We recently ran a campaign with ReverbNation to highlight and interview up and coming artists. We only got to select 5 winners out of nearly 1500 submissions. This is the first of those interviews, with DJ Scandalous. When you finish reading, listen to our companion playlist on Spotify here (coming soon), or use the player at the bottom of the article.
Enjoy, and get to know DJ Scandalous!
Tristan: Kick us off on the right foot. Take us back to the start. Where did you grow up? What was that like?
DJ Scandalous: I was born and raised on the south side of Chicago, Illinois. It wasn’t fun. It was tough and it made me mature faster. I don’t want to get into it, but just imagine seeing friends murdered, neighbors going to prison and getting murdered, getting dropped off at school with bullet holes in your mother’s car, etc.
T: That’s something I doubt most people have to go through, and I couldn’t imagine growing up that way. What did you listen to during your childhood and teen years that affects your music the most?
DJ Scandalous: I connected with music anyone around me listened to. My parents listened to Oldies, R&B and jazz, my friends listened to hip hop, my classmates in high school listened to rock and alternative and I watched TV only to listen to the theme songs. This is why I bounce genres often. I love all genres of music.
T: Which albums were staples for you growing up? What would you play on repeat?
DJ Scandalous: When I broke up with a girlfriend, I was devastated. That’s when I discovered Genesis and Phil Collins. It helped me to cope with the breakup, while Mase’s “Harlem World” album helped me to realize there’s plenty of fish in the sea, haha. Those are just a couple of examples. I could go all day. I’ve never been one dimensional with music so it’s difficult to narrow it down to specific albums and artists.
T: How old were you when you started making music yourself? What finally got you to start?
DJ Scandalous: I started creating music in high school. Then, I started a hip-hop group with three other classmates. I always focus on my music. And I wouldn’t just write my own lyrics, I’d also write theirs sometimes. I am influenced by DMX, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, 2Pac, Beastie Boys just to name a few.
T: Looking back at those early recordings, what do like about them to this day? Then, looking at your progress and how you’ve grown as an artist, what about your process has changed the most since you first began?
DJ Scandalous: I don’t like my voice and delivery in any of my early recordings. However, the one thing I did enjoy was being part of a rap group, especially since we were all different races with different experiences and views on life. I’ve grown a lot over the years. My ear for great music has continuously improved through studying and observing, I continuously discover music, from various genres especially from other countries and my songwriting and production has drastically improved.
Streaming: Like Trying to Find Waldo
T: Talk to us about streaming. How do you feel about putting music across streaming as opposed to the days of releasing music on EP’s and albums while on tour, then pushing to wider releases? Has it made your work easier? Different?
DJ Scandalous: Putting music across streaming platforms doesn’t bother me one bit. In fact, I prefer it. I hated going into a music store and not finding the albums I wanted because they weren’t stocked. Listeners can easily access my music from their smartphones just like I can easily access most of my favorite artists’ catalogs. It’s also a lot easier to discover new artists.
In the US, music stores were particularly limited when it came to foreign acts. I’m not a huge fan of country, but thanks to my girlfriend and streaming platforms, I discovered Willie Nelson. It doesn’t make my work easier necessarily, but it’s no longer difficult to get your music out there. When you’re independent, you just have to out-hustle everyone to get discovered. It’s like trying to find Waldo. Once you are seen, there’s got to be something that defines and separates you from all the others.
T: How do you feel about the genre of music you create within? What drew you there, among all the genres you could have chosen?
DJ Scandalous: I don’t create from within one genre. Just look back through my catalog. I started with hip hop, merged into R&B, experimented with EDM and now I’m combining all those into pop. I am not a prisoner of a single genre.
What’s DJ Scandalous listening to anyway?
T: Who are you listening to now? Who should our readers check out if they like your music?
DJ Scandalous: I don’t listen to one specific artist’s album anymore. I listen to the Billboard 100 every week and may pick favorites from those. So as of now, I’m enjoying new songs from Taylor Swift, Lil Nas X, BlackPink, J Balvin & Bad Bunny, YG, YK Osiris and Nipsey Hussle (R.I.P.). Not only should your readers check out these artists, they should expand their horizons and listen to Sigma, My Darkest Days, Dominik Scherrer, James Newton Howard and Sexion D’Assaut.
I still listen to and study classics like Michael Jackson, Gloria Estefan, Chicago and, of course, Dr. Dre.
T: That’s a pretty good list to give a listen to! Final question then. You get only 3 albums to listen to for the rest of your days. What albums do you pick, and why those ones?
DJ Scandalous: Alright, here goes.
- Phil Collins …But Seriously because he combines social issues with pop music.
- 2Pac Me Against the World because this is the first album he released where he essentially became a hip hop philosopher.
- My new album because I’m doing the same as both Phil and 2Pac. It’ll be my first time creating music with a message and I love what I have.
Before you head out, check out Dj Scandlous’ website, his Soundcloud, & Spotify below!
We look forward to more articles and checking in with Dj Scandalous down the road as well!
We’ll have more Q&A’s from our ReverbNation campaign soon, and we’ll include a link here.
Enjoy!
