So far in the few interviews we have done we've managed to cover the heavier to the more melodic rock side of things. For our next interview we've taken a full turn and had the chance to catch up with a young up and coming rapper by the name of Damian, known by his stage name Deeyem.
Okay,
should we start now?
DeeYeM: Yeah man, go for it.
Why music, did you choose it, did it choose you?
DeeYeM: I'm not sure really, around 2008 I
really started getting into music in general. Not sure how it happened, but I
just happened to have some Eminem on my iPod so that's pretty much where I
started getting into rap music.
What was the first song you started singing along and to, and
thought to yourself: I can do this, or was it more of a gradual progression?
DeeYeM: It was mainly the songs from
Eminem's album "The Eminem Show" where i really wanted to start
getting into it. I tried to start writing in year 8 but wasn't keen or thought
I wasn't really good enough to try recording.
Besides Eminem, who were your main influences early on, and how
has that changed over time?
DeeYeM: Okay well it all started with him, I
then started getting into rappers like Yelawolf and Jay-Z. A rapper from Canada
named D-Pryde was probably one of my biggest influences to start rapping, being
someone who didn't "look the part" I thought I could relate! Right
now my biggest influences would still be D-pryde, Macklemore, Yelawolf, J.Cole,
and of course Eminem who is still a huge influence to me!
Do you draw any inspiration from the more mainstream artists
such as 50 Cent, Lil Wayne, Tupac etc..
DeeYeM: Well the thing with me is I like to
think I'm a realistic person, so i usually find it really hard to listen to
anything that is 'gangster rap' because as they might be real to those people.
I really can't relate growing up in the melbourne suburbs.. I really do love a
lot of 'lil Wayne's music in how creative he can get with the way he
manipulates words and the use of his metaphors. Overall I do listen to quite a
bit of 50 cent and a little bit of Tupac, I just wouldn't say that they
influence me in how i rap personally.
You talked about growing up in the suburbs, has the place you
grew up been a big influence on the way your music has been shaped?
DeeYeM: I'd say so yeah, I've grown up with
a family who have had pretty good morals and values, this is a big reason why I
really try to have a positive attitude in my music and maybe don't swear as
much as I could in my songs (laughs). And also with me being a realistic
person, I wouldn't talk about things that haven't happened or anything
superficial really, unless joking of course! I just think if everyone talks
about their own individual story you get a really unique feel to their songs!
When you recorded your first song, what was it like and how did
the experience influence you?
DeeYeM: Well my first recording.. If i
remember correctly.. I was using some sort of cheap ($10) Sony mic, using a
program called Magix, which i was using the 60 day trial for. Looking back it's
actually crazy to think how much It's all changed that I'm using the equipment
I'm using now. After I recorded my first song called "Pure" (with an
american accent, yes you just read correctly..), that's when I really got a
feel of being judged, the few good comments I got were hugely outweighed by the
bad. Through all the bad comments it only made me search deeper and try that
little bit harder to get where i am now. I have still got a very long way to
go!
How far do you think you've gone from since your first song,
what can you say about that?
DeeYeM: Well skills-wise I think I've
completely changed my style and flow, over time i've really tried to work on
both things and I think i've really been excelling lately! I think the reason I
excelled would most likely be a lot of the harsh but honest comments I got in
the beginning.
The song Make It Rain got a mixed reception, can you tell me
more about that?
DeeYeM: yeah Make It Rain was one of the
songs that got a lot of attention compared to the others. It was a song i did
with Bonkers (another rapper who I no longer work/rap with), we made that song
after gaining a bit of confidence through a lot of good comments and that, at
the time I thought it was the best shit I've ever made but looking back now it
just comes across as a really corny song about nothing really! I think the
comments from the song really changed how I rap today
So do you have any other collaborations, or is there anyone
else you would want to work with?
DeeYeM: Yeah well I've actually done a few
collabs. I did some work with two Melbourne rappers by the names of Doozie and
Akaati, which can still be found up on youtube! Right now i'm doing heaps of
solo work, so I'm not really planning to collab, but I might have the odd few
here and there. I'm starting to meet heaps of new interesting people that are
helping me out so you never know!
Have you gotten to the point where you're confident enough to start doing
your own stuff live?
DeeYeM: Nah, not really as much as I love
watching the battles I've never really thought about getting into freestyling,
not really my thing! ...Even though everyone seems to be doing it!
