ART AND HIP HOP: DOM DIRTEE

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK | DOM DIRTEE

INTERVIEW TERRELL “REALIFE” BLACK PHOTOGRAPH SINEMATIC STUDIOS LLC

VALIDATED: BEING BASED IN BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, WHAT’S YOUR EARLIEST MEMORY OF HIP-HOP CULTURE?

DOM DIRTEE: I’VE LIVED IN BROOKLYN FOR OVER 15 YEARS, BUT I WAS ACTUALLY BORN AND RAISED IN WATERBURY, CT, WHICH IS A COUPLE HOURS FROM THE CITY. RIGHT ON THE LINE WHERE HOT 97 STARTS TO CUT OUT. MY EARLIEST MEMORY OF HIP-HOP IS PROBABLY HEARING RUN-DMC AND BEASTIE BOYS ON THE RADIO AND ON MTV. I DIDN’T REALLY GET INTO HIP-HOP TIL I WAS 10 BUT I REMEMBER LIKING HOW THOSE RECORDS SOUNDED EVEN BACK IN LIKE FIRST OR SECOND GRADE.

VALIDATED: YOU’RE BEST KNOWN FOR CREATING ARTWORK FOR SOME OF HIP-HOP'S MOST WELL-RESPECTED ARTISTS INCLUDING PRODIGY AND MOBB DEEP, REDMAN, GANG STARR, SEAN PRICE, THE ALCHEMIST, STATIK SELEKTAH, ROC MARCIANO AND MORE. WHICH ARTIST HAD THE MOST MEMORABLE REACTION TO YOUR ARTWORK?

DOM DIRTEE: I MEAN I’LL NEVER FORGET THE TIME PRODIGY CALLED ME RIGHT AFTER I SENT HIM THE “ALBERT EINSTEIN” COVER. TO HEAR HIM TELL ME THAT HE THOUGHT WHAT I HAD MADE WAS ILL IS JUST SOMETHING YOU CAN’T REALLY BEAT. AND HE WAS SAYING THAT THE PEOPLE HE SHOWED IT TO THOUGHT IT WAS CRAZY TOO AND THAT IT WAS SO VIVID THAT THEY FELT LIKE THEY COULD REACH OUT AND TOUCH IT.

THE FIRST TIME I ACTUALLY MET REDMAN RIGHT AFTER I DID HIS “MUDFACE” ALBUM COVER, WHEN I INTRODUCED MYSELF HE JUMPED UP AND GAVE ME A BEAR HUG LOL. THAT WAS ILL BECAUSE HE’S ARGUABLY MY FAVORITE RAPPER OF ALL TIME. HE HAD TOLD ME HE REALLY LOVED THE COVER ART IN AN EMAIL BUT THAT IN-PERSON MOMENT MADE ME FEEL LIKE I HAD DONE ONE OF MY RAP HEROES JUSTICE.

VALIDATED: NOT MANY PEOPLE KNEW YOU FOR MAKING BEATS PRIOR TO YOUR ALBUM, HOW DID YOU GET YOUR START?

DOM DIRTEE: BACK IN 2003 I BOUGHT AN ASR-10. I HAD NO IDEA HOW ANYTHING REALLY WORKED, I JUST KNEW THAT A LOT OF MY FAVORITE PRODUCERS USED IT. UP UNTIL THAT POINT I HAD BASICALLY SPENT ALL MY MONEY ON RAP CDS AND TAPES, AND FROM THAT MOMENT ON I REPLACED THAT WITH BUYING VINYL TO SAMPLE FROM. I HAD NEVER SEEN ANYONE MAKE A BEAT AND I HAD NO ONE TO SHOW ME HOW TO DO ANYTHING. I BOUGHT THE INSTRUCTIONAL VHS VIDEOS AND READ THE MANUAL AND JUST FIGURED IT OUT. I USED THE ASR FOR LIKE 6-7 YEARS FULL-TIME BEFORE I MOVED OVER TO SOFTWARE. I TOYED WITH COMPOSING AND PLAYING BEATS FROM SCRATCH BUT I’D SAY THAT LIKE 98% OF THE BEATS I MADE ON THE ASR WERE FULLY SAMPLED ASIDE FROM PLAYING BASSLINES. THEN ONE DAY I JUST OPENED UP GARAGEBAND ON MY LAPTOP TO SEE WHAT IT WAS ABOUT AND I QUICKLY REALIZED THAT I COULD CREATE ORIGINAL MUSIC THAT SOUNDED LIKE SOMETHING I WOULD HAVE SAMPLED JUST ON MY LAPTOP, AND I WAS HOOKED AND MOSTLY JUST DID THAT MOVING FORWARD. AND FOR THE RECORD, I USE LOGIC NOW NOT GARAGEBAND, EVEN THOUGH I DEFINITELY MADE SOME FIRE COMPOSITIONS IN GARAGEBAND.

