Hip-hop

Jasmine Kay Source: How did you get started:

DAMIR: Reason 4 Rapping, I’m not really good at anything else, whenever I worked doing something else, I would crack, and it’s not for me. Sure I did my time doing dead end jobs; we all got to do what we gotta do to get somewhere where we truly belong. So I started writing rhymes when I was 13, then started rhyming at school when I was 15, and I got my hands on a sequence keyboard that I started putting the lyrics and beats together and I haven’t stopped. The first party I performed at, led to the next and each show after that, gave me back-up to continue, and as I continued to finish songs I got more positive feedback by friends and fans, and that was the sign to continue.

Jasmine Kay Source: Whats your favorite quote:

Damir: “Everyone’s in the spotlight, you just have to find your light.” and “War is in the minds of the individual, not in my mind”. People say life is short, well they are wrong, life is long, ya can do all the things you want”. Ya and music is what I’m doing now. You just have to find what your good at and stick to it.

Jasmine Kay Source: Whats your first track your did:

Damir: My first track was Business, when I knew I wanted in to this club in the lower East side, but I knew the boogie man “bouncers” weren’t gonna let me in. I tried to get in, I even ran through the line, they found me out after and, I had to leave… Every time I pass a club with a line up, I know that won’t be me. I’d rather go somewhere else. “I’ll take my business elsewhere.” Everyone be feelin this hook for sure!

Jasmine Kay Source: What inspires you to make music:

Damir: I come from a huge family so I learned quite fast about fending for yourself; they taught me survival skills; working hard, and working hard damn. I like mixing up beats and tempos, I can’t tell you exactly, cause I don’t know myself, I just know I like it and it sounds good to me. Sometimes at shows, that’s where I get the most inspiration or a song idea comes to me.

Jasmine Kay Source: Do you have a favorite Artist or band:

A favorite song is hard to say, every artist is good and some are bad for many reasons, depends on my mood, or how many times I’ve heard them sung on the radio in the last week, or the last hour, as a matter a fact, hearing the same song over and over again, can drive you crazy.

Jasmine Kay Source: What motivated you to write Kick in the Mind, or is it Kick in the A##?

Damir: Its the same thing, meaning kick to do something. You need a kick in the mind, pull a rush in the front when yo till it to yo face, cause it don’t make sense and it won’t make sense, if you blind the eye, the eye you see, if you close the mind, the mind you need, if you walk the way, the way to nowhere, get on track on track to somewhere. I just made that up, and it sounded good, so I worked on it last night in my studio, I went crazy, at least 5 pages of lyrics, a couple of bass lines and a drum loop. I couldn’t sleep until I finished it. I’d rather be awake and be productive, I just like doing and keeping busy.”

Jasmine Kay Source: Any favorite city of location you enjoy playing at?

Live performances are the ultimate, that’s the best part of doing what I do. The mic in your hand and the sound speakers crisp, and the crowd bug-eyed, bopping up and down and tilting side to side. Everywhere was cool, but in Japan, its quite interesting, out of respect to the performer the audience doesn’t whistle, scream or clap until someone else does and when they do, all are in sync and they stop in sync.

Jasmine Kay Source: Tell me about the Lawless track:

Damir: I was tired of all the rules and what people think about the rap and hip hop the tempo and stuff so I wanted to change it up. I put a drum and bass beat down and worked with a keyboard to get the drums right. The lyrics came easy. I wanted my brother in law who’s a rapper too, to rap on the track, but he wanted to do his own thing! I did the track on my own. So I called the song LAWLESS – without my brother in law.

Jasmine Kay Source: What made you write Take it, its yours?:

Damir: I wanted to go off track with this idea and make a song with a cool hook with subtle changes in the hook and that’s it. As for the music, the music changing to push the song. I figured that people would question why there aren’t a lot of words but when they hear the arrangement they would appreciate it. “Take it, it’s yours”, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t, I don’t dwell in problems, I just accept situations and move on. Let the people decide this one! It’s completed and i like it, thats what counts at the end, and if the listeners like it, its a bonus!

Jasmine Kay Source: What influenced you?

Damir: My lyrics are stories of my life they tell me what to do, and what I’ve done, and where I want to go. And all the fun I’ve had, who doesn’t want to have fun. I’ve been influenced by many sounds, types of music, especially the club scene, I’d rather hear the songs in clubs and bars where there’s people. So if you wait around for something to happen, it will never come your way. And have an opinion, cause having no opinion sucks.” People should speak up and question what they read or hear, as simple as that. Never give up, keep fighting and refuse to listen to the nay sayers. Big respect 2 dem people! One luv! Safe.

Check DAMIR – World www.damirworld.com site which features discography, interviews, video’s, media and merchandise.

Check out DAMIR – World @ Myspace and see what everyone’s getting tanked about – Business.

Interview RYME & REAZON by: Jasmine Kay Word Up Source Hip Hop Corner; rap hip hop journalist containing music, alternative information, editorials, pictures, press archives and tour info. Hip Hop, history of Hip Hop, history of rap, hiphop, rapper,dissent,political,conscious,radio

Or click the photo to visit DAMIR – D’s Hip Hop: