Poetry: Immigrant #NaPoWriMo

The bottom line - to cap it all

Forgive me --I broke the law,
But if you had walked in my shoes and saw what I saw,
You’d know my motives,
So my children can live,
a better life, and too, their kids.

A Mexican working hard in the US to support families,
left behind,
south of the border, with no peace of mind - whether she’s been shot, by an Arizona ranger - whether he’s been jailed, by Operation Gatekeeper.

Lost across the Imperial Desert or over the mountains north of Tecate.
Mexicans drown in canals and rivers. While the army militarize the border…

A 30 hour coach journey, in the faith of living better.
Only to die of dehydration, hypothermia or xenophobia.

Busloads of Polish people, skilled in many trades,
make the journey from Warsaw to the land of opportunity, the UK.

Better healthcare, better pay, this is the European Union
Only to find themselves taken advantage of and spit upon for taking the jobs natives can’t or refuse to work in.

Was this the freedom envisaged?
Working 7 days a week, paid cheap for their keep.

Laws let goods and money freely cross borders, yet impose a form of class warfare against when it comes to workers.

Not free to move with changing economic conditions in the same manner that businesses can move their capital.

And that's the bottom line, to cap it all.

Poem a Day: Woman #NaPoWriMo

Woman

You cannot stop a force of nature

Her questions are getting no answers and she has to ask them louder.
She’s given no explanation and her confusion is growing stronger.

She is alone, determined to survive. She has the energy, in her mind.

She is a fighter and there is so much to live for, that’s why she was born. She will honor it. Do not cause her any harm.

If she feeds her soul, do you fear she can outgrow you? Don’t forget, she can uphold you.

She’ll put a message in a bottle. She will not be unheard.

You cannot stop a force of nature, it will catch up with you, it already encapsulates you.

The force is too strong.

She has been standing up for centuries and she will not to be silenced.

There’s nothing that can stop her, not ancestry, not violence.

Not even judgment because she knows...

All she needs is one person, because that love is strong.

Love lasts for all time, no matter where she has gone.

National Poetry Writing Month: Requiem #NaPoWriMo

Raindrops on the train glass window

This is the perfect poem for me to kick off  my #NaPoWriMo contribution with, as I wrote Requiem after a long long period of writer's block. The inspiration behind it was something so simple, yet created this out pour which I was not in control of:-

Requiem

Raindrops on the train glass window,

fall effortlessly like the pain you give and claim to not know.

Epitomising the demising friendship I was desiring, to step into; fantasising,

where it could go.

Oh they fall, so small,

But build up to a size,

uncontrollable to hold back anymore.

Like the tears in my eyes,

concealed by a smile;

hard to not eventually show at all.

They fall south despite being blown; forced in the other direction.

I wish I had somewhere to hide – a distraction,

from the cold slap of spite, like sudden frostbite

from the warm sunny flirts of your affection.

I wish I had some protection from the gust that stings my eyes,

And the whistling wind voicing my silent cries.

I was crazy for you.

Now I abhor you.

I guess I had to write a requiem for you.

Soon the storm will pass,

After a lightning flash making sense of the past;

To wash old rivers away,

Drown out the sorrow, for tomorrow may still be cold but will be a brighter day.

Shouldn’t let a bad experience diminish my spirit,

Or keep me from friendships.

I’ve come to terms with it.

Definitely learned from it.

You were never true.

I was crazy for you.

Now I abhor you.

So I wrote a requiem for you.

(here’s a requiem for you).

Lapiro De Mbanga: Cameroon's Voice of the Voiceless leaves a legacy of revolution that lives on

Lapiro De Mbanga, one of West Africa’s biggest names in music who fought against political corruption in Cameroon, died of cancer this month after living in exile in America the past two

In a country with one of the lowest working wages for its people; where homosexuality is illegal and a government which censors musicians and journalists for questioning its dictatorship rule, where does Cameroon’s future lie?

Lapiro De Mbanga: Rebel with a cause

Senegalese singer Youssou N'Dour, who calls for peace in his latest song One Africa, said: “A song can get the message out there quicker than a political speech.” But it is the People’s Democratic Movement Party and Cameroon’s President since 1982, Paul Biya, who has censored musicians, jailed them and according to De Mbanga “tried to kill me twice” for messages in songs.

