D - Hip hop - Hip Hop Interview Street Knowledge
D’s – Hip hop Rap also known as Damir – Hip Hop Interview Street Knowledge
In the corner with Stacey Que.
How can you get noticed in the rap game nowadays competing with the major labels and the traffic wars on the internet. The war has moved from getting signed to causing traffic and a multi car pile up crash, so to speak! This would be the only time where causing a traffic would be considered a good thing, put that on my good problem list. The amount of work labels and artists have to go through to get noticed in the rap, hip hop game is now staggering. Yet, Damir as an indie artist has overcome the obstacles by simply keeping it real and putting faith in the listener and letting the hip hop heads find him and inadvertently become a Toronto underground legend. After years of producing and pumping out songs and releasing his own album Damir has proven himself as an artist and producer with talent and tenure in the industry
Damir says he’s a normal everyday regular guy who likes to eat, listen to music play the keyboard and hang out with friends. But on the other end, he makes time for his music production and the conscious lyrics that has earned him notoriety in the game working with BTS music.
As 2008 kicks in Damir prepares to drop his new solo album this year and he is more ready than ever to bang out more thought provoking lyrics with off the wall hooks that once again make Damir a hip hop artist and producer who’s perseverance is paying off and long overdue for some time in the limelight. “Business”, is some low-fi alternative hip hop underground out of bound ish masterpiece.
Stacey Que: Were did you grow up?
Damir : I grew up in Toronto, New York, Houston Texas, Victoria BC, London England, Tokyo, Japan, Seoul Korea and now I’m living in Ottawa and travel from time to time to Toronto and NYC. It is very different, how each city or country is and the music is totally different too. The society has its different environments, but it was cool. I quickly adapted to the lifestyle, and took advantage of my experiences and never took anything for granted.
Stacey Que: Your music is a mixture of many genres as well?
Damir: I have been listening to every type of music like electronic, house, techno and trance since I was a kid but I also used to listen to a lot of old school rap and I was around a lot of people who were break dancing and doing music, so it had a great deal of influence on me and my mixed up style.
Stacey Que: Where did the name Damir come from?
Damir: Damir. That is my real name. I didnt want a stage name or anything like that. I just wanted to keep my name cause I was given the name and I want to stick with the name. And my friends all know me by that name. It means Peace, or to give peace. Keeping it real and Peace to yall.
Stacey Que: What makes Damir different from other MC’s?
Damir: Writing something that gives you advice and motivates you at the same time with a beat that you can bop to. Giving you something original. Also I’m focused and dedicated and I don’t give up. I just find new angles to continue.
Stacey Que: You said that being hooked up and knowing the right music people helps in any ones music career, but what about artists or producers who don’t know anyone and are disconnected that must be very frustrating for them.
Damir: Its not frustrating for me anymore to be honest because I don’t care about getting my music to the right people anymore, or being in the current cool loop, I care about getting my music to the right listener. Thats the key! Upcoming artists shouldn’t worry about finding the right clique or being in the “in group”. Now I have less worries and more listeners to connect to and attract and certainly more options than before. State of mind people.
Stacey Que: So whats your state of mind for the future?
Damir: Take a chance on connecting with more people cause pleasing record companies are just a few people and getting the attention of the listeners and my fans are alot of people. So invest in yourself which includes believe in yourself and you will be amazed at what you can do and I want to keep focused and continue to do what I’m doing cause its certainly working and getting me closer to the finish line.
Read more about Damir at DAMIR – World www.damirworld.com site which features discography, interviews, video’s, media and merchandise.
Visit DAMIR – World @ Myspace and see what everyone’s getting tanked about – Business.
Interview by: Stacey Que Street Knowledge
I respect all the cats puttin out the truth in their music…. keep doin what you doin, keep smiling and if you think nobody is listening, the real hip hop cats be finding you, and thanks to DAMIR for his time to met me!
Click the photo:
B Boy Jam Session Windmill & Historical B BOY TRACKS
I was introduced to a copy of the track and video: Buffalo Gals (Malcolm McLaren music video). This video was aired back in the 80’s and was the first breakdancing video on Much Music / MTV, introducing hip hop to the mainstream. In the late 90’s and early 2000’s my friends in the neighborhood were hanging out and practicing moves at the nearby community centre. I saw other bboys throw down there moves, there skills were ill and it was cool. ANd that the reason for me to become a b-boy. B-boy 4 life.
I watched the Break Dancing Movie “Electric Boogaloo”, Hip Hop – Wild Style – Double Trouble – Rock Steady Crew, Savoy Ballroom dancers Al and Leon and members of Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers. (see Hellzapoppin 1941), New York City Breakers on Graffiti Rock aNd the Breakin movie. Very fresh old old school. I learned alot and my own style evolved.