VALIDATED: YOUR SELF-PRODUCED DEBUT ALBUM “THE HARDCORE COMPOSER” IS LED BY "KILL SWITCH" FEATURING LIL FAME & TEFLON OF M.O.P. WHAT MADE YOU CHOOSE THIS AS THE FIRST SINGLE AND HOW DID THE COLLABORATION COME TOGETHER?

DOM DIRTEE: ORIGINALLY I WAS LEANING TOWARDS “YOU WOULDN’T UNDERSTAND” FEATURING PAUL WALL AND MILLYZ TO BE THE FIRST SINGLE (WHICH IS NOW GOING TO BE THE NEXT AND 3RD SINGLE). WHEN I WAS GEARING UP TO DROP THE ALBUM I WAS TALKING WITH JAMES FROM DUCK DOWN ABOUT IT, AND HE WISELY CONVINCED ME THAT IF WE HAD TO LEAK A TRACK BEFORE THE ALBUM ACTUALLY DROPPED, IT WAS BETTER TO LEAD WITH “KILL SWITCH” AND SAVE THAT ONE FOR LATER. THAT DEFINITELY ENDED UP BEING THE RIGHT DECISION BECAUSE “KILL SWITCH” REALLY SHOT LIKE A MISSILE OUT THE GATE AND GOT AN INCREDIBLE RESPONSE AND HAD CRAZY DJ SUPPORT. WE EVEN HAD SHAQ IN FAME’S IG COMMENTS ASKING FOR THE RECORD. I DON’T EVEN WANT TO IMAGINE IF THAT WASN’T THE FIRST SINGLE NOW. 

AS FAR AS THE CREATION OF THAT TRACK... ONCE I DECIDED I WAS GONNA MAKE A PROJECT, I KNEW I WOULD AT LEAST ASK FAME IF HE WOULD DO A VERSE SINCE WE’VE KNOWN EACH OTHER FOR A LONG TIME (THROUGH STATIK SELEKTAH). I HONESTLY DON’T THINK HE EVEN KNEW I MADE BEATS BEFORE I ASKED, BUT FORTUNATELY HE SAID HE WOULD DO IT. THEN I HAD TO DECIDE WHICH BEAT TO SEND HIM. IT’S FUNNY BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE LOVE THAT BEAT BUT I WASN’T EVEN LIKE “THIS IS THE BEST BEAT I HAVE.” IT WAS MORE LIKE “THIS ONE PROBABLY SOUNDS LIKE THE BEST FIT FOR FAME” AND IT’S THE ONLY BEAT I SENT HIM. IT’S ALSO ONE OF THE FIRST BEATS I MADE FOR THE PROJECT. HE SAID HE COULD WORK WITH IT SO THAT WAS STEP NUMBER ONE. ONCE WE WERE ABLE TO GET IN THE STUDIO HE WAS LIKE “WHAT BEAT ARE WE DOING AGAIN?” LOL. I THREW IT ON AND HE WAS LIKE “OH THIS IS GONNA BE EASY.” AND WROTE IT ON THE SPOT. HE KNOCKED IT OUT AND IT WAS SOUNDING DOPE, BUT I HAD IT WITH JUST HIS VERSE FOR MAD LONG. I THINK I ORIGINALLY ASKED HIM IF WE COULD GET TEFLON ON IT AND I FORGET WHAT HAPPENED BUT WE DIDN’T ASK HIM RIGHT OFF THE BAT. THEN I HAD ANOTHER RAPPER THAT WAS LOCKED IN TO GET ON IT BUT HE BASICALLY GHOSTED ME ON IT, SO I FINALLY RE-ASKED FAME ABOUT GETTING TEF ON IT AND THAT’S WHEN HE CONNECTED US. 

