Dendai-1 & Young Bam

What’s poppin’ these days in the city of Dago?

It’s unreal out here right now. Between the crooked politicians, gang injunctions, and the budget crisis it’s like the 1980’s all over again. The gang injunctions helped push a lot of inner city gang members outwards to new neighborhoods. There is enough going on to write a book about.

 

Dendai-1 & Young Bam are less known compared to other groups from San Diego. What can you offer to the listeners?

Something different & unformulated. Something to think about and speak with others about. Our music embodies our growth as musicians. Our goal is to make every song different. The ego of a lot of rappers keeps them from growing into musicians so they lack musicianship. And they spend most of their career doing the same thing over and over.

One thing that I liked alot about your album was that it couldn’t be classified that easy, you had alot of different styles on it. Where you you take your ideas/inspirations from?

Life, conversations, people, all types of music. Everything is an instrument.

What music do you listen to when you’re at home?

Twomp Sak, Sir Qt, A.K.A Big Trigga & Mark B, Kap Peelas, Young Go-off, Mac Dre R.I.P, Ti, T-Nutty, my folks R-beta and Magnificent, KRS-One, Suga Free, E-fezzie of course, 2-Pac R.I.P.

Could you just give us a complete roster of Hell Brazy Entertainment and name all the records you’ve released so far?

Twomp Sak, Sir Qt, A.K.A Big Trigga & Mark B, Kap Peelas, Go-Off, Eshad, Dendai 1 & Young Bam, Quake the Y.G., Room 8, Blak-n Mild, Po Slim, Nykes, Babyluk, Mak Hard, DJ Marquez Styles, KaZmIK and The Respectah.

So far We have Released:
Mouth Piece
The Legacy Episode 1: The Epidose
Nykes – Step Into America
Dr. Hood
Brilliance: The Overthrow
Sign Of The Times
34-m Compilation
Assassination Mixtape Vol.1

 

What will come up in the future – how do your plans look like?

Well so far we have 5 volumes of Black Zone & crate robbers mixtapes coming out this summer make sure you cop those, a Soundtrack for a movie called “The Valley”, our new album Masterpiece & a tour this fall and a few more surprises up our sleeve.

We have alot of gangsta-rap coming out of Dago – is this stuff real or are all those newcomers only playing with the same old chlichees?

Dendai-1: Yeah the gangs out here are real, people are dying everyday and crime is down from last year. But on that same note most of these rappers aren’t on the block thuggin’ it up like they like to depict in their music. I don’t see these cats in public. Most music heads know each other and some actively make music with their own neighborhoods sworn enemies, personally I think all the shit coming out of dago right now has been done of death but it’s real, I just wish some of these new heads would do it different.

Are you bored of the development of the rap-scene within the last years?

Young Bam: Hell yeah. Why is everybody making the same song over & over whatever happened to individuality, there’s a lot of talent out there but everybody’s stuck on checking a buck.

Westcoast-Rap from the beginning up to this day: has it changed to the better?

Dendai-1: The Westcoast is alive right now and it’s growing that’s always better. A lot of older westcoast rappers are starting to get props for pioneering the Westcoast sound and that’s better, but like I said before the new generation is here and they’re making the same music the last generation made.

 

Is rap still an art or nothing else then a money-making-machine?

Dendai-1: Rap is an art. Always will be. That’s why majority of our music is free. But right now Hip Hop/Rap is a fad everybody wants to take advantage of it. It’s like being an artist, anybody can learn how to draw and make you a perfect picture/product. That rightfully makes them an artist and they’ll let you know about it too. But a person who enjoys the Art of making art is a creator will never feel compensated because a creation has no worth. So as long as I’m in the game I know rap is an art.

We all know that in this world it’s all about the benjamins – what’s the meaning of money to you?

Dendai-1: Death. Shit it’s worthless anyway all it would take is a major disater in the right place and we could be back on the gold standard. Money is the root of all evil. It’s the death of my people. All money is blood money. My ancestors were sold for small amounts of money and my history as it’s read today was paid for in blood, sweat, and the lives of millions. People will do anything for money. But most people with money wouldn’t do a thing for you. Money means corruption, shit don’t get me started.

What’s the best thing that happened to you concerning your rap-career?

Dendai-1: Tours, and people telling me they feel my music. I’ve traveled & gotten to do some things I would’ve never done and meet some people I would’ve never met if I wasn’t rapping.

Have you ever thought about shootin’ a video clip for a single? Which song would you choose? Why?

“No Funk”. The Reason I would pick “No Funk” is it’s a track full of energy and it defines our styles.

Any final words from San Diego to Germany?

Thanks for tha luv. Thanks for keeping the westcoast alive. Thanks for supporting the underground. We’ll kick it in another life for real.