DAMIRworld DAMIRworld
My first move that I learned was the windmill and how to Keep to the elements of the windmill with your own flavor. The windmill to be perfect it is a must that your feet are perfectly straight. If you set out to do a full on straight legged windmill. Thats a rule. I got more practicing to do, give me some slack. All your foot work and movements can have your own style but the windmill to look powerful needs your legs to be straight. My right leg would kick off. Of course my shoulder was bruised. But slowly i got some sort of roll from my shoulder to a full circle. B boy with the bboy flow in a windmill. Keep your style fresh and original boi.
I always give props where props are due. The originators, the momentum and its underling meaning of b boying. Its more than a dance style, an identity, a character but a way of life that never ends, at least with me. It always catches my attention and makes me want to stop to check the bboy and bgirl crews out, on the street or even at the local event, session or jam. You got my support. Keeping B Boy alive world wide today – I saw kids practice on the streets in Japan at Daikanyama, Roppongi and Shibuya-Ku ( wherever they found lights and where they could throw down without getting kicked out by security for having the music too loud ). You can catch B-Boy breakers in Time Square NYC, those cats are sick. And in Toronto Ive been to many Hip Hop Events and I also went to Korea and saw wicked styles of breakdance talent. When a classic joint is dropped, a new school fresh track is spun and an mp3 is loaded into your player you will always find a b boy busting out the moves, no matter how small or big the circle – world wide.
Everyone gots there favs. New School with extreme break dancing with Breakdancing – Scott Wills tiiiiiight. Im sure you checked him pullin off some of his phat moves! Also, the real battle with Red Bull BC One Breakdancing Competition that I saw on YouTube. All gotz mad skillz.
Teach me how to B-Boy ; The Media Calls it Breakdancing. Well Keep practicing and hanging out with your bboys and bgirls and get your hands on some top notch bboy fresh music:
DAMIRworld TOP B BOY Style TRACKS:
Afrika Bambaataa-Planet Rock “Planet Rock” by Afrika Bambatta and the Soulsonic Force
Numbers(komplete mix) – Kraftwerk, Label – EMI. ( i saw their concert in Tokyo, Japan awesome ) http://www.youtube.com/v/n-XYuuhcXPQ&rel=1
Lords of the Underground – Chief Rocka http://www.youtube.com/v/YFbLRZCExBk&rel=1
Man Parrish Boogie Down Bronx http://www.youtube.com/v/DgZFkaRstbE&rel=1
Grandmaster Flash – The message http://www.youtube.com/v/k3kRuJhIVIo&rel=1
Step Into a World (Rapture’s Delight) Lyrics by KRS-One http://www.youtube.com/v/ZnydK0phSqM&rel=1
Rock Steady Crew – Uprock http://www.youtube.com/v/L3nYYXyTHmw&rel=1
Planet Patrol – Play at your own risk http://www.youtube.com/v/2RcVjArINpA&rel=1
PLANET PATROL – Rock At Your Own Risk http://www.youtube.com/v/DylwfdXbt6E&rel=1
Eric B. & Rakim – I Know You Got Soul http://www.youtube.com/v/X9jynx3gKa0&rel=1
KRAFTWERK-TRANS EUROPE EXPRESS 1977 http://www.youtube.com/v/Or0tMhbIOUM&rel=1
Rapture – Blondie 1981 http://www.youtube.com/v/xHPikUPlRD8&rel=1
Kurtis Blow Basketball Embedding disabled by universal music group request http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0yoPVAOJTk
The Treacherous Three – Feel The Heartbeat http://www.youtube.com/v/ZXcoj92yY88&rel=1
Rapper’s Delight – The Sugar Hill Gang – Sugar Hill Records ( I got the album, its the bomb ) http://www.youtube.com/v/wdHhE_9omr8&rel=1
Afrika Bambaataa Renegades Of Funk ( lyrics – Renegades of this atomic age ) http://www.youtube.com/v/TCwDIq4evTM&rel=1
Afrika Bambaataa – Looking For the Perfect Beat http://www.youtube.com/v/POviI6ty98s&rel=1
A full list of Hip Hop History Music List
In no particular order, big respect dem dooope effn tyght beatz!
There is so much I could write about BBoying!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If I missed something that the world should know give me a shout ! And I know I missed other bboy elements, graff, Doug-E Fresh, the first famous beatboxers. Also freestyling Roxanne Shante and the amazing beatboxing Biz Markie, etc etc etc. and new Beat Box Joseph at “Nouvelle star” Joseph de la nouvelle. Big respect, Dont stop!
Lets press rewind on the tape cassette on our boombox to old school bboy music if you got em milk crates, damn we cant cause we got mp3’s now. Saves us from the tapes gettin eatin up from rewinding or lugging all them records!!!! lol, init.
To all the peps, kids around the world, dont be a biter. keep it real, Keep it fresh, Keep it raw, Keep it original. Special thanks to DJ Kool Herc’s block parties in the South Bronx, making it all happen, Word up! One luv. pEace Out! Safe to all my bluds. And most importantly Everyone keep rockin it and have fun. Nuff said! Lets get back to the jam session.
DAMIR World D-Hip Hop’s B-Boy video ; B Boy Pt 1. Still practicing. Cut me some slack, like I said.!
