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{"id":2551,"date":"2011-01-13T14:31:09","date_gmt":"2011-01-13T22:31:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/grindin.net\/news\/?p=2551"},"modified":"2012-05-18T01:59:36","modified_gmt":"2012-05-18T09:59:36","slug":"david-dallas-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grindin.net\/news\/david-dallas-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"DAVID DALLAS INTERVIEW"},"content":{"rendered":"

$\"\"$ <\/a>David Dallas is the Artist Formally known as Con Psy. Formally known as one-half of the award-winning NZ Hip Hop group Frontline. Formally known as the next to blow. Bring these pronouncements forward to the present tense and David Dallas is now known as the most gifted wordsmith New Zealand Hip Hop has birthed and the most valued lyricist on Dirty Records roster.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Early in the piece, label mate P-Money was quick to spot the prodigious talents of the new kid coming up, recognition that led to Dave\u2019s searing verse on \u2018Not Many \u2013 The Remix\u2019. The song heralded the arrival of an untapped rap talent that New Zealand Hip Hop was quick to make room for.<\/p>\n

After releasing his debut solo album “Something Awesome” in 2009 things started to move fast for David with recognition from Hip Hop blogs in the US and soon after winning a NZ Music Award for “Best Hip Hop Album” New York Hip Hop label Duck Down showed interest in signing the Kiwi MC to a deal.<\/p>\n

Now located in New York Grindin’ caught up with David in his native New Zealand enjoying the summer before heading back to NYC.<\/p>\n

Most people first heard of you on Scribe\u2019s Not Many Remix and then on P-Money\u2019s \u201cMagic City\u201d album. How did those opportunities come about and what was it like being a part of the success those releases had?<\/strong>
\nThey came about through Nick (Forty One) playing our stuff to P-Money and Callum at Dirty. Nick already had a relationship with them through DJing and he\u2019d just started getting into production. I was totally green – I didn\u2019t know anyone or how anything worked. Fortunately they liked our demos and when the opportunity to remix Scribe\u2019s song came about P thought it would be cool to get a new kid on there so he gave me the call up. Working on \u201cMagic City\u201d just followed on from there. It was pretty crazy, jumping from doing computer science at Uni to being on the TV and Radio and having some of the first verses I\u2019d ever written on these records which ended up being super successful.<\/p>\n