De Mbanga, who sang and rapped in pidgin - a mixture of English, French and local languages, has over 30 years of hits, which were regularly censored for their political themes. He gained millions of fans from a population frustrated and disenfranchised in their country.

It was 2008’s track Constitution Constipée (Constipated Constitution) that upset the powerful political party most. It criticised President Biya’s proposed constitutional amendment which would remove Cameroon's two-term presidential limit, to allow Biya to stand for re-election.

Despite being banned by TV and radio, the song became an inspirational anthem among the student demographic who held protests pushing for reform. De Mbanga was blamed for his music influencing riots in which 40 people were killed and after an unfair trial he was jailed for three years.

Ndinga Man (Guitar man) / Voice of the Voiceless / Bard of Cameroon's working class

The Danish-based NGO Freemuse (Freedom of Musical Expression) led an international campaign for De Mbanga’s release. In partnership with human rights activist Deeyah Khan and Grappa records, Freemuse released the album Listen to the Banned (2010) full of censored artists which featured Constitution Constipée. In an interview De Mbanga said: “If Freemuse hadn't publicised my case worldwide, I'd have been dead long ago".

Following his release from jail in 2011 De Mbanga produced more anti-Biya songs and in 2012 he received political asylum in the US.

A book De Mbanga began working on last year, The Planned Death of a Freedom Fighter, is set for release this year. Also due in 2014 is a film about the country’s censorship laws from exiled Cameroonian radio journalist Issa Nyaphaga. De Mbanga’s fight to expose corruption and speak up for the rights of the Cameroonian people lives on.

Kate Bush: The cover versions before the dawn

Many artists have covered Kate Bush classics - and in light of the build-up for the Before the Dawn London dates - here are some suggestions in case she would ever consider returning the favour:

Maxwell sang the 1990 Kate Bush song ‘This Woman’s Work’ for his MTV Unplugged concert in 1997 and recorded it for his 2001 album Now.

Kate Bush cover suggestion: Maxwell’s ‘Whenever Wherever Whatever’ (1997)

Natalie Cole covered the 1978 Kate Bush song ‘The Man With The Child In His Eyes’ for her 2006 album Leavin’.

Kate Bush cover suggestion:  Natalie Cole’s ‘I’m Catching Hell’ (1978)

Ra Ra Riot covered the 1982 Kate Bush song ‘Suspended in Gaffa’ on their 2008 album The Rhumb Line.

Kate Bush cover suggestion: Ra Ra Riot’s ‘The Orchard’ (2010)

The Futureheads covered the 1985 Kate Bush song ‘Hounds of Love’ for their self-titled album in 2004.

Kate Bush cover suggestion: The Futurehead’s ‘Thursday’ (2012)

Herbie Hankcock, with John Legend and Pink, covered the Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush Duet ‘Don’t Give Up’ for Hancock’s 2010 album The Imagine Project.

Kate Bush (live band) cover suggestion: Instrumental interlude Herbie Hancock’s ‘You’ll Know When You Get There’ (1971)

Kate Bush’s Before the Dawn dates are as follows:

August

26 - London's Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith

27- London's Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith

29 - London's Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith

30 - London's Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith

September

2 - London's Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith

3 - London's Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith

5 - London's Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith

6 – London's Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith

9 - London's Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith

10 - London's Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith

12 - London's Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith

13 - London's Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith

16 - London's Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith

17 - London's Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith

19  - London's Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith

October

1 - London's Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith

Damon Albarn: The Heavy Seas of modern technology

Artwork for Heavy Seas of Love: Palacio Salvo, Montevideo, Uruguay

Damon Albarn has been building up the release of his debut solo album Everyday Robots with a series of heavy-hearted song clips.

The piano led song 'Heavy Seas Of Love'  which features Brian Eno on guest vocals is the latest. The music box melody contrasts with melancholy vocals and overall is a mellow mid-tempo treat.

Other songs include the title track and 'Lonely Press Play'.

