EAR TO THE STREET: DA INPHAMUS AMADEUZ
BRONX, new york | DA INPHAMUS AMADEUZ
INTERVIEW KIM “GOODLOOK” SEABROOK PHOTOGRAPH / VIDEO BIG VEGG
“YOU’LL HEAR ME A MILLION TIMES SAY THAT IT’S 90% BUSINESS, 10% MUSIC. IT IS WHAT IT IS, SO YOU HAVE TO BE VERY BUSINESS SAVVY AND NO ONE IS GOING TO TAKE CARE OF YOU LIKE YOU. YOU COULD CHOSE TO PUT YOUR CAREER IN EVERYONE ELSE'S HANDS BUT THEY’RE NOT GOING TO LOOK OUT FOR YOU LIKE YOU’RE GOING TO LOOK OUT FOR YOURSELF… PERIOD!” - DA INPHAMUS AMADEUZ
ALL TO OFTEN AN ARTIST WILL PRIMARLY FOCUS ON MAKING MUSIC AND PUT LITTLE TO NO EFFORT INTO LEARNING THE BUSINESS SIDE OF THINGS, DA INPHAMUS AMADEUZ IS NOT YOUR TYPICAL ARTIST. THE BRONX NATIVE STEPPED AWAY FROM MAKING MUSIC LONG ENOUGH TO LEARN THE BUSINESS. ALONG THE WAY HE’S ACQUIRED AN ARSENAL OF SKILLS FROM VIDEOGRAPHY TO DJ’ING. WE SAT DOWN WITH DA INPHAMUS AMADEUZ AT DA MATRIX STUDIOS IN THE BRONX FOR A ONE ON ONE CONVERSATION ABOUT HIS JOURNEY IN HIP-HOP, PROVIDING A PLATFORM FOR UP AND COMING ARTISTS, HIS LATEST PROJECT “ANY DAY NOW: THE PRELUDE” AND MORE.
VALIDATED: BEFORE WE START, I WANT TO KNOW ARE YOU STILL SMACKING BABY MOMMA’S? LOL
DA INPHAMUS AMADEUZ: YEAH!
VALIDATED: BUT WHY, WHERE DID THAT COME FROM? LOL
DA INPHAMUS AMADEUZ: IT STARTED WHEN I WOULD DO VIDEO DROPS. I WOULD JUST SAY, “YO, IT’S THE INPHAMUS AMADEUZ AKA YOUNG IPH.” AND THEN THAT LED TO, “AKA SMACK YOUR BABY MOMS IF SHE AIN’T GOT THAT RE-UP MONEY ON TIME.” AND THEN IT BASICALLY JUST BECAME SOMETHING FUNNY. IT’S FUNNY, I MEAN NOT LITERALLY, YOU KNOW, BUT IN A METAPHORIC SENSE, YEAH. EVERYBODY WANTS TO SMACK THEIR BABY MOTHER AND THEIR BABY FATHER. OF COURSE, THEY’RE DOING MAD DUMB STUFF, THE AGGRAVATION AND IT’S SOMETHING EVERYBODY CAN RELATE TO. WHO DON’T WANT TO SMACK THEIR BABY MOM EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE OR SMACK THEIR BABY FATHER, RIGHT? LOL
VALIDATE: ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY DO THAT CHILD SUPPORT S***, RIGHT? LOL
DA INPHAMUS AMADEUZ: CHILD SUPPORT OR BEING UNCOOPERATIVE.
VALIDATED: YEAH, I DEFINITELY GET IT. I JUST STARTED LAUGHING WHEN I HEARD YOU SAY IT. I SAID, “YO, HE’S HILARIOUS!”
DA INPHAMUS AMADEUZ: YEAH, IT’S FUNNY BUT IT’S WEIRD BECAUSE IT STUCK WITH ME. IT’S SOMETHING THAT’S BEEN AROUND FOR LIKE 15 YEARS NOW. SO IT’S JUST LIKE IT IS WHAT IT IS.
