By Christine Dunn, @VtownCommuter
Local, underground rap artist Def Bound followed Mark Twain’s advice, “write what you know.” His recently released mixed tape, SamTrans 390, was inspired by riding the bus. This week, Def Bound talks about his artistic process.
What artists do you listen to and what artists have influenced you? Listened to and influenced are different. I listen to everything, from old school rappers to main street rappers to underground rappers to rock musicians; I listen to a wide variety. What influences me are the people around me. What influences me are artists like emcee blaze, which is my manager, people I network with, such as Rich Mahogany. Local, underground artists. You know, people around me. But I network with people from all over the place. Rap is everywhere. We’re taking over.
Describe your production process. It depends on the project. With this particular one (SamTrans 390), I just got my instrumentals, I made a few of them, I got them from all over the place. It’s a free promotional project, it’s a mixed tape, so I get them from all over the place. I get all these instrumentals. I just really sit on the bus. If you’ve gone from San Mateo to Daly City, it’s a two hour ride, it’s horrible. You have to have something to kill the time.
Who are you listening to now? I am keeping my ears to the underground right now. I’m listening to Jedi Mind Tricks, Atmosphere, check out Funk Volume, for the younger scene. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzkJymx6nzc&w=700&h=394]
How do you define your music? Slap to the face. Its reality music. I’m uncensored, uncut. I think it and I write it. There’s no filter in between my processes, it’s a slap to the face, you hear it and it’s like ‘whoa.’ You have to sit down with my music and listen to it. It’s not radio friendly at all. I am not making music for people’s grandmothers. I’m making music for people who want to sit down and listen to what reality is.
What do you hope to accomplish in your career? Honestly, if I don’t make it with reality music, if I get people to think about the music they’re listening to, rather than just whatever’s playing on the radio then I have accomplished my goal. Join us next week for the final installment of our interview, where Def Bound talks about how social media has influenced rap and hip-hop music.
WARNING: Adult language. Def Bound – Courtesy of Kings from the SamTrans390 mixtape. [soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/98616164" params="" width=" 100%" height="166" iframe="true" /] Follow Def Bound on Twitter @DefBound and on Instagram @DefBound.