WE GOT IN THE LAB AND I RECORDED TEF’S VERSE, WHICH WAS DOPE BUT THERE WAS STILL NO HOOK. I WAS LIKE “YOU GOT ANYTHING FOR THE HOOK?” TOTALLY KNOWING HE HAD ONLY WRITTEN HIS VERSE BUT I WANTED TO TRY TO MAKE IT MORE OF A SONG. TEF WAS LIKE “IT’S CALLED ‘KILL SWITCH’ SO HOW CAN WE FLIP THAT?” MIND YOU I ONLY NAMED IT THAT BECAUSE FAME SAYS IT ONCE IN HIS VERSE AND IT JUST SOUNDED ILL. WE BASICALLY BOUNCED A FEW IDEAS AROUND AND TEF FINESSED IT ALL INTO THE HOOK. ONCE I STARTED MIXING THE RECORD I REMEMBERED THAT STATIK HAD DONE SOME CUTS LATE ONE NIGHT BEFORE I HAD THE TEF VERSE, THAT WERE ORIGINALLY DONE AT THE INTRO. AT FIRST I WASN’T GOING TO USE THEM BECAUSE I JUST LIKED HOW FAME’S INTRO WAS BY ITSELF, BUT THEN I PUT THEM AT THE END OF THE SONG AND REARRANGED THEM A LITTLE JUST AS SOME OUTRO SEASONING.

VALIDATED: YOUR SECOND SINGLE “NO CELEBS” FEATURING NEMS, TERMANOLOGY AND UFO FEV, WHAT’S BEEN THE RESPONSE TO THE RECORD?

DOM DIRTEE: THAT’S BEEN PRETTY CRAZY TOO. THE RESPONSE TO “KILL SWITCH” WAS SO INCREDIBLY GOOD ACROSS THE BOARD THAT I WAS ALMOST NERVOUS TO DROP ANOTHER RECORD LOL. BUT “NO CELEBS” HAS ITS OWN KIND OF APPEAL. IT’S LIKE A DIRTY, GUTTER-ASS FREESTYLE CYPHER WITH A HOOK. BUT THE CRAZIEST THING ABOUT IT, IS AS HARD AND GRIMEY AS IT IS, IT’S BEEN IN ROTATION ON HOT 97 DURING THE DAY FOR ALMOST TWO WEEKS NOW! LIKE I CANNOT IMAGINE THERE IS A MORE GUTTER, STREET, NEW YORK HIP-HOP RECORD THAT HOT 97 HAS REGULARLY PLAYED DURING THE DAY THAN “NO CELEBS.” AND WE RECORDED THAT SONG AND PART OF “COOKIN IT” THE FIRST NIGHT RECORDING MY ALBUM, SO I HAD IT FOR A WHILE. AND I’D JUST BE LISTENING TO IT AT THE CRIB WONDERING WHEN AND IF IT WOULD EVER COME OUT. IT’S CRAZY NOW TO SEE HOW MUCH BOTH OF THE SINGLES AND PRETTY MUCH THE WHOLE ALBUM HAS BEEN SUPPORTED ON SIRIUS AS WELL AS FM RADIO.

VALIDATED: WHO ELSE IS FEATURED ON THE ALBUM?

DOM DIRTEE: BESIDES FAME, TEFLON, NEMS, TERMANOLOGY, UFO FEV, PAUL WALL, AND MILLYZ WHO WE’VE DISCUSSED, THERE IS PLANET ASIA, TRISTATE, ILLA GHEE, ANOYD, REN THOMAS, EA$Y MONEY, FABEYON, AND SUPERSTAH SNUK. EVERYONE GOT BUSY TOO. IF YOU’RE A FAN OF LYRICS IT’S SOMETHING YOU GOTTA TAP INTO.

VALIDATED: HOW LONG WAS THE PROCESS TO PUT THE ALBUM TOGETHER?