VALIDATED: BEING FROM THE BRONX, THE BIRTHPLACE OF HIP-HOP, WHAT’S YOUR EARLIEST MEMORY OF THE HIP-HOP CULTURE?
DA INPHAMUS AMADEUZ: THE FIRST SONG THAT I HEARD THAT MADE ME FALL IN LOVE WITH HIP HOP WAS A SONG CALLED “LIVE AND LEARN” BY JOE PUBLIC. IT’S LIKE AN R&B HIP HOP RECORD, IT WAS REAL DOPE BECAUSE THEY WERE PLAYING LIKE GUITARS IN THE VIDEO, IT’S REALLY ABSTRACT. SO THAT WAS DEFINITELY THE FIRST EXPERIENCE WHEN I WAS LIKE, “YOU KNOW WHAT, THIS IS KIND OF DOPE!” AND THEN OBVIOUSLY KRIS KROSS, YOU KNOW, WE’RE LIKE 9 AND WE GOT KIDS OUR AGE THAT ARE DOING LIKE US ON TELEVISION AND STUFF. AND I THINK REALLY LIKE WHEN I STARTED GETTING IN TUNE WITH LIKE SNOOP DOGG, “DOGGYSTYLE”, THAT WAS REALLY THE FIRST ALBUM WHERE I WAS LIKE, “OKAY, IT’S SERIOUS.” AND THEN OBVIOUSLY “ILLMATIC” SET THE TONE FOR WHAT MUSIC WAS GOING TO BE FROM US, AT LEAST IN MY GENERATION. THE GENERATION BEFORE ME, THERE WERE A LOT OF GUYS FROM THE BRONX WHO WERE RELEVANT. YOU HAD THE KRS-1’S, JUST THE WHOLE ENTIRE CULTURE CAME FROM THE BRONX. WHEN I WAS GROWING UP A LOT OF QUEENS GUYS, YOU KNOW, THE SOUND WAS QUEENS BIDGE AND JUST THAT WHOLE CULTURE, I’M LIKE, “AIGHT, I’M IN! I’M IN ALL THE WAY. I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING I WANT TO DO.”
VALIDATED: WHEN DID YOU START WRITING?
DA INPHAMUS AMADEUZ: UM, I USE TO WRITE IN JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL, I WOULD WRITE TUPAC’S RHYMES AND I WOULD JUST BASICALLY WRITE THE SONG DOWN. THIS IS HOW I LEARNED TO WRITE A SONG, I WOULD LISTEN TO THE LYRICS AND WRITE IT OUT TO SEE HOW HE WAS SAYING IT SO I CAN KEEP THE PROPER PRONUNCIATION AND WRITE BARS AND STUFF LIKE THAT. THEN I JUST CATAPULTED INTO MINES BUT IT REALLY STARTED WITH THAT. I WOULD WRITE LIKE, I WOULD USE HIS LYRICS FOR ESSAYS.
VALIDATED: THAT’S INTERESTING HOW EVERYONE HAS A CONCEPT OF HOW THEY STARTED WRITING.
DA INPHAMUS AMADEUZ: YEAH, I FELT VERY CONNECTED TO THE STUFF THAT HE WAS SAYING, YOU KNOW, AND IT JUST TOOK OFF FROM THERE.
VALIDATED: WHAT’S ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE TRACKS OFF OF SNOOP DOGG’S “DOGGYSTYLE”?
DA INPHAMUS AMADEUZ: AH MAN, THE WHOLE ALBUM! “THA SHIZNIT” IS THE RECORD, UM, “DOGGY DOG WORLD” IS DEFINITELY MY FAVORITE RECORD ON THE ALBUM. I LIKE THE FACT THAT HE HAD THE DRAMATICS IN THE VIDEO, IT WAS LIKE A THROWBACK VIDEO. IT WAS DOPE, OBVIOUSLY I’M PUERTO RICAN BUT I GREW UP IN A AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY AND EVEN MY MOM, HER BEING WHITE AND SPANISH, SHE WAS REALLY INTO THE SOUL MUSIC. YOU KNOW, WE WASN’T LISTENING TO WILLIE COLONIN THE HOUSE, WE WERE LISTENING TO AL GREEN. YOU KNOW, WE LISTENING TO THAT TYPE OF SOUND, SO THAT WAS ANOTHER REASON WHY I CONNECTED WITH “DOGGYSTYLE” BECAUSE HE REALLY INFUSED WITH LIKE CURTIS MAYFIELDAND STAPLES AND THE WHOLE THING THAT THEY DID. SO IT WAS SOMETHING THAT I KNEW FROM THE BEGINNING, LIKE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I WANT TO BE A PART OF.
