Q&A With Stockton, CA Based Hip Hop Artist DJ Black
Congratulations DJ Black on your latest EP release “Scorpio Season”. We checked it out and we really enjoyed the fresh new sound & perspective on new Hip Hop coming out of Stockton, California. What motivated you to create this style of music. And where did your moniker originate?
I came up in a crazy mix of both hip hop and rock music. My mother set a pretty heavy foundation of grunge and metal for me as a kid and pretty much everyone else i knew was into hip hop. This started me out with a pretty open mind from the beginning when it came down to what i liked and was inspired by. Once i started really taking this solo project seriously I really wanted a sound that went with the name. I dont want to just be another rapper. I want DJ BLACK to be a sound you know when you hear my name. I want the feel of loud/live drums and guitar but also the slap of the 808 and vocal freedom hip hop allows. I feel i got the closest ive ever been to the sound im chasing with this EP. Still not where i want it though haha!
We understand you have a deep history with your past band HED .P.E. as the lead guitarist. Please give us a brief background & history on the band. Also, how has your experience being in a band helped you with your Hip Hop career.
I am currently still with Hed P.E. I have been a pro hire on guitarist for the past 10 years for a handful of amazing bands and I have been a member of HED since 2018 which has been an amazing experience so far. They created the G-punk sound which has always been a big inspiration to me, so playing with them ihas been an honor.
What is the earliest hip hop memory you can recall?
ALL I gotta say is Kriss Kross haha! i was probably about 4
How are you dealing with this whole nationwide lockdown due to Covid-19 CoronaVirus? Has this affected your music career in any way?
Well it has completely stopped all touring which is a big hit to all of us in this line of work. Yet it has also provided a lot of down time to work on this project which is a blessing for me. So there is bad and good that has come from it.
Who’re some of your biggest musical influences?
Dr. Dre, E-40, Mac Dre, BUSH, and AFI since always.
You recently dropped a new EP “Scorpio Season” across all streaming platforms! Please give us some background on that project!? Could you tell me the inspiration behind the project and artwork?
I wrote and recorded this EP by myself in Australia. I had a lot going on in my head when i began writing since i had just had a whole year of touring cancelled due to covid. This had never happened before. Soon after begining my writting process, the murder of George Flloyd happened and fueled me in a huge way to speak out. As far as the cover goes i got so tired of back and forthing with artists and not getting what i wanted. I took the pic myself and edited it my self. I felt it looked how the EP sounded.
How does social media play a role in pushing DJ BLACK music.
Im on everything. Im constantly posting and releasing content! Especially with the COVID lockdowns, you can only find me on social media haha. To be honest, I feel a lot of my content goes overlooked by the fans. So please Follow that IG, subscribe to the YOUTUBE, and subscribe to whatever streaming platform you use!!! It goes a long way!.
We have to ask, with all this social discourse and revolt, protesting and rioting, exposed police brutality toward blacks and BLM, how do you feel about this? We would love your perspective on the climate we are living in right now?
Listen to the first track “3:33” on “Scorpio Season” and you will know how I feel…….If you dont listen, fuck tha police.
Is there anything you’re working on right now that we can expect soon?
Music Videos for the EP and lots of freestlye Remix videos!!! I have new singles with some dope features coming up aswell!!!!
What are a few different moves you’re making for 2020 when it comes to your music career?
Im really trying to expand my online presence and following. Ive been touring my entire life and have always been able to work the word of mouth technique pretty hard. With everything going on, im realizing how important it is to have my online presence as poppin as possible. So that is my main focus at the moment.
Our most popular question….What is your definition of “Underground Hip Hop”?
Any type of hip hop that is true to the artist and genre which is not altered to fit any type of mainstream guideline or sound.
Where can our BLOG audience find your music and follow you on social media?
Instagram is my most active social “THEOFFICIALDJBLACK”
also my Youtube Channel “DJ BLACK TV”
THIS HERE provides the link to my page on all STREAMING platforms!!!!
https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/djblack3/scorpio-season
