Andre Hatchett Interview
ANDRE HATCHETT: Oh yes, God rest his soul. We were good friends. I'm honored that some people think that. I appreciate that. Ronnie inspired a lot of us DJs here. A lot of us didn't think about playing "The Love I Lost", and Ronnie comes out here and does an edit of it and has these people going fucking crazy. He inspired me, Frankie Knuckles and all the other DJs to start doing our own edits. We all really inspired each other.
5 MAGAZINE: Now isn't it typical that when you first break in a song that it clears the floor until the people get used to it?
ANDRE HATCHETT: Now here's the trick with that: When you get on the tables that's the first thing you play... get them into the groove of it... put it back on about an hour later. And if it's that good and you really like it that much bring it back an hour and a half later.
5 MAGAZINE: No way, you can't play a song three times?!
ANDRE HATCHETT: Like hell you can't! If you want them to like it, yes. I've played a song four or five times! If I really like that song, yeah! You have to school them. If the DJ is playing the song that much, then you all better listen. Check out this song, I like this song, I think you all should like it too.
5 MAGAZINE: Do you always play the music you like, or is it sometimes about trying to make the crowd happy? Sometimes maybe selling out...
ANDRE HATCHETT: Nope! I'll never sell out. When you hire me, it's because you know my talent. So no you cannot hire me and tell me what to play.
5 MAGAZINE: But it's also a fine line whether to please the crowd...
ANDRE HATCHETT: That's my job! My job is to make you dance and y'all job is to make me dance with you.
5 MAGAZINE: So how do you do that? Sometimes you get a crowd that's really picky.
ANDRE HATCHETT: Then you have to start digging for some tunes and figure out "Okay they don't like this, maybe they can get with this."
They might not like the song or they might not like the mix either! Or both! The mix is very important, just as important as the song is. You could have the crowd jumping up and down, and if you mix the next song wrong, they'll be like "What the f*&k wrong with you?" In Chicago, they want to hear the mix.
5 MAGAZINE: Do you watch the crowd all the time?
ANDRE HATCHETT: Oh yes, I've got to watch the crowd. I love all you people! You all make me happy. It's just really good to see the people out there enjoying themselves because it makes me enjoy myself even more.
5 MAGAZINE: I've noticed that many Southsiders like to hear a lot of the older stuff, like at The Family Den on Mondays.
ANDRE HATCHETT: The Family Den Monday nights is old school. I spun there on my birthday and I did it all, I played old and new. I said "Hey this is my damn night this is my birthday. I'm playing what I want!" It's about timing. You bring the new stuff in first, and then you do the old stuff. Because early on people are still coming in.
5 MAGAZINE: Then everyone's drunk, you play the old stuff...
ANDRE HATCHETT: Then I can play some new shit! By that time they'll dance to anything pretty much! (That's a joke people)... Ooh college boys college boys.... [We are temporarily distracted by the constant flow of good-looking college boys that keep walking by our outdoor table...]
5 MAGAZINE: Where do you go shopping for your music?
ANDRE HATCHETT: Online.
5 MAGAZINE: Do you even use any vinyl anymore?
ANDRE HATCHETT: Oh yeah, my turntables will never go anywhere. But me transporting records everywhere, those days are over!
5 MAGAZINE: So you DJ fulltime and don't have to do anything else?
ANDRE HATCHETT: Oh always! I made that my heart to do it. I love my job. Back in the day I used to take records out to clubs (I would call it the "whoring"), and just whore your way in and get some money and get to DJ.
5 MAGAZINE: Have you ever had your records stolen?
ANDRE HATCHETT: Oh, many times! And 9 times out of 10, it's by someone you know. There are a lot of hateful people out there.
5 MAGAZINE: How did you become good friends with Frankie Knuckles?
ANDRE HATCHETT: I first met Frankie at the Warehouse. I always used to be out dancing in the dancefloor. Then Craig Loftis took me behind the booth one night and introduced me to Frankie.Then we hung out back there all night and ever since then we've been good friends.
5 MAGAZINE: Do you ever go out anymore?
ANDRE HATCHETT: No not really. That one night I went to see you dance at Zentra then I went over to Frankie's party, that was the first time I went out in a long time. When I get the chance to hang out at home, I usually like to go to my mom's house to play cards and get drunk. Me, my mom, my sisters and my aunt, whenever we get the chance to get together we play cards. We're a strong family, we've all got each other's backs.
5 MAGAZINE: Off the top of your head, some things you hate about being a DJ.
ANDRE HATCHETT: There's nothing I hate about being a DJ!
5 MAGAZINE: Yes there is!
ANDRE HATCHETT: ...requests.
5 MAGAZINE: Sorry! I always do that to you! What else?
ANDRE HATCHETT: Well, it was carrying all them damn records, now I don't have to do that anymore. Also, motherf&%*s that come and keep talking to you when you've got your headphones on and you are trying to mix. Print that!
5 MAGAZINE: In terms of your personal life, when did you come out?
ANDRE HATCHETT: Almost 17, 18. The older and older I got, I'm like "You know what? I'm getting too old and I'm not hiding a goddamn thing. I ain't holding nothing back." I'm so glad I'm still appreciated. [2 more college boys pass by and we stare.]
5 MAGAZINE: Have you ever had to sleep with anyone to get a DJ gig?
ANDRE HATCHETT: Hell no!
5 MAGAZINE: Would you?
ANDRE HATCHETT: Hell no! They gotta sleep with me! [laughs]
5 MAGAZINE: I'm so glad I got to know you this past year, you are a truly awesome individual. Any last words you'd like to say?
ANDRE HATCHETT: You can all kiss my ass!
5 MAGAZINE: Andre!
ANDRE HATCHETT: No, I'm just playing. I want y'all to just keep on dancing. Because as long as you keep on dancing, I'm gonna keep on playing! I love you all!
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