Seattle Washington may be best known for giving the world Starbucks and Grunge Music but in more recent years, Seattle has also been home to a thriving Rap community. With notable artists like Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Sir Mix-a-lot and many others giving Seattle a name, it’s only a matter of time before Seattle becomes a notable name in the Hip-Hop Community. Dave B, a Seattle based artist/producer, seemingly mixes his lyrical flair with an eclectic range of smooth beats to showcase his talents. His time is coming, just a couple years after he left Columbia College Chicago where he studied audio production and musical theatre, so he could devote himself full time to pursuing his artistic dreams. Having just dropped his EP, PUNCH DRUNK, with his independent hometown label Goodrich & Gold, Dave B was able to sit down with us here at Parlé Magazine to discuss his booming career, his music and his thoughts on the future, not only for himself but with Hip-Hop as well, especially within the Seattle music scene.
Parlé Mag: How’d you get into music?
Dave B: I was into a lot of theater stuff as a kid which led me to music. All the singing I did in plays as a kid made me want to get into to music, not act. My dad played music in church and at home, he’d play a lot of soul music.
Parlé: You’re from Seattle, what’s the Seattle Hip-Hop community like?
Dave B: It’s a pretty big thing out here, not as big as LA or New York. Everyone knows everyone because it’s such a small city.
Parlé: Punch Drunk is the EP, talk to me about that body of work.
Dave B: Punch Drunk was put out in October/early November of last year. “Olive Oil” is a single off the EP, I did it with my DJ. One day we were making music and I wanted to record a song about all the beautiful women with natural hair. I worked on it for a year just constantly recording in my room. The EP is a compilation of my own thoughts and ideas with my own personal experiences like the relationships, I’ve been in. I wasn’t at a good place in my life during that time so doing that helped me get it all off my chest.
Parlé: While working on the EP, you admitted to not being in a very good place in your life, how has Hip-Hop help to save your life?
Dave B: It was my outlet. Everyone has their own escape to cope with the stresses of life. Music allows me to channel the negative into a positive and allows me to collect my thoughts and get my point across in a way that actually allows me to step back from the situation and realize what’s going on. It’s my beautiful escape.
Parlé: You’ll be performing at SXSW, how’d you land a spot on the South by Southwest festival?
Dave B: Just knowing the right people and putting myself out there. It’s all about how you hustle. Everything in still in the works right now so I don’t have all the information but it’ll come together real soon for those who wanna see me down there.
Parlé: Being an artist and a producer, would you say that it helps or hurts you?
Dave B: I feel like that’s the only way to get it done. I wouldn’t mind helping others like writing or producing something for someone else but when it come to my music I get real selfish because I want to tell my story, my way. The way I look at it is that it can only help.
Parlé: What are your plans for the future?
Dave B: Right now, I’m still working on music and touring. I’m looking to see how people like this EP and I’m thinking of dropping a full-length album in the future but no set date yet.
Parlé: What do you think about the state of hip-hop right now?
Dave B: Like with all great things, there’s good and bad. One thing that bothers me some is that a festival like SXSW was created to give up and coming artists a chance to perform and be seen but now you’ll see big name artists, who’ve already established themselves headlining the festival which kind of takes away from the people who need that exposure to shine. We need more opportunities for up and coming artists.
Parlé: Can the readers reach you on social media?
Dave B: My Twitter and Facebook are both @Davebspacedot
Dave B’s Punch Drunk EP is available at www.davebmusic.com. The project is also available via itunes, spotify and other music platforms. Just search ‘Punch Drunk’ by Dave B.