VALIDATED: YOUR WORDPLAY IS SERIOUS AND YOUR VOICE IS DISTINCTIVE. I HEAR YOU WERE DONE WITH MUSIC THOUGH, MEANING RAPPING. WHY?
DA INPHAMUS AMADEUZ: YEAH, RIGHT. NOW I’M IN A SPACE WHERE RADIO’S WHAT IT IS FOR ME BUT I’M FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE IN A SITUATION WHERE THE STATION I’M AT CATERS TO THE SOUND THAT I LIKE. YOU KNOW, IT’S LIKE WHEN YOU’RE ON FM IT’S LIKE YOU’LL ESSENTIALLY GO INTO A DJ BOOTH AND YOU HAVE A PLAYLIST. IT’S LIKE ALRIGHT, THESE ARE THE SAME 20 SONGS. WITH BEING A PART OF THE SHADE 45 FAMILY WE CAN SUPPORT THE MUSIC THAT WE LIKE, WE CAN PLAY THE RICKY BATS OF THE WORLD OR WHOEVER WE CHOOSE. SO AT ONE POINT I WAS DEFINITELY DONE WITH MUSIC, LIKE COMPLETELY DONE WITH MUSIC.
VALIDATED: WHY, IS IT BECAUSE OF THE INDUSTRY?
DA INPHAMUS AMADEUZ: WE GREW UP IN A TIME WHERE YOU KNEW YOUR ARTIST WITHOUT EVER MEETING THEM. SO WHEN YOU HEARD A MOBB DEEP RECORD YOU COULD RELATE TO IT. THEN IMAGINE, NOT THEM PER SAY BUT IMAGINE IDOLIZING SOMEONE AND THEN REALIZING THEY’RE NOT WHO THEY SAY THEY ARE. FOR ME THAT WAS JUST LIKE THE END OF IT, LIKE WHEN I WAS FINDING OUT MY FAVORITE RAPPERS WASN’T WRITING THEIR OWN RHYMES AND S*** LIKE THAT, I’M THINKING THIS IS CRAZY. I FELT BETRAYED LIKE, YOU KNOW. AND THEN THE SOUND CHANGED SO MUCH WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF AUTO-TUNE AND THAT TYPE OF THING. I JUST DIDN’T HAVE THE INSPIRATION FOR MUSIC BUT ALSO THE FLIP SIDE WAS I WAS IN A POSITION LIKE EVERY OTHER ARTIST WHERE I’M AROUND A BUNCH OF PEOPLE THAT THEY CAN JUST RAP. NOBODY KNOWS HOW TO DO ANY ADMINISTRATIVE WORK, SO IT WAS MY CHOICE TO GO BEHIND THE SCENES AND LEARN THE BUSINESS SIDE OF MUSIC. IT’S SOMETHING THAT I FELL IN LOVE WITH AND I JUST STUCK WITH IT.
VALIDATED: YOU STEPPED ASIDE FROM BEING AN ARTIST AND LEARNED ABOUT THE BUSINESS. WHAT ARE THE OTHER ASPECTS TO THE BUSINESS TO BE SUCCESSFUL?
