MY BOOK IS ALMOST HERE! [WRITING]
In four days, I release a book I’ve written which features a compilation of artists, athletes and entrepreneurs from all around the world. I’ve done this in partnership withEff Ur Stilo, who helped me book the interviews. This is the biggest writing project of my life thus far, and I am very excited. Earlier tonight, one of the 20+ interviews from my book was released on EffUrStilo.com featuring a talk with the artist DutchMasta, a former American marine now working as a Hip-Hop class. Peep what Eff Ur Stilo posted earlier tonight, below:
Exclusive excerpt from calvin./CHANCE‘s WHAT IT MEANS TO BE AN ARTIST TODAY book, featuring an interview with Brooklyn-born rapper, DutchMasta.
[Artist Interview 1 of x].
edited by Molly Saltz
Now, we hear from a former military service member what it means be an artist today, garnering a unique perspective. This is someone who clearly takes the freedom of expression very seriously The poignantly named DutchMasta is a former United States Marine and currently, a rapper. A Hip-Hop artist hailing from Brooklyn, New York, currently residing in Central New Jersey, his style is influenced by all types of songs and artists. Easily considered new-school Hip-Hop, DutchMasta also plays a variety of instruments and the role of executive producer on all of his own projects. Today, we learn how he approaches performances, both in the studio and on-stage. We also learn what it means to fight for rights of expressionism. He is as ambitious as they come, making music for the young, open-minded, spirited individual. DutchMasta has agreed to give us the low-down of what it means to be a rapper coming out of the East Coast today.
DutchMasta Profile & Interview
calvin./CHANCE: DutchMasta, I got a lot of respect for you. It’s great to get this exclusive interview with you.It’s dope to see you on the grind and so working hard. You, better then anyone, know you have to do whatever it takes to live your dream. Your last few shows have been pretty crazy. For those out therewho may not know who you are, could you please introduce yourself to our audience, and let them know who you are and where you are from?
DucthMasta: What’s good? Thanks for the love. I’m DutchMasta, from Brooklyn, NY, currently residing in Central New Jersey.
cc: You are a rapper. You devote your life to self-expression, and by doing so, create art. How, and why do you do it?
DM: I play multiple instruments, I sing, I write poetry; but my main focus right now is being a Hip-Hop artist. I do what I do because I love music and being an artist, plain and simple. If I didn’t have the ambition and constant drive that I have now, I would probably still be a Radio Operator in the Marines.
cc: Has anyone ever been critical towards your career, and how did you deal with that criticism?
DM: Honestly, I have received criticism, but never towards the music I make, never towards my songs. I am a metal-head at heart; I grew up on rock’n’roll, heavy metal, and punk rock. The people that I ran with when I listened to that music feel like I turned my back on metal, which couldn’t be farther away from the truth. When I left for the military, I met new people, and, of course, that lead to a different lifestyle because of it. The experience has opened my mind to different genres of music. Some people have a hard time realizing that you can open-minded and develop more of an open mind through different mediums. I haven’t changed because I’ve grown. Some people are so pigeon-holed in one genre of music, they literally refuse to respect what I am doing. It can be difficult, but the music speaks for itself.
What has been your most successful show to date?
My most successful show to date — 10/8/2013 — was my last show at The Blue Room Lounge in Secaucus, NJ. I was supposed to go on at midnight, but some last minute changes were done to the set -list. It’s always unpredictable. Needless to say, I didn’t get on stage until 1:30AM. Luckily, a lot of people stayed to see me do my thing. After I get on the stage, the DJs CDJ was having trouble reading my CD with the instrumentals on it. Doesn’t sound like a successful show yet, does it? Once I finally performed, I was introduced to the VP of Wu-Tang Management, the infamous Jimmy Kang. After I introduced myself, he said, “Yeah, I know who you are, your performance was excellent; you got a mixtape for me?” Obviously, I gave him my mixtape and my phone number in a matter of seconds. I am just playing the waiting game now. I also received a lot of respect from all the artists that didn’t leave after their performance. Overall, it was a f*cking great night.
That is a crazy story. The music industry always seems to leave people on their toes. How do you record your music? Do you produce the beats yourself?
Now I record my music in a professional studio, on my own terms. Fnally! My first mixtape was recorded in two different apartments down in Oceanside, CA, while I was in the Marines. Currently, I do not produce my own beats, although I am going to school for my A.A.S. in Music Technology. I hope to both engineer and produce, by the end of it. I always strive to improve myself. The only producer I currently do business with is my boy Olijawon Moore, otherwise known as Basshead Productions (based out of San Diego, CA). If I was forced to use one producer for the rest of my career as a Hip-Hop artist, I would undoubtedly pick him. He is versatile; his samples are on point, he is completely original, but also finds a way to put his own twist on the popular trends in the production of Hip-Hop/R&B songs today. If I didn’t know who Basshead was, I would probably be spitting over industry instrumentals. I can’t find an underground producer as well rounded as him.
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