The information accompanying the video for 'Lonely Press Play' explains it was "shot by Damon on a tablet and you'll see scenes from Tokyo, London, Dallas, Utah, Colchester, North Korea, Iceland and Devon." Albarn has always embraced  modern technology with music.  With Gorillaz, the visuals were the source of a new live experience.

From what we've seen so far from Albarn's Youtube clips, for his solo project, there seems to be  sadness in the social commentary.

The lyrics, visuals and vocals all seem to be grieving for a population that  have become disconnected from real life when ironically, we are living in an era where the world is within our touchscreen fingertips.

For the 'Everyday Robots' video, Albarn sings  "We are everyday robots on our phones" as we watch the process of a human face forming in a digital animation. It's a thought-provoking concept that reminds us to think what it is, to be human.

Damon Albarn: Everyday Robots is set for release on April 28

The single ‘Heavy Seas of Love’ will be available for download from April 27. The album Everyday Robots follows the next day on April 28.

Damon Albarn is set to perform with his current band, The Heavy Seas, in London before heading to New York to headline the Latitude Festival.

Upcoming gigs are as follows:

April

30 - London Rivoli Ballroom

May

1 - London Queen Mary University Great Hall

July

19 – Latitude festival – New York

Beyoncé: Feminism through #Yoncisms

While the #bebossyandproud hashtag takes over #banbossy - Mrs. Carter has been the tour that Beyoncé, the boss, has been leading since 2013.

Beyoncé: The boss

Her fifth release, a self-entitled visual album with 17 videos, swept the entertainment world when it was released unannounced in December.  Selling a record-breaking 828,773  copies in just three days, Beyoncé completely smashed the previous title holder for first-week sales on iTunes, Justin Timberlake, who sold a measly 580,000 for 20/20 in March.

It became obvious that Beyoncé is the most forceful presence in pop music.  She always pays homage to her heroes and has said that the visual album was inspired by her memories of watching  Michael Jackson's Thriller video premiere in 1983. 

She said: "I miss that immersive experience. Now people only listen to a few seconds of a song on their iPods and they don't really invest in the whole experience".

It was  2009's super anthem Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) that elevated Beyoncé to a superstar stratosphere. Toddlers did the Single Ladies dance and grandparents learned Beyoncé 's name. It also means that she has since been scrutinised more than ever for her image, her lyrics and her feminist credentials.

"I do believe in equality. Why do you have to choose what type of woman you are? Why do you have to label yourself anything? I’m just a woman and I love being a woman." - Beyoncé, British Vogue (May 2013)

But the feminism debate has meant that some other interesting themes on this album have been overlooked:

Beyonce's breakthroughs  - losses and wins

#iwokeuplikethis

The album begins with  Beyoncé's strive for perfection in Pretty Hurts and later Rocket and Flawless demonstrate  her becoming comfortable with who she is on the outside and in. A clip of her former group Girls Tyme losing a Star Search  competition  on TV in 1992 is sampled around Flawless to signify her failures and her hard work to succeed.

The penultimate track Heaven is also about loss, the video is based on one of her mother's best friend's passing.  The album is concluded with the gorgeous ballad Blue  about how Blue Ivy Carter - who features on the track - has changed Beyoncé's life.

Aside from sexuality, the album affirms Beyoncé's pride of Creole roots and of course her hometown Houston, Texas. Visual symbols of fire and trophies seem to be  key references in the videos which tie in with themes of failure, success and self acceptance in the music.

Beyoncé the Business Woman 

Surfboard/Watermelon

The new approach to this album dropping quietly was a risk. Since becoming a mother in 2012, Beyoncé has directed her  own documentary; performed at the Superbowl, sung for President Obama's second inauguration and starred in Pepsi ads. The only hint of a new album was the premiere of Bow Down on Beyoncé's website in July to announce the first leg of the Mrs. Carter Show tour.

With the album's release, Beyoncé not only showed she was on the pulse with music but in tune with social media and brought out her own brand of Yoncisms.

The album is f

ull of hashtag friendly buzz words. These are Yoncisms ready to be merchandised. Even Madonna has been pictured wearing one of the slogans.

Yoncism: a word used to describe your feelings like Beyoncé would describe hers.