DA INPHAMUS AMADEUZ: I MEAN, THERE’S NO CORRECT FORMULA, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF IT IS LUCK OF DRAW AND BEING CONSISTENT. YOU HAVE TO BE, IT IS THE MUSIC BUSINESS. YOU’LL HEAR ME A MILLION TIMES SAY THAT IT’S 90% BUSINESS, 10% MUSIC. IT IS WHAT IT IS, SO YOU HAVE TO BE VERY BUSINESS SAVVY AND NO ONE IS GOING TO TAKE CARE OF YOU LIKE YOU. YOU COULD CHOOSE TO PUT YOUR CAREER IN EVERYONE ELSE'S HANDS BUT THEY’RE NOT GOING TO LOOK OUT FOR YOU LIKE YOU’RE GOING TO LOOK OUT FOR YOURSELF… PERIOD! WHEN YOU’RE A YOUNG MUSICIAN COMING UP YOU’RE JUST LIKE, “I DON’T WANT TO WORRY ABOUT REGISTERING FOR ASCAP AND COPYRIGHTS. I GOT TO BE IN THE STUDIO.” YOU SOUND CRAZY, IT’S A BUSINESS, LIKE YOU’RE HERE TO SELL A PRODUCT TO AN AUDIENCE. YOU HAVE TO KNOW HOW TO ADEQUATELY DO THAT. IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT MAKING DOPE LYRICS AND BEATS, YOU HAVE TO LEARN THE ASPECTS OF IT. THAT’S #1 WITH THE WHOLE MUSIC THING, JUST GOT TO KNOW WHAT YOU’RE DOING.
VALIDATED: SO YOU GOT ON SHADE 45 BY THEM ACTUALLY FINDING YOU ON NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, HOW DID THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC OPPORTUNITY COME ABOUT?
DA INPHAMUS AMADEUZ: AT THE TIME I WAS REALLY POPPIN’ WITH THE FILM AND I WAS D*** NEAR ON THE TOP BOX OF WORLDSTAR LIKE EVERY WEEK. WE HAD LIKE 47 VIDEOS OR SOMETHING IN LIKE 1 YEAR. AND THE NUTCRACKERS, IT WASN’T SOMETHING THAT I NEEDED TO DO BUT IT KEPT ME HUMBLE BECAUSE I FELT LIKE I NEEDED TO DO THE HAND TO HAND S***, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN. THAT’S WHAT I WAS USE TO DOING, IT WAS THE HAND TO HAND BUT IT STARTED GETTING LIT AND I WAS ALSO ON THE VIDEO SET. YOU PULL UP TO THE WAKA FLOCKA VIDEO SET AND AIN’T NO LIQUOR AT 12 O’CLOCKAND I’M POPPING OUT THE TRUNK LIKE BOOM, YOU KNOW. WORD GOT AROUND AND GOING BACK TO THE BUSINESS THING, ME LEARNING BUSINESS, I LEARNED SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION OR SEO, WHICH IS BASICALLY LIKE WHEN YOU SEARCH SOMETHING IN GOOGLE YOUR THING POPS UP FIRST. SO YOU WOULD SEARCH NUTCRACKERS AND MY FACEBOOK ACCOUNT WOULD POP UP FIRST. NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CAUGHT WIND OF THAT AND THEY DMED ME ON FACEBOOK LIKE, “LISTEN WE’RE WORLD OF WAR PRODUCTIONS, WE’RE DOING THIS SHOW CALLED UNDERWORLD INK. WE’VE BEEN HEARING ABOUT YOU AND WE WANT TO FLY TO NEW YORK AND MEET YOU.” THEN WHEN THE LADY CAME SHE PROBABLY THOUGHT I WAS JUST SOME KID FROM THE STREET BUT SHE SEES I’M ALREADY GETTING MONEY ALREADY LIKE FOR REAL. SHE JUST TOOK A LIKING AND SAID LISTEN WE’RE FILMING, SO THEY DMED ME MONDAY, THEY FLEW TO NEW YORK TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY WE WAS FILMING AND IT CHANGED MY LIFE. IT DID, IT DEFINITELY CHANGED MY LIFE BECAUSE IT