How has drum and bass changed in the last ten years?
The production and mastering has gotten a lot more technically on point, but that goes for
all music. There are so many different genres of DnB now. I love hearing it played on the
main stage of a festival and seeing kids just going the fuck off to it. It's not such a left field
thing to listen to as it is when I first discovered it. Drum and bass has a long history...it's the
foundation of BASS music. I’m happy to see kids in love with hip hop, DnB, trap, dubstep,
drumstep, electro, whatever. Now, people are less genre specific, which I definitely appreciate.
I love all music as long as it moves me, and I am happy that more and more each day, it is
gravitating toward this musical vision within DJ sets and performances.
How have you changed?
I’m older and wiser. A lot less aggressive. I was living in some shitty neighborhoods in north
and south Philly. Since I relocated to Vegas, I have felt a lot more peace. Not having to get
in fights every other day and having to look over your shoulder 24/7 reduces a lot of stress.
The birth of my daughter has also contributed to making me a lot more peaceful and positive.
I have always had a loving heart but some of my actions could be misperceived in the past
because I would just snap when someone swung on me or whatever childish situation was
unfolding. I am a lot more patient with people and able to keep my fists down and find the
strength and calm to walk away. My daughter needs me out of a cage. I’m not serving a bid
for anything stupid.
How hard do you push yourself?
Harder than anyone else will ever be able to push me. I’m very critical of my art and I put
a fire under my own ass every single day. Like I said before, I remind myself that I’m very
lucky to do this for a living and my whole life could've easily went another route if music didn’t
save me. Music is a very hard profession to pay the bills in but it's been going well. I attribute
this less to my actual talent and more to my work ethic. I believe that I need to live my craft
religiously to succeed so, that's how I treat it.
When are you completely satisfied with your work?
I appreciate the time and love I put into my music but if you ask any artist... we're never going
to be one hurndred percent satisfied. I don’t ever want to become complacent or lethargic. I
want to keep evolving and getting better at my craft. If you feel you can't push yourself to be
any better...that’s when to call it quits. When you lose your hunger, it will come out in your
music. That's my opinion.
As an MC, what’s your relationship like with the rest of Planet of the Drums?
They are like my family. We are a band of brothers and we have a unique chemistry between
the four of us on stage. We all have different artistic backgrounds and influences, but we all
mesh together when we perform as Planet of the Drums. It's a big responsibility, as well as
a creative release that I don't find anywhere else in life - I’m their voice as well as my own...
while they are behind the decks mixing, I'm the aggro rapper spitting my everything into the
mic and getting everyone hyped until my clothes are soaked in sweat. The end of a four hour
set looks like I was hanging around outside in a thunderstorm. I have to bring a change of
clothes to every gig or else I'm walking around swimming in my own Italian grease. It's fucking
disgusting and an epic workout at the same time.
What’s in your future goals?
Being the best father I can be, starting a nonprofit called Creative Rising to help the less
fortunate, recording vocals of all genres for new tunes with artists like Excision, Datsik, et
cetera. DJing and producing, songwriting with my homie, Lliam Taylor in our music duo, Rise
At Night, and launching another project that I can't talk about because I don't want anyone to
know it's me. My future goals are to keep doing what I'm doing because it got me here and
experimenting with new music to help get me to places that I have never yet been. I already
have some number ones with it, but I must stay sworn to secrecy.
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