#whatwouldbeyoncedo

Bey Good: Merchandise

Yoncé is as good a businesswoman as she is a performer! Like the album, the Mrs. Carter Show is a visual feast and a hard-kicking , female dominating concert.

The Show

Since the album's release, new songs have been added to the Mrs. Carter Show set-list.  The build-up begins with huge visual screens that light up and run a tour promo of Beyoncé  entering a court dressed in full Marie Antoinette regalia to a drum procession. A female band forms, marching onto the stage and finally the actual Beyoncé rises before the live audience to adulation. Her hand is firmly on her hip and her gaze is defiant to everyone.  She channels a superhero quality, dressed in her white bodice and thigh high boots as her blond locks flow magnificently in the wind. 

A subtle power

Beyoncé:  She has the (super)power

She could be anywhere from the UK to Japan -  she raises her fist as she launches into her anthem "Run the World (Girls)" and she rules over the only two men in the show - Les Twins the dancers.

While the lyrics on the album have been dissected to debate Beyoncé's role model status and her previous apprehension at being labelled a feminist; the Mrs. Carter Show makes it clear what her beliefs are.  "We Should All Be Feminists",  the TedxEuston talk from  Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie which Beyoncé samples for Flawless is blasted on stage and the lyrics flash bold on the screens.

“Feminist: a person who believes in the social, political and economic equality of the sexes.” - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, TEDxEuston (April 2013)

Popstars like Beyoncé advocating control and independence  tend to face backlash when they express their sexual and relationship desires as a woman.  Janet Jackson went from Let's Wait Awhile  to Anytime Anyplace to much of the same appalled, up-in-arms, shock-horror response by the media.

It's interesting how despite a 20 year gap between Janet (1993) and Beyoncé (2013), the media response to females enjoying their sexuality - especially giving/expecting oral sex can result in a response of horror.

We teach girls that they cannot be sexual beings in the way that boys are.” - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, TEDxEuston (April 2013)

Beyoncé, much like Jackson created a name for herself associated with anthems for female empowerment and has now grown up to include singing about the joys of sex. While their journeys may be different it points to there being a very human connection between the struggles for womanhood, independence, love and desire. They are both good role models for singing about a woman's worth and  for singing about sex.

They both bring empowerment to people no matter the gender or background.

Beyonce's causes include CUFA (aids the education and development of children in Brazilian ghettoes); the Kolacho School of Hip Hop (removes gang members and rehabilitates them  through music and dance skills); Life Standard (supports children in Mexican orphanages)  and that's just a fraction.

She donated her salary from Cadillac Records to  programmes for the Phoenix House, a drug and alcohol treatment centre after she visited them for research.

Find out more about her causes:

Beyoncé: Bey Good

"Sisterhood means everything to me. All the charities I'm involved with are special, but I find any organization that focuses on women and children really motivating." Beyonce, Self Magazine (August 2010)

Prince & @3RDEYEGIRL: Five reasons why the Hit & Run Tour is so awesome

Prince

5) Ticket touts, have been left out in the cold by Prince's marketing strategy

Slick Prince, slick

This has been a mini-triumph for real music fans.  Seatwave have had to refund over-inflated tickets they bought in bulk for the Manchester shows (Friday 21 February Saturday 22 February). As a result of this, Manchester Academy were able to offer a limited number of tickets  on the door.

4) Avoiding the middlemen

That's a no from Prince

Years before Beyoncé declared "I don't trust these record labels I'm tourin'" from her surprise visual album;  Prince  was releasing free and independent music. He is renowned for cutting out the middleman and the Hit and Run tour is just another part of his style.  

The anxiousness at getting into such small venues is rewarded for fans: When only 150 people showed up for a last-minute announced second gig on the Friday in Manchester - they were treated to his encore rather than a second show - four encores  by the way. The mis-communication left the encore arrivals feeling out of pocket  but they were guaranteed free entry into Saturday night's gig.

3) No smartphones

Prince prefers analogue

This one can cause a mixed reaction. Prince has always fought for the copyright of his work and while everybody wants a keepsake of their concert experience - some people forget to live in the moment and can end up watching a full show through their smartphone lens.

