We caught up with New Zealand MC David Dallas to talk about the "The Rose Tint Deluxe Edition" which is out now in Australia and New Zealand. Dallas
has been travelling to America over the last year supported by legendary Duck Down Records, working with a number of US MCs such as Freddie Gibbs and
Buckshot.
OzHipHop.Com: The Rose Tint was originally a free release, what is the story behind releasing a deluxe edition?
David Dallas: The whole point of it was that we initially did the rose tint as a free release online for everyone, and then there was
a lot of people asking for a physical copy of it, like a CD, so yeah.
I think the main reason that we held off on doing it was that I didn’t want to give away the same thing. Like I didn’t want to just chuck it on CD
and give away the same thing, so I was like if we’re gonna do it, I want to do a full on deluxe package; a collector’s item, and I wanted to add new
material, so that’s kinda what we did, and included all the instrumentals. It’s got 4 new songs that we recorded while we in New York. I just tried to
make it, you know, a good package that people would actually want, that was worth people’s money. This more like a collector’s item for fans & people
who want to support the whole movement.
OHH: Now the original album was recorded in NZ, what about these four new songs?
DD: Yeah, they were all like written and recorded over there [New York], but it’s still produced by my team back home so all 4 of
them are still produced by Fire & Ice who did 90% of the Rose tint.
OHH: Do these new songs reflect your time in New York?
DD: I intentionally used the stuff that I felt suited The Rose Tint, like, I recorded other stuff while I was over there, but you
know that was in sort of a different lane. I’m keeping that for future stuff. I wanted The Rose Tint to sound like The Rose Tint, you know.
OHH: What has your experience been like over in America?
DD: The crazy thing about it, is when you get over, 'cos you know from our side of the world it looks so far away and you look at
everyone is like such huge superstars and.... I guess it’s the same way as if a kid who wasn’t from Auckland, comes up to Auckland and gets to see NZ
hip hop artists, or you know a kid that isn’t from Melbourne who gets to see most of the oz hip hop stars. You know it’s kind of like, once you get to
go to some of these functions you realise - "Oh! These people are just like normal dudes", you know! And as soon as you can kinda get your head around
that, they’re just people and they are not any different to you, it helps you find your place amongst it all.
OHH: Is the process of creating music different over there?
DD: Nah, I’ll kinda just do it the same way as I’ve always done it. The only thing you really realise over there is the output, like
the rate of output needs to be a lot higher, you know. You know like the blogs, and the way music moves over there, people constantly need new
content, so that’s kinda the thing I’ve had to try and adjust to, to try and make music real quick. You still retain the same qualities but I try not
to be too precious about stuff anymore because I think in the past it kinda hindered me, I sat on something for like a year and you look at it and be
like, I should have just put this out a year ago, you know.
OHH: You have been living in Harlem, what’s been your experiences in that area?
DD: I’ve still got the apartment there at the moment, when I go back in a couple of days we’re going to be shutting it down just over
summer, and then I’ll find a new place once I get over there and start the new album.
As far as experiences, I personally haven’t had anything like bad happen to me or anything, but you know I see shit all the time, like, police coming
in our building, pretty sure the people directly below us were selling drugs, you know, it’s pretty standard stuff. It’s one of those things if you
don’t go looking for trouble then trouble doesn’t usually find you, you know what I mean.
David Dallas's room in Harlem upon return on his latest trip.
OHH: You’ve been working with P-Money while over in the states, what was his involvement?
DD: He’s back here [NZ] at the moment. My last three months over there he’s actually been back in New Zealand the whole time. So
like while we were putting together the Rose Tint, he helped me with the whole post production of the album – so he only did like one beat on the
album but he had a massive hand in like overseeing the whole project and helping the songs be as good as they can be. So he’s been working on his own
stuff back home, obviously he’s been working with Sky High – the Australian artist, and he’s been doing like a dance music project and stuff on the
side. He’s got a working visa now too, so he’ll be looking at making his move probably the start of next year, for the summer festivals.
OHH: You recently launched The Rose Tint Deluxe Edition in New York the other week, and had Just Blaze on support DJing, how did that come
about?
