D.strange is an artist thats for the arts, he hails from Va but currently resides in Orlando Florida, quite, calm and collected, he’s here for the good tunes, and making the good times. He speaks about the real and the true, and if you open up and listen, you might just relate.
I ran into long time friend D. Strange the other day at the Venue here in Orlando Club 57 W . He managed to break free from his busy schedule to share with us his passion for the arts.
Interview
BryzerGold – So Mr. D, were are you from?
D. Strange – Originally from Stafford VA, but Ive been up and down the east coast. Born and raised in Virginia!
BryzerGold – What made you want to get in the Hip-Hop scene?
D. Strange – For a while i was a huge punk and hardcore kid and i hated hip hop, then i moved to Macon GA and met some kids that were into MF Doom and NWA. They pretty much turned me on to hip hop with MF Doom and from there i just kinda ventured out. No one in that area liked punk rock so it was hard to start up a band. I downloaded Fruityloops and started kinda making beats, then stopped and moved back to Va to graduate form high school. Then I decided to get back into it cause no one wanted to start a band. Being a producer and rapper, its fun because you can do anything you want when you want and you dont have to wait on someone or teach them a part of a song. its just independent as fuck!
BryzerGold – So true, you kinda answered this already when you mention MF Doom and NWA, but who would you consider a strong member in your line of work?
D. Strange – MF DOOM, Aesop, Atmosphere, Nas, Gang starr those are like my huge inspirations. Those are like the dudes that made me really be like damn i could rap. They all flip shit there way, they dont follow the norm they set the standard, so I’m just trying to catch up to those guys.
BryzerGold – What do you want people to feel when they hear your talent for the first time?
D. Strange – I’m just trying to reach out to the punk kids, hardcore kids and black kids that went through the same shit I went threw as far as being outcasted by everyone hated by everyone im trying to reach out to the nerds and be like its cool where your at man, its gonna be ok and also just tell stories about experiences in my life just really trying not to be preachy. To many rappers preach and dont try and relate!
BryzerGold – I know you perform locally at Austins Coffee, care to tell us how that all started?
D. Strange – Austins Coffee shop got handed to me and a group called “Not Them” . We got “Dizzle” my homie the dj, to start spinning records while we just free-styled. We did that shit from the ground up, like no promotion or anything we just kept free-styling and the more we did it the better we got, and the more people started coming back. They would tell there friends it was crazy cause it went from like 8 people to like 40 to 50 every Monday night, but like all things that get big, it started to get corrupted and all these other mcs around the city started coming around and tying to take over our spot. Really like all the other open mics hated us so we decided to start our own and make our own scene the scene around here is like that man, its cliquey like hell. Im done with that now, me and “Dizzle” quit as hosts for Austins Coffee and are hosting a new open mic downtown at club 57 w.
BryzerGold – The new place downtown? I see, so really, your moving way up in venue size, and in the heart of downtown, you have to be happy with that move! Any big collaborations or plans in the future?
D. Strange – Yeah man. Really it was all “Dizzle” that set that up and he just asked me if i could help host it with him. Its mad dope an honor really. Yeah I’m pretty stoked on the size and the sound of the place and the fact that its downtown. As far as collab go, im just working on my new stuff right now titled “Us Against the Living side A and B” ,its gonna be two eps. One being really aggressive and hardcore about political and social things I’ve endured the past year being in Florida, while the other side is more light hearted about girls, having fun and reflecting on the past. I’m making all the beats and using a lot of new elements like live guitar played by me and some other live elements. Its a huge step up from my old shit after that im just gonna put that out and push it as much as possible and keep working on more stuff. I like collaborating and all but i like doing projects more i feel like collabs are better once you have a huge fan base.
BryzerGold – What is your view on the Hip Hop scene here in Florida?
D. Strange – Oh man i thought u’d never ask haha! The scene here isn’t really a scene, cause there’s no unity, Its very cut throat. I’ve experienced so much back stabbing and lies its ridiculous! Theirs also so many different types of hip hop around here, its just to damn divided, people around here aren’t really susceptible to change or something new. So me, I had to fight my way in, I had to find the people that were real and that weren’t out to fuck me over man. If you can look past that, there are a number of great artist here like “Mad Illz” is insane live, but then there’s so many clowns around here that just try to hard and play with a back track which is fucking stupid man. The scene would be way better if people could unite and put on quality shows, and thats what me and my friends are trying to do. To many people wanna take over Orlando, but there’s nothing here to take over! This is a tourist attraction not New York! haha
BryzerGold – Do you think you and your crew could bring REAL hip-hop back to Florida?
D. Strange – I mean were trying! haha . Like honestly Me and “Dizzle”, “Mad sexual Genius”, “Mad Illz”, “SoS” and more are really bringing it, really stepping our game up and setting the bar. We want something more than just local fame as far as everyone else, they need to do the same or there gonna keep ruining the said “scene”.
BryzerGold – How long have you been spiting rhymes?
D. Strange – 2 years now, right about when i got outta high school and went to Full Fail and dropped out. I decided to start rapping and producing. haha weird right?
BryzerGold – Naaaaaa Fuck Full Sail!
BryzerGold – Any shout outs?
D. Strange – oh yeah for sure SHOUTS OUTS TO DIZZLE PHUNK, LOMBARDO THE ART WIZ, MAD SEXUAL GENIUS, BRYZER GOLD, MIKE SAPP, MY LOVELY GIRLFRIEND, LASER CAT RECORDS AND KINGS OFFSPRING
