Dookie Green, himself: Photo by Adrian Adell
Before you can know Tony Ozier you must first understand what the Doo Doo Funk is all about. You can start now by listening to it, but it's also recommended that you see and feel it. And your first opportunity to do so after experiencing Ozier's playlist will be at the next Dookie Jam—"The Funkiest Jam on the Planet!"—at Dante's on Thursday, October 2.
Your best introduction to Doo Doo Funk is to "listen to the first four songs off the record Keep The Funk Alive," Ozier explains, the third of which (and also the title track) features none other than funkateer Bootsy Collins. "It's a very good explanation!"
Well, get to it while Ozier explains a bit more behind the origin of Doo Doo Funk:
"When I moved to L.A. in 2002 and began to try to shop myself as an artist/producer, I found that the music I made couldn't be classified. It wasn't R&B enough, it wasn't soul, it wasn't hip-hop enough. But I did find that funky was the word that was used to describe it. So, I sat down with my friends and started talking about the funk and the Doo Doo Funk was born!"
With his fingers in all kinds of funky pies, Ozier is currently finishing up a collaborative album called #7Nights under the moniker E.S.T. (featuring Easy McCoy, 6ix and Tony Ozier) as well as Madgesdiq's EP Weed, Politics and Chicks. He's also started recording Farnell Newton's record Ready to Roll and is working on his own solo project 1,126ft/s (The Speed of Sound).
MUSICAL GENRE:
Funk, hip-hop, soul, jazz, rock
STREET CRED:
Producer, arranger, vocalist, recording and mixing engineer; host of the Dookie Jam; frontman of the Doo Doo Funk All-Stars; bassist for The Chicharones; and co-owner of the record label FNBeatsGalore.
RECENT DISCOVERIES:
AB & 14KT: "Lover's Galaxy"
Georgia Anne Muldrow: "Akosua"
Jarrod Lawson: "Music & Its Magical Way"
Sky Montique: "Billie"
INSPIRATIONAL AND INFLUENTIAL:
"Anything from D'Angelo and A Tribe Called Quest. They changed the way I thought about music."
EARLY MUSICAL MEMORY:
"My father took me to Wings Stadium in Kalamazoo, Mich., to see George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic, Cameo and The Bar-Kays. I was about 5. The Mothership!!!"
JUST CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT:
"Prince or D'Angelo's 'She's Always In My Hair.'"
GUILTY PLEASURE:
"Rock music! It's just super fun to make and when you stir it up with some Dookaay—well, you will have to wait! I will be sharing some of it soon!"
LOCAL LOVES:
The Chicharones, Lifesavas, Farnell Newton, Jarrod Lawson, Ronnie Wright, Aan, and Portland via Seattle MC Xperience
DOWNLOAD TONY OZIER: "Dookie Butter"
"'Dookie Butter' features some of Portland's finest on the track: Farnell Newton [trumpet and vocals], Arietta Ward [vocals], Dennis Dove [vocals and pots and pans], Jimmy Russell [guitar], Tamara Stephens [vocals] and Chris Turner [organ]"—plus the multi-talented Dookie Green himself on drums, bass, Rhodes, bells and vocals.