GAVE ME AN IN GAME WITH RADIO. YOU KNOW, WE’RE ALL JUST GRINDING AND FLOATING AROUND BUT WHAT IS THE IN GAME. AND PEACE TO LORD SEARS, HE SAW ME ON NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC AND HIS SHOW WAS CALLED “THE DRUNK MEN”, WHICH IS THE MIX THAT I DO NOW ON THURSDAYS. YOU KNOW, HE BROUGHT ME UP AS A GUEST, THIS IS WHEN THE BUSINESS SAVVY KICKS IN, I ENDED UP BECOMING LIKE THE CLOSEST PERSON TO HIM IN THE JOURNEY. WHEN HE GOT THE PRIMETIME SLOT THAT HE HAS NOW, “THE LORD SEARS SPECIAL”, THEY BROUGHT ME ON TO FILM AND THEN BY THE LUCK OF THE DRAW I MADE MY WAY IN. I DIDN’T EVEN KNOW HOW TO DJ, I WAS PUTTING A LOT OF DJ’S ON THE RADIO, LIKE A LOT OF DJ’S, LIKE PUNCH, YOU KNOW, THAT PEOPLE WATCH. I WAS PUTTING THESE KIDS ON THE RADIO AND I WAS LIKE, “F*** THAT, I’M GOING TO PUT MYSELF ON THE RADIO!”. STRAIGHT UP, ONE DAY I WAS IN THE CLUB, DJ SELF HAD LEFT EARLY AND I SAW THE GUY THAT I WORK WITH, HE WAS PLAYING OFF AN IPOD. I’M LIKE, “NAH, WE AIN’T DOING THIS.”, I BROUGHT A LAPTOP, NOT KNOWING HOW TO DJ AND I GOT IN THE BOOTH EVERY WEEK, I JUST GOT IN THE BOOTH EVERY WEEK, I JUST KEPT GOING, KEPT GOING, KEPT GOING AND HERE WE ARE.
VALIDATED: HOW DOES ONE MAKE THEM SELF IRREPLACEABLE?
DA INPHAMUS AMADEUZ: IT’S VALUE, YOU CAN’T JUST DO ONE THING. FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU WORK WITH A PUBLICIST, LET'S SAY AND ALL SHE DOES IS BE A PUBLICIST. YOU CAN FIND A BETTER PUBLICIST BUT WHAT IF THAT PUBLICIST IS AN ENGINEER, WHAT IF THAT PUBLICISTS KNOWS HOW TO CREATE MUSIC, WHAT IF THAT PUBLICIST RUNS A RADIO STATION? NOW THERE’S JUST SO MANY DIFFERENT AVENUES THAT YOU JUST CAN’T REPLACE THAT PERSON. I’VE LITERALLY BUILT A WHOLE CAREER ON THIS, LIKE NOT BEING REPLACEABLE. YOU CAN TRY TO GO OVER ME BUT IT’S GOING TO SPIN BACK ANYWAY IN A SENSE, YOU KNOW.
VALIDATED: SO YOU HAD A MAGAZINE BUT YOU DECIDED TO LEAVE THAT ALONE DUE TO THE EVOLUTION OF THE INTERNET AND SOCIAL MEDIA?
DA INPHAMUS AMADEUZ: YEAH, IGET@EM MAGAZINE, WE GOT IN LATE. WE WERE REALLY TAKING OFF, WE WERE IN THE NEWS STANDS BUT WERE REALLY LATE AND THE WAY PEOPLE WERE RETRIEVING THE INFORMATION WAS CHANGING. THIS WAS AROUND THE TIME OF INSTAGRAM, YOU KNOW, ESSENTIALLY BY THE TIME I PRINTED MY INFORMATION YOU ALREADY HEARD IT ALREADY. SO FROM THERE I WAS JUST LIKE LET'S END IT AND THEN THE LAST MAGAZINE THAT WE DID WITH CARDI B AND CHINX DRUGZ, CHINX DRUGZDIED LIKE 2 DAYS LATER AFTER WE SHOT HIM FOR THE COVER. SO THAT WAS ANOTHER THING TOO, LIKE WE WAS TRYING TO SHOW RESPECT TO THE FAMILY AND IT WAS JUST LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE JUST SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT, LETS JUST MOVE ON AND GO ON TO OTHER THINGS.
VALIDATED: DO YOU MISS BEING ON THE OTHER SIDE INTERVIEWING OR YOU LIKE THIS SIDE RIGHT HERE?