2) Lianne La Havas

Her name is Lianne La Havas

Obviously, over the last 30 years, people who have grown up loving Prince's music have gone on to become musicians themselves. The icon has always recognised this and reached out despite being an enigma. British performers he has invited to perform with him include Beverley Knight, Mica Paris and Amy Winehouse. Prince discusses "real music" in an upcoming edition of MOJO magazine and he questions why people like La Havas are not having hits.

Prince's only UK interview

He also held his press conference for the tour with 3RDEYEGIRL in La Havas' living room.

1) Funk N Roll

Prince and 3RDEYEGIRL

Prince's latest group 3RDEYEGIRL are made up of guitarist Donna Grantis, drummer Hannah Ford and bassist Ida Nielsen and boy do they rock! This is real music played by talented musicians who can keep up with Prince. The PRETZELBODYLOGIC era is a larger-than-life experience of rock and funk where the band and Prince all perform their chops off!

Music is available to buy from 3RDEYEGIRL's website.

Applause

Live music review: Prince and @3RDEYEGIRL bring Funk n' Roll to Manchester

It's been many hours and nearly two days...

since Prince and 3RDEYEGIRL left the audience from their second night in Manchester dripping in an adrenaline of black sweat and a glow of funk and roll. 

Funk n' Roll - Prince jamming on stage with 3RDEYEGIRL. Photo taken from Manchester Evening News

This was the second night in a row the band played Manchester Academy.

3RDEYEGIRL, made up of Donna (guitar), Hannah (drums) and Ida (bass) came out at 8PM to an already hype crowd - there's a certain energy when you know Prince Rogers Nelson is behind a curtain.

Then the rock began to rumble, and that instantly recognisable voice began singing as 3RDEYEGIRL got into the groove. Every neck craned to see Prince's entrance as he walked cooly centre-stage. The night was young.

Prince could feel the love. The crowd was definitely giving it back to him singing every song with him; cheering as he relayed that love on to the fantastic band. Everyone cheered as 3RDEYEGIRL tore the roof off, this was the ultimate jam session. My eyes were back and forth trying to absorb the ethereal atmosphere of watching Prince sit and play as the band rocked high to the heavens to classics and new songs alike ranging from She's Always in my Hair to Something In the Water. I'll never forget him incorporating "Man - CHESTER" into his many songs consistently thanking the fans.

The heat in the crowd continued to rise. Although quite far back, this was an intimate venue and when Prince looked into the audience I felt his gaze reach my eye and touch my soul. When he told the crowd to sway side-to-side I was compelled to follow his beat. At points he coyly pointed at fans and told them to put their technology down and clap.

It was clear that Prince is built on a foundation of rhythm. It oozes out of him so naturally.

When the band said their first goodnight and left the stage before 10PM, they'd been playing around an hour and a half. I'd heard the legendary stories of Prince playing hours over UK curfews so I knew he'd come back for an encore. What I didn't expect is for him to come back for 6-8 encores - I lost count.

There were points of the show I couldn't see the band or Prince, but hearing him sit and perform The Beautiful Ones was an experience to cherish even if the image I see of him  is just his face, far away on stage, an image  encapsulated in between a sea of swaying arms. I could see his shadow above my head as I looked to the ceiling.

It was an incredible set list. As he came out for one of the many encores he warned us that with the amount of hits he has, we could be here all night. The crowd were up for that! 

It is a night imprinted in my soul, the energy rocked me to the core and the love and respect Prince showed the fans is evident in them all, old and new.

Prince fans have shown their true purple colours via the Prince Army on twitter. I have watched them all rally together and support each other to get to venues, swap tickets and beat the ticket touts over social media.  

He rewarded this dedication and came out to every encore request. He brought up on stage those who had queued for hours in the Manchester cold, rain and hail.

Seeing his hard-core fans jamming on stage with their hero  is such a highlight – and Prince fans can dance – especially the guy with a beard, who Prince joked looked like Mumford and Sons.

Over 3 hours of pure energy, a term Prince kept repeating - this was Funk n Roll. 3RDEYEGIRL and Prince, they rocked us, they funked us, they brought the house down.

