So it’s inventory day here at Dim Mak HQ which means lots of counting. Counting all the Dim Mak Collection tees we have in stock, counting all the Limited Edition Dim Mak headphones we have in stock, all the Limited Edition 55 DSL collab tents we have, all the Bloody Beetroots vinyl and all the Armand Van Helden Mix Odyssey CDs, all the In Your Face logo hoodies and all of the Parra tote bags… everything! Counting, counting and more counting.
So this one goes out to all the interns and staffers who put aside there personal agendas for the day to help the greater good. Classic early 90’s hardcore rave from Mr. Goodingsworth’s wet and windswept homeland. When the mood calls for it I love dropping this tune at the end of a night and seeing all the reactions from people who haven’t heard it before. The official video is awesome too, time to relearn those ABC’s!
ENJOY!!!
Coming out of Calabasas, CA, up-and-coming artist Dude Royal is making a name for himself in the city of angels. On the grind with several tracks released, a self-directed music video, and a full-length album on the way, Dude Royal aka Michael Hooks takes time out of his day to give us an exclusive insight into who he is, why he loves Pharrell and how his academic knowledge is paying off.
How did you get the name Dude Royal?
Dude Royal. Wow. I mean, it came from a lot of pondering & self-reflection. I wanted to do something that no one had done before; In rap now you’re either “Lil”, “Big”, or “Young” somebody. I couldn’t do that, because it didn’t really speak to me or say what I wanted to represent. So, I came up with Dude, that’s my prefix. I felt ‘Dude’ was the perfect moniker for SoCal living. ‘Royal’ just symbolizes the lifestyle I try to uphold. Then I put it together, Dude Royal, I’m just that Dude tryin’ to keep a Royal mind state.
On your unreleased album, Oopdy, Doops, Loops, & Swoodles, you adopt two other personas, can you tell me more about ‘Vader Ganchos’ and ‘Cary Skywalker’?
When I first started making tracks with Spencer [Kitagawa, of the Ski Team] a couple years ago, [my sound] was ever changing, so I knew I couldn’t go under one name. I was just having fun at the time, so I said fuck it and had three different aliases. Cary Skywalker was more of the enlightened one, he would rap about the positive things in life, while trying to send a message. Vader Ganchos was the complete opposite of that, he was glorifying the dark side, talking about the darker happenings in society. [Ultimately] it was all about the good & bad I had experienced in my 22 years.
How long have you known you wanted to be a musician?
Well, I mean, I’ve always been musically inclined, I used to take clarinet lessons when I was 8, I also played a little piano as well. I actually started producing music at first in high school, but didn’t realize I wanted to be an artist until I was pretty much done with college. I came home and my friend was making beats, one of them caught my ear and we started recording on his mac book pro onto garage band. The next thing I know I’m recording in the studio being featured with artists who have already made a name for themselves. It was pretty cool.
Who/what is your major influence?
Haha, that’s easy. Pharrell Williams, without a doubt, hands down. I went to private school where I was the minority surrounded mostly by white kids. A lot of my friends listened to alternative, electro, and pop, so I was into a lot of that. I always listened to rap, but at the time there were really no artists I could relate to. I was living a life that was very different from what rappers were portraying, you know, like selling dope, fucking big booty bitches, rocking chains, and drinking and what not. So when Pharrell came out it was a real eye opener. He bridged the gap between the streets and life in the suburbs for me. He made pop acceptable. That was the music I grew up on, so when he came out I knew it was a good look. It’s definitely Skateboard P who inspires me to make the music I make today.
Your single ‘Don’t Go’ has been out for a minute now, with the music video for the remix just dropping a couple weeks ago. How was it filming/working with DIM MAK’s newest artist Rob Roy?
Rob is great. He’s a true talent, he is actually one of my biggest inspirations right now. There are very few rappers out there who inspire me to do what I do now just because, as I mentioned before, its hard for me to relate to a lot of these rappers out now. Rob, though, he’s a real personable guy, he’s been through the struggle, and he’s a little older so he’s been a real mentor to me. When he came to me and told me he wanted to be on the remix I was ecstatic and very happy we were able to get it done. Rob is very focused and driven and I always love to surround myself around those types of people. It was a good collaboration, no doubt.