DA INPHAMUS AMADEUZ: I’M STILL ON KIND OF LIKE ON THAT SIDE, I’VE GOT A PARTNERSHIP WITH A COMPANY CALLED BOOMBAP NATION. WE’RE ABOUT TO START DOING THIS TYPE OF DIALOG AND I’LL BE THE ONE SITTING ON THE INTERVIEWING SIDE AND DOING IT. I DO ENJOY IT BUT I LIKE TO PLAY MY ROLE, THIS IS MY ROLE AND I’M JUST GOING TO PLAY THAT FOR NOW BUT WHEN THE TIME COMES I’LL CROSS OVER.
VALIDATED: YOU MENTIONED YOU NEVER GET INTO SOMETHING TO LET IT BE YOUR MAIN GOAL, YOU DO THINGS TO OPEN DOORS FOR YOU. EXPLAIN THAT.
DA INPHAMUS AMADEUZ: YEAH, ONE DOOR HAS TO LEAD TO THE NEXT, SO I APPROACH EVERY SITUATION LIKE A COMPLETE IN GAME. LIKE IF I DO IT A WILL LEAD TO B AND THAT COULD LEAD TO C AND ALL THE WAY DOWN THE ALPHABET. PEOPLE HAVE A HABIT OF LIMITING THEMSELVES, SO I PUT NO LIMIT ON WHAT WE CAN ACCOMPLISH AND WE JUST KEEP OPENING THEM DOORS AND WE’RE NOT DONE YET.
VALIDATED: OUT OF ALL THE HATS YOU’VE WORN AT THE END OF THE DAY WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE THE FINAL POSITION IN YOUR LIFE.
DA INPHAMUS AMADEUZ: MY MAIN GOAL FIRST AND FOREMOST IS TO CHANGE THE THINKING IN MY OWN FAMILY. YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LIVE IN THE CITY YOU COME FOR AN APARTMENT BACKGROUND. ME AND MY WIFE GOT TO MOVE OUR FAMILY OUT THE HOOD AND NOW WE’RE TEACHING THEM LIKE HOME OWNERSHIP AND EXPANDING OUR FAMILY. AS FAR AS THE MUSIC GOES, WE’RE TRYING TO CHANGE THE CULTURE AND WE’RE REWARDING THESE KIDS FOR GIVING US CONTENT. SO IT’S LIKE WE LIVE IN A DAY AND AGE WHERE HIP HOP IS THE MINORITY, REAL HIP HOP AND I THINK A LOT OF KIDS ARE AFRAID TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES. ME, MYSELF, I MAKE IT MY GOAL AND MY MISSION IN LIFE TO REWARD THEM FOR THEM NOT BEING AFRAID TO HAVE SOME INTELLIGENCE WHEN THEY GET ON A RECORD. SLOWLY BUT SURELY WE’RE SEEING IT, WHEN I WOULD DO MY SHOWCASES IN THE BEGINNING IT WAS LIKE JUST TRAP MUSIC ALL DAY AND KIDS WOULD SEE THAT I’M PICKING GUYS THAT CAN ACTUALLY RAP. SO NOW WHEN YOU COME TO MY SHOWCASE ALL THOSE KIDS THAT WERE STRAIGHT AUTO-TUNING, NOW THEY’RE CREATING CONTENT. THEY LOOK FORWARD TO IT, LIKE “D***, HE’S GOING UP TO THE RADIO. HE’S DOING THIS... YOU KNOW WHAT, I CAN DO IT TOO.” WE INCORPORATE A LIVE CYPHER NOW IN MY SHOWCASE, WE HAVE A LIVE BAND THAT COMES IN AND WE DO A LIVE 40 MINUTE CYPHER AND THE MIC IS OPEN TO ANYBODY THERE. THIS IS THE NEW ARTIST SHOWCASE SPOTLIGHT SERIES THAT I DO OUT HERE IN THE CITY EVERY OTHER TUESDAY AND I USE THAT TO PICK KIDS THAT I USE FOR THE CYPHER THAT I DO ON SHADE 45, SID’S SERIOUS CYPHER. I SCOUT TALENT AND SEE WHAT IT IS FROM THERE.