No I havent really got to do any live shows yet, I've never
really had a strong set of songs I've wanted to perform live recently. Now that
I've finally finished my EP "The DeeYeM E.P", i'm real happy with all
the music that has come out of it!
You should just ask your friends if they would be interested in having
someone perform at their party, and go from there.
DeeYeM: Yeah well actually come to think of
it a year back from now we performed at a couple parties and got great response
from it, just yet to perform solo.
You should try it, you know DZ Deathrays started out at house parties, and
then opened up for Foo Fighters, so you could go anywhere.
DeeYeM: I should give it a go!
What's next?
DeeYeM: Well now that the EP is done I'm
sort of finding what im doing next, I'm working with some new people and
hopefully evolving that into some projects, which I'll hopefully be working on!
Would you ever consider playing with a live band, or would a DJ be more the
way you would want to go?
DeeYeM: Yeah, I really don't mind at all,
right now I'd love to rap along with either! I guess I wouldn't know entirely
until I've tried both.
Before you go, is there anything else you would like to say?
DeeYeM: Just working with heaps of new
people I've been meeting lately and slowly deciding what the next project is!
I'm thinking about slowly putting together a new mixtape/album but I think the
main goal will now be to try get some live gigs soon!
Besides Eminem, who were your main influences early on, and how has that changed over time?DeeYeM: Okay well it all started with him, I then started getting into rappers like Yelawolf and Jay-Z. A rapper from Canada named D-Pryde was probably one of my biggest influences to start rapping, being someone who didn't "look the part" I thought I could relate! Right now my biggest influences would still be D-pryde, Macklemore, Yelawolf, J.Cole, and of course Eminem who is still a huge influence to me!Do you draw any inspiration from the more mainstream artists such as 50 Cent, Lil Wayne, Tupac etc..DeeYeM: Well the thing with me is I like to think I'm a realistic person, so i usually find it really hard to listen to anything that is 'gangster rap' because as they might be real to those people. I really can't relate growing up in the melbourne suburbs.. I really do love a lot of 'lil Wayne's music in how creative he can get with the way he manipulates words and the use of his metaphors. Overall I do listen to quite a bit of 50 cent and a little bit of Tupac, I just wouldn't say that they influence me in how i rap personally.You talked about growing up in the suburbs, has the place you grew up been a big influence on the way your music has been shaped?DeeYeM: I'd say so yeah, I've grown up with a family who have had pretty good morals and values, this is a big reason why I really try to have a positive attitude in my music and maybe don't swear as much as I could in my songs (laughs). And also with me being a realistic person, I wouldn't talk about things that haven't happened or anything superficial really, unless joking of course! I just think if everyone talks about their own individual story you get a really unique feel to their songs!
When you recorded your first song, what was it like and how did the experience influence you?DeeYeM: Well my first recording.. If i remember correctly.. I was using some sort of cheap ($10) Sony mic, using a program called Magix, which i was using the 60 day trial for. Looking back it's actually crazy to think how much It's all changed that I'm using the equipment I'm using now. After I recorded my first song called "Pure" (with an american accent, yes you just read correctly..), that's when I really got a feel of being judged, the few good comments I got were hugely outweighed by the bad. Through all the bad comments it only made me search deeper and try that little bit harder to get where i am now. I have still got a very long way to go!How far do you think you've gone from since your first song, what can you say about that?DeeYeM: Well skills-wise I think I've completely changed my style and flow, over time i've really tried to work on both things and I think i've really been excelling lately! I think the reason I excelled would most likely be a lot of the harsh but honest comments I got in the beginning.The song Make It Rain got a mixed reception, can you tell me more about that?DeeYeM: yeah Make It Rain was one of the songs that got a lot of attention compared to the others. It was a song i did with Bonkers (another rapper who I no longer work/rap with), we made that song after gaining a bit of confidence through a lot of good comments and that, at the time I thought it was the best shit I've ever made but looking back now it just comes across as a really corny song about nothing really! I think the comments from the song really changed how I rap today
So do you have any other collaborations, or is there anyone else you would want to work with?DeeYeM: Yeah well I've actually done a few collabs. I did some work with two Melbourne rappers by the names of Doozie and Akaati, which can still be found up on youtube! Right now i'm doing heaps of solo work, so I'm not really planning to collab, but I might have the odd few here and there. I'm starting to meet heaps of new interesting people that are helping me out so you never know!
