D-Lo
By Black Dog Bone
Continued from Murder Dog vol 16 #1
Do you feel that the East Oakland rappers have a distinct sound that’s different
from other parts of the Bay Area?
I wouldn’t say we got the same sound, but we’re on the same hype. Like everybody
from East Oakland, we on a certain kinda hype. So when you look at it it might
seem like we’re the same, but we’re not though. Everybody got their own different
sound. All that Hyphy and go dumb, that was happening before I was rappin. People
might say my sound is Hyphy, but if you listen to the song I ain’t never talked
about anything Hyphy. The way people react off the song is what makes it Hyphy.
All the artists in East Oakland don’t sound the same to me—you got Mistah F.A.B.,
you got Keak, you got Beeda Weeda, you got a lotta people. If you was to sit
down and really listen to them you would say they’re different.
In the Bay we’ve had a handful of rappers holding it down for the past 15 years.
Recently we’ve been seeing an upsurge of new rappers like Beeda Weeda, J-Stalin,
Shady Nate, you and Sleepy D. It’s exciting.
Even with Beeda Weeda and J-Stalin, our generation is kinda different from theirs.
Me and Sleepy D are only 19 years old. We the younger generation and we’re on
some new shit. It’s just another movement. I feel like I done started off the
new generation basically.
Are you planning to release a full length album?
I’ve been working in the studio. I just got done with a “Tonight Show” with DJ
Fresh. My album’s gonna drop right after that. Then me and Sleepy D got
the “D-Lo Vs. Sleepy” on the Thizzness. Then we ‘bout to do some mixtapes. We
got a mixtape with Lil Boosie from Baton Rouge.
How did you come to work with Lil’ Boosie?
My man, Stretch. Stretch pulls a lotta strings for people. Stretch is a good
man. I met Stretch when I was giving out my CD’s, that’s like family. We’re gonna
work together, period.
What was the case you had that caused you to go to jail?
I don’t want to talk about what I did, but my maximum time was 19 years. I went
and got a good lawyer, ended up getting less time. Now it’s all worked out. I’m
on probation now, but I’m free.
Do you see a lot of other new artists coming up in your area?
Oh yeah, it’s a lot of ‘em comin out, people of my generation. People might
not know them yet, but I can vouch for them.
It must be an exciting time for Oakland, with new artists coming out, new sounds.
It’s new sounds, but everybody wanna be with the Gangsta Rap. If you ain’t really
doing that shit then you shouldn’t be rapping about it. It’s a lotta new cats
coming out though.
Who makes your beats?
When I started I was making my beats. I made the beat for “No Hoe”, my hit single.
Once I got outa jail I nearly gave up on the beats because there started being
so many people tryin to sell me beats. I didn’t have the patience to make the
beats and rap no more. I gave up on the beats cause I know so many producers
now that I don’t need to make the beats.
Which producers are you working with on your new songs?
I be workin with a lotta different producers like Droop-E from Sick Wid It, Traxamillion,
my boy Face the Music, and Royce, the one who made the beat for Sleepy’s hit
single. He’s like my main producer.
I hear they’re playing your song in all the clubs. You obviously didn’t try to
make a club song, the song is so raw, but it’s hot in the clubs.
They play it in every fuckin club. Everybody from the age of two up is listening
to “No Hoe”. It’s on the radio too out here. The song ain’t supposed to be played,
it’s so raw, but it’s the most requested song on KMEL right now. Everybody like
the song so much they have to play it. They got a lotta bleeping it in, but people
wanna hear the song anyway. I appreciate KMEL for supporting the song too.
It’s good to hear some new names. It’s been a long time since the Bay Area saw
so much young talent coming out with a different sound and keeping it raw.
Yeah. I got the remix now too to the “No Hoe” song. I got Mistah F.A.B. on there,
The Jacka, I got E-40, Keak Da Sneak, Beeda Weeda, and my brother Sleepy D.
What music have you been listening to lately?
Mostly local artists, I like to listen to my Bay Area artists. Outside the Bay
I listen to Lil Boosie, Webbie, T.I., I listen to my shit. Basically I listen
to real Rap. I like that pure struggle Rap. From the Bay I be listening to Shady
Nate, he’s with J-Stalin and them. I love Shady Nate, he’s dope to me for real.
I listen to J-Stalin. I listen to a lotta shit.