<\/iframe><\/p>\nYour next official release was Frontline\u2019s album \u201cBorrowed Time\u201d with producer 41. While it received a lot of critical acclaim it did not sell to expectations. How did that feel especially coming from the earlier successes you were a part of?<\/strong> \nIt\u2019s weird, because local hip hop had become so huge in 03 and 04 and there was so much hype around it that everyones expectations had kinda become unrealistic. 05 was the beginning of the downturn. At the time I was disappointed, but if I look at what the record did in comparison to what records do now or even before that local hip hop boom we had, it\u2019s rather successful. I think I was more disappointed at how difficult I found the record to make, I really feel like I laboured and stressed over the writing process way too much.<\/p>\nYou then went on hiatus for a little while did you ever consider giving up the microphone and getting a regular job? If so what made you hang in there and stay doing your music?<\/strong> \nIt took a long time after that record before I actually wrote another song that I thought was half decent. It was awkward because though Nick still wanted to produce, he didn\u2019t dig the whole artist thing and wanted to transition out of it to just produce and be a family man. I was down to do the solo thing but it kinda meant starting from scratch again. The most frustrating thing about that time was even though I was working and making these songs I loved (all the stuff that would eventually become \u2018Something Awesome\u2019) I was having to sit on them because my situation was up in the air. Meanwhile to the general public I was totally off the radar.<\/p>\nIn 2009 you came back with your debut solo album \u201cSomething Awesome\u201d which definitely had a different feel in terms of sound and also had a name change from Con Psy to David Dallas what was the reasoning behind that?<\/strong> \nI just became more comfortable using my birth name. The only reason I hadn\u2019t used it in the first place was because I didn\u2019t have the confidence to really put myself out there. I\u2019ve never been a \u201clook at me\u201d kinda person, I\u2019ve always been pretty shy.<\/p>\n<object classid=\"clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\" width=\"440\" height=\"270\" codebase=\"http:\/\/download.macromedia.com\/pub\/shockwave\/cabs\/flash\/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0\"><param name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\" \/><param name=\"allowscriptaccess\" value=\"always\" \/><param name=\"src\" value=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/v\/zJoUP0Rx93o?fs=1&hl=en_US\" \/><param name=\"allowfullscreen\" value=\"true\" \/><embed type=\"application\/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"440\" height=\"270\" src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/v\/zJoUP0Rx93o?fs=1&hl=en_US\" allowscriptaccess=\"always\" allowfullscreen=\"true\"><\/embed><\/object><\/p>\nAnother thing that was notable on the album was the honesty in your lyrics from your personal relationships to struggling as an artist to pay the bills. Did you find it hard putting these lyrics down and giving your listeners an insight into your personal world?<\/strong> \nNah, I\u2019ve always found the heavier\/more personal songs easy to write. I guess it\u2019s cause I\u2019m just drawing from personal experiences as opposed to trying to think of clever lines or something poignant to say.<\/p>\nThe video for the single \u201cBig Time\u201d got a lot of attention from people internationally including Kanye West who posted it up on his blog. Was that a defining moment for you in terms of seeing the possibilities of making it overseas and how did you get the video to Kanye for him to view it in the first place?<\/strong> \nIt was kinda vindicating because I loved the vid and didn\u2019t feel like it really got appreciated \u2013 also, the sentiment of that song means a lot to me. I put it out as a single when most people told me it was a bad idea cause it didn\u2019t fit with radio, not uptempo enuff, too much lyrics etc etc. As fate would have it, nothings done more for me internationally than that song\/vid. I think Kanye or his people stumbled upon it after seeing the Jonathan Boulet video which was directed by Special Problems. They must have looked into the other videos that they\u2019d done and found mine.<\/p>\nYou have also had the support of other notable US based blogs such as 2Dopeboyz how valuable has it been to have them post up your music and how did you get on their radar?<\/strong> \nThe blogs have been super important. We wouldn\u2019t be able to do what we\u2019re doing now without them. Everything actually started because one Kiwi fan emailed the \u2018Indulge Me\u2019 vid to a blog called illRoots, they posted it and then the vid ended up a bunch of places including OnSmash. It was really encouraging, so after that my boy Che started reaching out to people and sites like The Smoking Section started showing us support.<\/p>\n<object classid=\"clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\" width=\"440\" height=\"270\" codebase=\"http:\/\/download.macromedia.com\/pub\/shockwave\/cabs\/flash\/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0\"><param name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\" \/><param name=\"allowscriptaccess\" value=\"always\" \/><param name=\"src\" value=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/v\/fQyeNHwOTC0?fs=1&hl=en_US\" \/><param name=\"allowfullscreen\" value=\"true\" \/><embed type=\"application\/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"440\" height=\"270\" src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/v\/fQyeNHwOTC0?fs=1&hl=en_US\" allowscriptaccess=\"always\" allowfullscreen=\"true\"><\/embed><\/object><\/p>\nBeing one of the first Hip Hop artists from this part of the world signed to an independent Hip Hop label in the US do you feel any pressure at all or a responsibility to represent for the Hip Hop community down here?<\/strong> \nNah, I don\u2019t feel no pressure. I get super patriotic, especially when I\u2019m overseas \u2013 but I\u2019m just one dude, and I realise regardless of what you do you can\u2019t make everyone happy. There\u2019s always gonna be people back home who feel like I don\u2019t represent them at all, or think they could do a better job etc \u2013 so I ain\u2019t really fussed. I just want to make the people who dig my stuff proud, and keep being me \u2013 one voice from N.Z.<\/p>\nWhat are your thoughts on the Hip Hop scene in the States and where do you see yourself fitting in?<\/strong> \nIt\u2019s cool, there\u2019s a whole bunch of new artists coming through that I rate. As far as the scene, I don\u2019t think iI\u2019ll ever really fit in but I\u2019d like to think my songs deal with pretty universal themes. Hopefullly people can relate.<\/p>\nIf there was one piece of advice you could give someone wanting to emulate with what you are achieving what would it be?<\/strong> \nGet good people around you. Work on your craft as much as you can, and try to think of what you can offer other people instead of what they can do for you. Guarantee they\u2019ll be much more inclined to help you if you do so.<\/p>\nYou are now based in NYC and have been there for a while how are you finding it so far? Has it been a culture shock or relatively easy to settle in? What are your likes \/ dislkes?<\/strong> \nCulture shock hasn\u2019t been too bad cause I\u2019ve been over a bunch of times in the last 18 months. I like that things move along at a faster pace work-wise here. The food here sucks though. I can\u2019t overstate that. U.S food is shit.<\/p>\n<object classid=\"clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\" width=\"440\" height=\"270\" codebase=\"http:\/\/download.macromedia.com\/pub\/shockwave\/cabs\/flash\/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0\"><param name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\" \/><param name=\"allowscriptaccess\" value=\"always\" \/><param name=\"src\" value=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/v\/liZDMIufgbI?fs=1&hl=en_US\" \/><param name=\"allowfullscreen\" value=\"true\" \/><embed type=\"application\/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"440\" height=\"270\" src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/v\/liZDMIufgbI?fs=1&hl=en_US\" allowscriptaccess=\"always\" allowfullscreen=\"true\"><\/embed><\/object><\/p>\nWhen people first meet you what are their reaction when they find out you are a Hip Hop artist from New Zealand?<\/strong> \nSurprise, followed by a mention of some random foreign place they or someone they know has been to. Chick at our gym hit me with a \u201cWow New Zealand? I just met someone from Scotland\u201d. Blank stares and awkward silence ensued.<\/p>\nWhat do you miss most about NZ?<\/strong> \nThe Mrs. Family. Food.<\/p>\n2011 is just around the corner what are your plans and when can we expect to hear new music from David Dallas?<\/strong> \n“The Rose Tint” is coming top of next year. That\u2019s the only thing on my mind right now, tryin to make this release as good as it can be.<\/p>\nIn 5 years from now where would you like to be?<\/strong> \nIn a big ass house by the beach in N.Z.<\/p>\nWhat\u2019s your definition of Grindin\u2019?<\/strong> \nDoing hard work you don\u2019t enjoy. Making music ain\u2019t no grind.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"David Dallas is the Artist Formally known as Con Psy. Formally known as one-half of the award-winning NZ Hip Hop group Frontline. Formally known as the next to blow. Bring these pronouncements forward to the present tense and David Dallas is now known as the most gifted wordsmith New Zealand Hip Hop has birthed and <a href=\"https:\/\/grindin.net\/news\/david-dallas-interview\/\" class=\"more-link\">…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2608,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[6],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n<title>DAVID DALLAS INTERVIEW - GRINDIN<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/grindin.net\/news\/david-dallas-interview\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"DAVID DALLAS INTERVIEW - GRINDIN\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"David Dallas is the Artist Formally known as Con Psy. Formally known as one-half of the award-winning NZ Hip Hop group Frontline. Formally known as the next to blow. 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