Repost: Interview - How to make it as a music journalist

Interview personality Damon Campbell has built a reputation for himself as the man to go to in Michigan if you are a musician. He focuses on the human essence of his subjects as well as their artistic integrity, which makes for compulsive viewing on his website MuzikzMyLife.Com. I wanted to allow our readers to discover how he did it. 

SD:  I love how music is your life. Did you ever want to make music, or did you watch music interviews and aspire to that career straight away?

DC:  Thank you. I’ve always been interested in seeing quote unquote “celebrities” for the human beings that they are and learning about their life stories, so I grew up reading a lot of biography books about my favorite athletes and musicians and watching documentaries like VH1’s “Behind the Music,” even some of Sway’s interviews on MTV. But it definitely took a while for me to see interviewing, or even journalism as a whole, as a viable career choice for myself.

In terms of wanting to make music, not many people even know this about me, but there was actually a brief period of my life when I wanted to grow up to be a rapper. It was just a phase, though, and I eventually grew out of it. But I definitely spent a lot of time in 5th grade writing out the lyrics to my favorite rap songs and memorizing/reciting them, which ultimately lead to me performing “Number 1” by Nelly in front of all my classmates at the school talent show that year. Somewhere along the line, I started writing some songs of my own as well, but thankfully they never saw the light of day.

SD:  Looking at your site, it looks like you present for your own website MuziksMyLife.com. Is this website how you established a name for yourself?

DC:  Definitely. Ever since I realized that I wanted to make a career out of this, I’ve always sort of looked at my site as a public portfolio: all of my interviews, write-ups, and — to a certain extent —experiences in the music industry on full display for the world to see. Basically, my intentions with the site have always been to ultimately use it as a stepping stone to greater opportunities, once I’ve proven myself worthy of them.

SD:  How long ago did you set up the site and did it begin as a music interview website?

DC:  I started the site in 2007, when I was a junior in high school, as a way to help keep people up to date with the latest music because at the time, hip-hop blogs (and music blogs in general) weren’t nearly as common as they are today, and not many people even knew about the few that existed. Friends of mine were often asking me to update their iPods for them, so I saw it as a way to help people out on a larger scale. I was spending all my time on these other sites anyways, so one day I just decided to start one of my own, and I called it MuziksMyLife.
As things progressed, I eventually started doing interviews in 2010 as a way to contribute exclusive content to the culture, while also giving my viewers a chance to learn about certain artists and hopefully feel more connected to them as human beings. But for a while I just dabbled, even though I was becoming more and more known for it. I didn’t like the thought of being boxed in and felt like people were overlooking the fact that I could do other things too, so at the time I was still trying to expand my repertoire.
About a year and a half ago, however, I had somewhat of an epiphany. I finally realized that interviewing was what would not only take me the furthest in my career, but also where my passion and talent truly lied. So I decided to fully embrace the role by eliminating all distractions and focusing solely on conducting as many quality interviews as possible.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iy5Hvzwi4Uk]

SD:  Was your first interview of a famous person? How did you achieve your first interview, and how did you achieve your first interview with an established person?

DC:  I feel like ‘fame’ is a relative term, but the first interview I ever did was with a Miami-based rapper named Billy Blue, which was pretty surreal ‘cause his song Story of My Life was the summer anthem for my friends and I the year before. If memory serves me right, I think I got a hold of him over Twitter and he messaged me his manager’s number, who in turn helped me set up a phone call with the man himself that ended up lasting a whopping 26 minutes. That was the first time I realized what types of doors my site could open for me.
But the first time I felt like I had knocked a door down, so to speak, was when I interviewed Wiz Khalifa, and I credit that one in particular to persistence. It was only my third on-camera interview (fourth overall), so clearly I hadn’t established myself yet. Not only that, but “Black and Yellow” was already No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 well on its way to becoming No. 1.
Needless to say, the odds were stacked against me—so much so that I actually got ignored for like a week straight. But I knew deep down that I could make it worth their while, and that it would ultimately give me the credibility I needed to move forward, so I refused to accept defeat and was eventually able to convince Will, his manager, to give me a chance. From there, I knew that anything would be possible.