I noticed that you are credited with directing the video yourself, is that something else you are passionate about?
Yea, I grew up in the entertainment industry, my dad is a T.V. and film producer/director, so its definitely been a part of my life, I grew up on sets so it’s second nature to me. I’ve always been pretty good at entertaining and making people laugh so I just try to do that via my music and music videos. I also went to NYU film school, so I had to put my academic knowledge to use. Haha.
Recently, producers/djs and rappers have been collabing, creating a big buzz in the hip hop and electro/indie scene. From Kid Cudi and David Guetta to The Cool Kids and The Bloody Beetroots; I hear Steve Aoki and Rob Roy have been in the studio together, how do you feel about these two genres coming together?
I’m a fan of it. To me hip hop for the past 6 or 7 years has been so stagnant, its all starting to sound the same, and its cool to have some change. The electro scene and the hip hop scene are two of my favorite genres so I’m really happy to see new artists merging the two. It sounds great and it kinda goes back to that Neptune/N.E.R.D. sound that I live for so I am a definite fan.
Who is someone you would like to work with?
Crazy as this may sound, I would love to get a track with Wiz Khalifa…and Ke$ha.
When can we expect your next full length album to release?
We are in the process of recording that right now. We are about three or four tracks away from being finished. I’m thinking late April maybe May, just before summer time.
What would you be doing if you weren’t rapping?
Directing, full time.
Where do you see yourself 5 years from now? What is your goal?
5 years from now hopefully I’ll be part of some type of label, continuing to do my music using it as a vehicle to get my music videos and film ideas out there as well. However, when it’s all said and done, I would really like to have my own publishing company to help other artists spread their ideas and work.
Any shoutouts/last words?
Shout out to Dim Mak, Dub Frequency, Ski Team, Rob Roy, Christian TV, Bebbers, and everybody that’s a Dude Royal supporter. Oh and my family of course, throw that in there, they’ll get mad if I don’t.
Dude Royal feat. Rob Roy - “Don’t Go: The Remix”
-DRO-
March madness is definitely in the air as Steve’s hectic lifestyle and hard work is finally recognized by my school’s supplemental sidekick, Dig Magazine. The writer of it totally sounds starstruck by his telephone interview with Steve, and it’s evident in 1/3 of the story. To read the entire article, click here.
To add to the mania, today was known as the Last Day of Action for Public Education, so rallies took part throughout the state’s schools and even entire nation in hopes of changing Arnie’s termination of higher education. Here’s the climax of the protest from my campus, but it would have been spectacular if the American Studies major had dove into that two feet of mess! He’s definitely not going down in history, but what a statement! He said his actions were justified and “clear as the crystal clear water here.”
No, this is not a double post. Look more closely! It’s time for DM to be like a tumbleweed and go where the wind blows. To Austin, Texas it is for SXSW on Thursday, Mar. 18!
All right Miami! It’s time to bring in more dosages of sunshine and Sonic C among other musical acts into your state, so check out WMC on Friday, Mar. 26! Click the pic for big, big.
In T minus eight, NYC’s Santos House will open its doors and debut the Cults at the monthly C&D, so come one, come all (21+)! Purchase tickets via the interweb here.
My good buddy Adam’s band Pollyn is playing at the Roxy tonight with Dim Mak Buddies J*Davey! I recently remixed a track for Pollyn for an upcoming series of remix EP’s. The first one drops in April for ”Can’t Get Into It” with remixes by Bottin (Italians Do It Better/Bear Funk), Altair Nouveau (DFA), and Blu Jemz (Money Studies/Turntable Lab). Check for that at all your normal online stores! They also sent over a nice little podcast mix full of some of my favs like Broken Social Scene, Hot Chip, and some of his own original tracks and remix work under the name Sample 208. Full tracklist available after the jump.
POLLYN PODCAST MIX ( direct download )
