Either we record together in the studio or if timing issues don't allow that then we do it over the Internet. But I think it's definitely better to have somewhat of a personal connection to who you do music with. It just reflects in the music I believe.

Each project that I heard from you guys highlights the growth and maturation of your production. What fuels you guys to present top tier production?

It's our name on the cover so we better bring something to the table, right? I think one of the best things you can achieve with music is that it remains somewhat timeless. We put in a lot of thought and work in our records in order to make sure that in a couple years we can go back and still feel a record and not be like, oh damn that shit was wack. I mean you don't neccessarily love every record you ever did but you have to try.

Their have been a lot of artists that suffer from average or bad production (think Nas or Canibus). In order for a song to have a lasting impact on the audience it must have good rhymes and good production. With that being said, Are you guys careful with who you collaborate with?

Definitely. Unless someone pays us a shitload of money but I don't see that happening anytime soon lol. If possible we basically want to work with anybody who we think is dope and a nice person. I've met some artist, no matter big or small, whose work I love but were just crazy arrogant for no reason. We don't want to work with those type of people.

2011, JR & PH7 will release...

For this year we are currently working on an ep with two groups from New Jersey, St. Joe Louis and Brokn Englsh, so that will drop sometime this year. Also we'll probably compile some exclusives, remixes and outside production for a project so people that might not know us will get another chance to check us out. Besides all that we also are working on our third album but there is no time table for that at all.

What are some of the obstacles that you guys encounter when releasing your music? In the first in...

I mean, we are lucky to work with some great people at Soulspazm Records and Foundation Media and also a good team of friends that support us and help out here and there but bottom line is that you get what you put into it. We do our own videos, artwork, merch, deal with all the artists etc..and honestly that's pretty much the only way we know since we never had somebody throw money at us for anything. Of course there are obstacles that come with it but in the end we really like the fact that nobody tells us what to do. When we feel like we want to put something out in a certain way we just do it. Plus, we are very thankful that our music carries itself and we don't have to put any of our own money into it and can just keep rocking.

Your production is unique because...

We combine the old with the new I guess. Plus, we try to find the perfect combination of who fits a beat for every song. Because even if it is a hot beat it still might not be right for every rapper.

What is the best way for people to contact you guys?

Hit us up at:

JR and PH7 on Twitter
JR and PH7 on Facebook
JR and PH7 on YouTube

and let us know what you think of our stuff. All feedback is much appreciated.

Any Final Thoughts?

Maybe this one. Take your time and listen to whole albums, not just a single here and there.

Thanks for this interview!