DOM DIRTEE: FROM THE FIRST NIGHT OF RECORDING UP UNTIL TURNING IN THE MASTER WAS ALMOST EXACTLY 18 MONTHS. BUT THERE WAS A LOT OF STOP AND GO. THERE WERE MULTIPLE TIMES I’D GET LIKE 3-4 VERSES IN 48 HOURS OR LESS, AND OTHER TIMES WHERE MONTHS WOULD GO BY AND NOT A SINGLE THING WOULD HAPPEN. I REALLY HAD TO STAY ON IT AND MAKE SURE I KEPT IT MOVING AND FINISHED UP STRONG. TERMANOLOGY HELPED ME GET LIKE HALF THE FEATURES WHICH REALLY MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE. TRYING TO GET THIS MANY RAPPERS ON ONE PROJECT IS A PRETTY BIG UNDERTAKING. WHEN I DO AN ALBUM WITH ONE ARTIST I COULD GET IT ALL DONE IN A FRACTION OF THE TIME. WITH THIS I HAD TO REALLY THINK ABOUT WHO SOUNDS GOOD ON WHAT BEAT, AND ONCE I HAVE ONE VERSE, WHO ELSE MAKES SENSE TO BE ON THAT RECORD. AND I DID ALL THE HOOKS THAT HAVE VOCAL SAMPLES, AND MOST OF THEM WERE ADDED AFTER A VERSE HAD BEEN RECORDED, SO I HAD TO MATCH IT TO THE RECORD. THERE WAS A LOT OF THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT KINDS OF RECORDS I NEEDED BASED ON WHAT I ALREADY HAD, WHAT BEATS WOULD SOUND GOOD AT THE BEGINNING, MIDDLE, AND END, ETC. I REALLY WORE THE EXECUTIVE PRODUCER HAT HEAVY. NOT TO MENTION THAT I DID THE ARTWORK THAT I KNEW HAD TO MAKE AN IMPACT. ONCE I HAD THE COVER DONE (ABOUT ¾ OF THE WAY THROUGH RECORDING) I ALWAYS HAD IT OPEN ON A MONITOR SO I COULD MENTALLY LOCK IN ON THAT VIBE AND MAKE BEATS THAT SOUNDED LIKE THEY FIT THAT ALBUM LOOK.

VALIDATED: WHAT’S BEEN THE RESPONSE TO THE ALBUM?

DOM DIRTEE: REALLY GOOD. BETTER THAN I COULD HAVE ANTICIPATED. WHEN I WAS ALMOST DONE MIXING THE ALBUM, IN MY MIND I WAS LIKE “SOMEBODY, SOMEWHERE IN THE WORLD IS GONNA FUCK WITH IT” BUT I WAS UNSURE OF WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE BECAUSE BARELY ANYONE HAD HEARD ANY OF IT. AND THE PEOPLE IN HIP-HOP THAT KNEW ME, KNEW ME FOR DOING ART, SO I DIDN’T KNOW IF THAT WAS GONNA MAKE THEM KINDA FRONT ON ME DOING MUSIC. TERM AND NASTEE (WHO HELPED ME MIX IT) BOTH SAID THEY THOUGHT I’D DO WELL WITH IT. BUT THE ACTUAL RESPONSE WAS JUST WAY BEYOND MY EXPECTATIONS. AND PROBABLY EVERYONE’S TO BE HONEST. YOU GOTTA UNDERSTAND THAT I WAS 100% JUST GOING TO PUT IT OUT MYSELF. ONCE I POSTED THE COVER AND ANNOUNCED THAT I HAD THIS ALBUM DONE, IT WAS LIKE KNOCKING OVER A DOMINO THAT JUST HAS NOT STOPPED KNOCKING OVER MORE DOMINOS. RIGHT AWAY I GOT AN OFFER TO DISTRIBUTE IT, AND THEN I GOT ANOTHER FROM DUCK DOWN WHICH IS WHO I ULTIMATELY WENT WITH. THEN STATIK WORLD-PREMIERED “KILL SWITCH” ON SHADE45, THEN DJ PREMIER CUT IT UP CRAZY ON HIS SHADE45 SHOW AND GAVE ME AN ILL INTRO, AND THEN LOTS OF DJ’S ON SIRIUS AND FM RADIO RAN WITH IT. ONCE I KNEW THAT PEOPLE LIKE PREEMO AND FAME REALLY LIKED THE MUSIC, I WAS JUST LIKE “OH IT’S ON.” AND NOW I EVEN GOT A VINYL DEAL WITH TUFF KONG WHICH WAS DEFINITELY A GOAL THAT I DIDN’T KNOW IF I’D GET IN THE BEGINNING. BUT EVEN ASIDE FROM THAT, SEEING ALL THE SHARES, COMMENTS, AND DM’S FROM PEOPLE I’VE NEVER MET PLUS ALL THE BLOG SUPPORT HAS BEEN AMAZING. NO ONE WHO’S FROM WHERE I’M FROM HAS EVER DONE ANYTHING LIKE THIS, AND WHEN I THINK ABOUT BEING A YOUNG KID JUST LOVING HIP-HOP TO HAVE THIS OUT NOW AND HAVE IT BE RESPECTED, IT’S JUST BEYOND WORDS.