DD: I met him because I’m sponsored by G Shock and they did this event called ”Shock the World” last year and we played a part in
getting him over here for that. That’s really the only time I’ve dealt with him. Him getting on board for the party was all outside of my control ‘cos
I’m back here in New Zealand , so, Duck Down talked to him and he was keen to do it, so it’s all good.
OHH: You’ve mentioned before about only getting into MCing during your University years, had you had much of a music background before
then?
DD: I actually had piano lessons from the age of about 11 and 12 or around then. But like most kids I wasn’t really ready for that
so, I kinda got sick of practising, so I quit. I never had a music background, I never had a performing background, like I never performed at talent
quests, or anything like that. I didn’t take music at school. To be honest, I was just a huge fan of rap music and R & B music. My older brother &
sister would play nothing but that stuff in the house. I guess that’s it, I used to learn the words to everyone’s songs – I didn’t learn them to be a
rapper or anything, I just learned them because I was a fan, I guess intuitively... you know, I think it’s that, if you’re constantly listening to
something or constantly doing something, intuitively you’re going to pick up something. When I went for rapping it came reasonably naturally – just
lucky!
OHH: You changed your rap name to your real name, why?
DD: The thing with me was, the only reason I really used the name from the start was just ‘cos I was kinda just starting out and I
was too immature to just use my name and be myself. You know what I mean. Then after a while I started to realise that it was kinda ridiculous, ‘cos I
never would introduce myself to anyone with that name. I never be like “Hi I’m Con Psy“ - I’d just be like “I’m David from Frontline”. Even the first
time I met P-Money and he was already established, the first time I met him, he said “What’s your name?” I said “I’m David Dallas” and he said “Man,
that should be your rap name. I don’t know why you’re trying to bother with these other names – you should just use your birth name.” And I was like
“oh Nah!” Too embarrassing!
OHH: Another rapper that’s going down the “real name” path, Mac Miller, have you copped many comparisons with Miller over in the
states?
DD: Yeah, I see that all the time on you like tube and shit like that. It always comes from Americans, it never comes from Kiwis or
Aussies. But, it’s just one of those things I guess – people say, “Yeah he looks white and it’s another kid that’s white and he wears hats so yeah
they’re the same”. (laughs)
I don’t really mind, I’m not mad, I don’t care. I guess it’s like the same way every white rapper gets compared to Vanilla Ice. And after Eminem came
out, every white rapper was gonna get compared to Eminem. I’m not too fussed.
OHH: Do you get lumped in as being Australian or are people over there understanding the difference?
DD: It’s cool because as soon as you go over there and say you’re from New Zealand, they always mention Australia so it’s inevitable
that we get grouped together, so I’m not too fussed. When I’m over there I’m trying to represent the whole hemisphere I guess!
OHH: What’s your thoughts on Australian hip hop?
DD: The thing is I don’t get to hear enough of it. I guess because Australian Artists , I guess because they’re based in Australia a
lot of them they don’t even bother to cover our territory because basically a way smaller territory, so like why would they bother? So I don’t get to
hear too much of it.
I’m real good friends with a dude called Omar Musa, who a rapper who’s living in Melbourne at the moment. That’s my boy, when he came through New York
we hung out heaps, he’s a cool dude.
OHH: Do you feel like you could be making inroads in a traditionally tight knit American scene for New Zealanders and other nationalities to
make noise on US soil?
DD: Yes, absolutely, I just feel like, you should do whatever you can do. If there is someone from the same place as you that has
done it before, at least when you get over there, there’s some sort of precedent for it. People can now say they’ve heard of a rapper from New
Zealand. It means that anyone that comes after me, that doesn’t sound too ridiculous, because I’ve already gone through all that. People say: What
New Zealand - What are you talking about? There’s Sheep, Lord of the Rings, Flight of the Concords , you know? [Laughs]
OHH: And now there’s NZ rappers. Good luck with the new release and adventures mate!
DD: Cool. Thanks so much for your time. Appreciate it!
Also, that chorus on the buckshot video isn't my thing, but I dig the rest of it.
[Edited on 17-11-2011 by KozeOne]
[quote][i]Originally posted by DrBind[/i]
Never mind some woman pretending to be a social worker luring young vulnerable pregnant women into some seedy preggo sex den.
Bind has probably fucked a pregnant girl. [/quote]
![[*]](images/ozhiphop/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
