Toddla T and The Toddlers

Hi. Here is an interview I did with Sheffield producer Toddla T for my music column in the new Vice. For some reason they took out the pic of him and replaced it with people dropping some mad crazy science all over the dancefloor, i.e. doing some breakdancing. Weird.

Prancehall: You sound like someone who is trying to make dancehall/techno/garage/house/hip-hop all at once within the same track without coming across like those dicks who make stuff like Baltimore bootlegs of kuduro tracks with an Akon acappella and a Daft Punk sample hook, and describe their tastes as "eclectic". Tell me about that.
Toddla T: Well I first started producing when I was about 16, which is when I started going raving. I was exposed to loads of stuff like electro, dancehall, house, techno etc. There are some wicked party DJs in Sheffield who mash it up really well - DJ Pipes, Winston Hazel and Monkz. I used to go to all these little parties, mainly warehouse things. There is this party called Kabal up here where the sonic is very individual. You'll hear bleepy techno next to the new Dave Kelly riddim but it all makes sense. It's something I've only really heard up here. I remember going to them parties when I was about 17/18 and just being blown away by it all. I thought it was amazing how it was all linked in so well.

Which dancehall producers are you into?
I really like South Rakkas Crew. I love "Bionic Ras" - it's a couple years old now I know but still kills me. I'm not a straight up dancehall head, though. I like the slightly mental producers like DJ C, Heatwave and Ross Orton – the guy who produced "Galang".

Do you know about Stephen McGregor? He was like 15 when he produced Red Bull & Guinness, which pretty much broke Mavado's career.
Yeah I remember Robbo Ranx going on about him. I need to check him out.

So why are you named after a baby?
I've always been the youngest out of all my friends - I was always Lil' Tom. It just went from there, really.

You do now if you were called Toddla P that would be bad because it might imply you had a really small penis, i.e. the size of a toddler's?
Ah, seen. Maybe that could be the indie side project.

Did you know Ce'Cile made a dub for me saying I have a "big stick"?
Would you shag her?

Yeah, probably. Would you?
You'd have to.

Have you ever tried collaborating with a real toddler?
Nah, that could be deep though.

You should get Jammer's kid to vocal one of your beats. Jammer's voicemail message is his son beatboxing and rapping over "Destruction".
Serocee's kid is in training. I could get both of them.

Toddla T and The Toddlers.
You should be an A&R.

I should.