VALIDATED: WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE TRACK OFF THE ALBUM AND WHY?

DOM DIRTEE: I LIKE ALL THE RECORDS FOR DIFFERENT REASONS. “KILL SWITCH” MIGHT BE MY FAVORITE OVERALL BUT THEY ALL HAVE MERIT. I DON’T REALLY LISTEN TO THE ALBUM A LOT ANYMORE THOUGH. YOU GOTTA UNDERSTAND THAT I LISTENED TO THESE SONGS HUNDREDS OF TIMES WHEN MIXING AND MASTERING AND SCRUTINIZED THE SHIT OUT OF EVERYTHING UNTIL THE POINT WHERE I RAN OUT OF TIME AND HAD TO TURN IT IN. THE MOMENT I SENT IT OFF IT WAS BASICALLY JUST LIKE “THAT’S IT. CAN’T CHANGE ANYTHING ANYMORE. IT’S A PRODUCT NOW,” AND I’VE BEEN WEARING THE MARKETING AND PROMOTION HAT EVER SINCE. RIGHT NOW IT’S JUST ABOUT GETTING THAT PRODUCT IN FRONT OF AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE. 

VALIDATED: WHERE CAN FANS GET THE ALBUM?

DOM DIRTEE: GO TO DOMDIRTEE.COM AND YOU’LL FIND EVERYTHING YOU NEED THERE. DIGITAL ALBUM, AUTOGRAPHED CDS, LINKS TO THE VINYL, MY BANDCAMP, NEWS, MERCH, VIDEOS, ALL THAT. IT’S ON ALL STREAMING PLATFORMS SO IF YOU JUST TYPE MY NAME INTO ANY OF THEM YOU’LL FIND IT, BUT IF YOU REALLY WANT TO SUPPORT ME, COP THROUGH MY WEBSITE.

VALIDATED: WHAT’S 2021 LOOK LIKE FOR DOM DIRTEE?

DOM DIRTEE: IT’S LOOKING REALLY GOOD AS FAR AS I CAN SEE. I’M EXCITED FOR 2021. I’M STILL GOING TO BE PROMOTING AND SHOOTING MORE VIDEOS, BUT I’M AMPED TO GET BACK TO CREATING NEW MUSIC, WHICH I’VE ALREADY STARTED TO DO AS FAR AS MAKING NEW BEATS. HOPEFULLY WE CAN TRAVEL AGAIN BECAUSE I’D LOVE TO DJ SOME SPOTS ACROSS THE US AND ABROAD, AND JUST CONTINUE TO SHARE MY BRAND OF ART AND HIP-HOP WITH THE WORLD. I ACTUALLY HAD AN ART SHOW AND CLOTHING COLLABORATION ALL SET TO GO IN PORTUGAL RIGHT WHEN THE COVID TRAVEL BAN HAPPENED THAT WE HAD TO CANCEL. NOW WHEN WE CAN TRAVEL AGAIN I’LL BE ABLE TO BRING EVEN MORE TO THE TABLE. I’M REALLY GOING TO AIM HIGH AND SURPRISE A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH THE THINGS I DO NEXT, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THE UNIVERSE IS CONSPIRING WITH ME.

VALIDATED: WHAT’S YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA CONTACTS AND WEBSITE?
DOM DIRTEE: I’M @DOMDIRTEE ON EVERYTHING. AS LONG AS YOU SPELL MY SHIT RIGHT WITH 2 E’S YOU’LL FIND ME ON ANY PLATFORM.