SD:  How did you achieve your goals in terms of writing and interviewing? Does it help being based in Michigan?

DC:  I had to learn to appreciate it, but I’ve definitely come to realize that being based in Michigan gives me a competitive advantage. For starters, I conduct the majority of my interviews when artists come through on tour, and it seems like almost every single tour makes at least one stop in Michigan, if not more. We have so many different markets — Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Ann Arbor, the list goes on — and each one has multiple venues varying in capacity, which allows for a wide range of talent to come here and perform. And when all else fails, I’m still only three hours from Chicago.
Not only that, but if I lived in a media hub like New York City then I’d be further down the totem pole and therefore less of a priority for artists seeking press coverage while in town. Whereas here in The Mitten, I feel like I’ve marked my territory in a sense and really established myself as the go-to guy for on-camera interviews—at least in hip-hop, anyway.
Over the years, I’ve also become increasingly familiar with different venues and their tendencies, built rapport with certain staff and security, etc. And since none of these interviews are ever truly guaranteed until they’re completed, it helps to know your way around in case you happen to find yourself in a pinch.

​SD:  Did you receive any help to get to your position? What tips would you give people trying to make a name for themselves?

DC:  Oh, definitely. I mean, on the one hand I’m essentially a freelance journalist who just so happens to have his own platform, so it’s certainly an independent grind in the sense that I’ve had to create a lot of my own opportunities. But at the same time, I’d be foolish to think that I could have made it this far without all the people who’ve supported me over the years and ultimately contributed to my success—whether they even realize it or not. I try my best not to take anything for granted, so I could go on for days recalling certain situations and thanking those who’ve played a role up until this point. But to save on time I’d just like to say that this entire journey, much like life in general, has been about one thing leading to another. It all adds up.
Taking that into account, my advice to anyone reading this would be to try and live a regret-free life from this point forward. I know, easier said than done. But think about it: not only are you dwelling on the past, but you’re allowing its negativity to seep into your present. Sure, it can be beneficial to look back on things from time to time and learn from the direct consequences of certain decisions so that you can apply those experiences down the road if you so choose. But the fact of the matter is…even if you could go back in time and change something, it’s utterly impossible to know what type of outcome that would have on even the world in general, much less your own specific situation. It’s the butterfly effect, plain and simple. So there comes a point when dissecting your past only distracts you from your future.

​SD:  Would you consider yourself an artist? Or how would you describe yourself?

DC:  Absolutely. I don’t go around referring to myself as an artist, per se. If someone asks, I’ll say I’m an interviewer or, at most, an interview personality. But if you really break it down, interviewing has become my outlet for creative expression. Just like any other art form, it’s my craft for others to critique, study, and — most of all — enjoy, and I take great pride in my work. I strive for all of my interviews to be the best that they can possibly be, and in the process, refuse to ever sacrifice their artistic integrity.

​SD:  Are you working 24/7 in your field to maintain a name for yourself?

DC:  The last thing I would ever want to do is get caught up in the past and rest on my success, so I eat, sleep, and breathe this stuff. Not only to maintain a name for myself, knowing that all of this could be gone tomorrow if I allowed it to be, but more importantly to continue pushing the boundaries and building upon my accomplishments — always taking things to the next level.
As I mentioned earlier, I named my site MuziksMyLife because at the time, I was spending all of my free time listening to music and studying the game, trying to keep up with everything that was going on within the industry. But since then, music — and more specifically as of late, interviewing musicians — truly has become my life, 24/7. One of the things that I love most about what I do is that I don’t have time to be bored. Regardless of what it is, there’s always something productive that I can be doing to help further my career. Even when I am off doing something else, which is rare, I’m usually still multitasking or, at the very least, thinking about my musical endeavors.

​SD:  Is there anything else you’d like to add?
DC:  I’d just like to thank you for taking the time out to interview me. I really appreciate the opportunity and can’t even begin to tell you how much I enjoyed your questions. I’d also like to thank anyone who took the time to read this. If you’re interested in watching any of my interviews, you can find them all on MuziksMyLife.com. My contact info is on there as well. Thanks again!