VALIDATED: WHAT HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGING MOMENTS IN YOUR CAREER?
DA INPHAMUS AMADEUZ: I THINK RIGHT NOW THIS IS THE MOST CHALLENGING. THIS DJ LIFE, IT’S VERY DEMANDING, IT’S TAXING ON THE BODY. WE’RE ALL KIND OF WATCHING MY CAREER RIGHT NOW BLOSSOM AS A DISC JOCKEY AND RADIO PERSON. I’M SPENDING A LOT OF DAYS FROM HOME AND I THINK THAT’S THE CHALLENGE AND YOU KNOW YOU GOT THE DEMONS, YOU’RE IN THE CLUB ALL THE TIME, YOU GOT THE DRINKING, THE SMOKING AND YOU TRYING TO BALANCE THAT. LIKE THIS IS LITERALLY THE HARDEST PART, THE HUMAN ELEMENT OF BUSINESS. I THINK THAT IS DEFINITELY THE MOST CHALLENGING THING AND I’M GOING THROUGH IT RIGHT NOW. IT’S A REAL SITUATION YOU KNOW, LIKE I’VE BEEN HOME LIKE 4 DAYS IN THAT LAST 2 MONTHS. EVEN WHEN I’M HERE IN NEW YORK I’M ON THE ROAD, I’M GOING HERE, I’M GOING THERE BUT THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE TO DO. WE HAVE TO TRY TO FIND A DELICATE BALANCE.
VALIDATED: WHEN YOU LEAVE THIS EARTH WHAT WOULD YOU WANT TO BE RECOGNIZED FOR?
DA INPHAMUS AMADEUZ: JUST BEING THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME, STRAIGHT UP, THE BEST THAT EVER DID IT! THAT’S IT.
VALIDATED: I SEE YOU HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH RICKY BATS, HE’S ACTUALLY ON A PREVIOUS COVER OF VALIDATED MAGAZINE. WHAT’S YOUR RELATION?
DA INPHAMUS AMADEUZ: I MEAN, HE’S MY GUY, I MET HIM INITIALLY DEFINITELY A BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP AS A FILM DIRECTOR AND THEN WE HAVE A LOT IN COMMON AND WE HAVE A LOT OF COMMON GROUND. IT KIND OF MADE SENSE TO COLAB EFFORTS AND BATS, HE TRUST MY VISION IN A SENSE, IN THIS INDUSTRY YOU CAN’T REALLY TRUST THAT MANY PEOPLE. EVERYBODY CAN JUST SAY WHATEVER, ANYBODY CAN BE LIKE, “I THINK YOU SHOULD DO THIS, I THINK YOU SHOULD DO THAT.” BUT HIM, I THINK HE TAKES MY OPINION A LITTLE MORE SERIOUS. THE COOL THING IS I THINK HE NOTICES, LIKE HE DOESN’T HAVE TO TELL ME THIS BUT I SEE SOME OF THE MOVES, LIKE WHEN I SAY, “I THINK YOU SHOULD DO THIS, DO THAT.” HE’LL JUST BE LIKE, “AIGHT.” AND THEN I SEE LIKE LOW KEY HE’S KIND OF DOING THOSE THINGS, SO I MEAN, WE WORK GREAT TOGETHER. HE WAS ON MY LAST ALBUM, “THE UNTOUCHABLES” AND WE GOT A NEW RECORD COMING OUT TOO. WE’LL DEFINITELY BE INTERTWINING THINGS.
VALIDATED: SO I WAS GOING TO ASK YOU ABOUT SHADE 45 AND HOW ARTIST CAN GET ON THERE BUT IT’S CLEAR THAT YOU HAVE A SHOWCASE EVERY OTHER TUESDAY, RIGHT?
DA INPHAMUS AMADEUZ: YEAH, IT’S A SHOWCASE, BI-WEEKLY, IT’S CALLED “THE NEW ARTIST SHOWCASE CONCERT SERIES” AT HAYATY NYC AND PRETTY MUCH IT’S AN OPEN FORMAT SHOWCASE AND ANYBODY’S WELCOME TO COME DOWN AND PERFORM.
VALIDATED: WHAT’S THE AGE LIMIT?
DA INPHAMUS AMADEUZ: THERE’S NO AGE LIMIT, I JUST LOOK FOR CONTENT, SO AT THE END OF THE DAY THAT’S WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO. IF I HEAR YOU AUTO-TUNING I MAY WALK OUT THE ROOM, I’M JUST BEING HONEST. IT IS YOUR DUTY AS AN ARTIST TO KNOW WHAT YOU’RE COMPETING FOR. IF YOU’RE NOT DOING YOUR RESEARCH THAN YOU SHOULDN’T BE THERE OBVIOUSLY, LIKE YOU SHOULD KNOW THE PLATFORM... THIS IS SHADE 45, THIS IS EMINEM’S STATION, THIS IS LORD SEAR, WHO BROKE MANY RECORDS, THAT’S THE GUY THAT I WORK FOR AND THAT IS THE PLATFORM THAT I GIVE BACK TO THE KIDS WITH RADIO. IT’S NO SECRET THAT YOU CAN BUY ANYTHING IN LIFE, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN BUY FACEBOOK ADS, YOU CAN BUY WHATEVER BUT WITH MY CYPHER YOU CAN’T PURCHASE THAT, PERIOD. IT’S BARS, BOTTOM LINE. WE’VE BEEN GOING ACROSS THE COUNTRY DOING THIS NOW, NEW ENGLAND, I’M GOING TO ATLANTA, I’LL BE IN ATLANTA 15 DAYS. THE WORD IS DEFINITELY GETTING OUT THAT THERE’S A REAL OPPORTUNITY AND I’M SEEING THESE KIDS ARE HUNGRY, LIKE SERIOUSLY. FUNNY STORY, LAST TIME I WAS IN ATLANTA I DJ’ED AT THIS CLUB CALLED CLUD ANDREWS, IT’S LIKE 700 PEOPLE THERE, SO IT’S PERFORMERS AND I’M THINKING I’M GOING TO GET LIKE LIL UZZIE VERT AND I GOT NIPSEY HUSSLE. THE KID GETS ON THE STAGE AND HE’S LIKE, “F*** THAT, I’M GIVING Y'ALL PAIN!” I’M LIKE, “YOU KNOW WHAT SON, I’M BRINGING YOU UP, LETS GO.” THAT’S WHAT I LOOK FOR, YOU GOT TO HAVE CONTENT.
VALIDATED: ANY LAST ENCOURAGING WORDS FOR ANY YOUNG ARTIST OUT THERE?
DA INPHAMUS AMADEUZ: JUST KEEP GRINDING, KEEP WORKING AND IF YOU CROSS MY PATH KNOW WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR BECAUSE IT IS A REAL OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE BACK TO A YOUNG ARTIST. THEN BACK TO THE MUSIC, I GOT A NEW PROJECT COMING OUT CALLED, “ANY DAY NOW: THE PRELUDE” AND THAT’S GOING TO BE A GLIMPSE INTO WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR FROM THE KIDS. LIKE I TELL THE KIDS, “YO, I WANT BARS!” BUT I CAN GIVE YOU BARS, SO IT’S NOT COMING FROM SOMEONE THAT CAN’T GIVE YOU WHAT HE’S ASKING FOR, YOU KNOW, AND THAT SETS THE BAR TOO A LITTLE BIT. THEY’RE LIKE, “AIGHT, HE’S SERIOUS.” YOU KNOW, SO SHOUT OUT TO THE YOUNG ARTIST THAT ALLOW ME TO LISTEN AND BE APART OF THEIR CAREER. WE’VE BEEN ABLE TO CHANGE A LOT OF LIVES, EVEN IF IT’S 1 SONG PLAY OR 1 INTERVIEW. WE JUST WANT TO SPARK HOPE AND LET THEM KNOW THAT THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO GET WHERE THEY NEED TO GO.