Inside The Mind...L'Daialogue (Hailmegatron.net Interview)

All I have to say....INDAIPENDENT EP COMING THURSDAY....JAN 28, 2010!!!!!



-L'Daialogue

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Off of www.hailmegatron.net:


Another day, another interview. This time I ask L’Daialogue the infamous 15 and get his input on them. He puts in his input on the state of underground hip hop (which is very very interesting) and many other things. Artists/Producers get at L’Daialogue. He’s a smart rapper who knows his music and his culture and doesn’t try to change either of them.

Check the interview under the cut.

-Mega


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1. Please state your name and musical occupation


My name is L’Daialogue DiCaprio and I am an emcee/producer from Memphis, Tennessee. I also have an independent label, Affillieated Vischunz/DRDP Productions along with a production company, Ovaground Undaground SounDZ with my DJ/producer, MiZUnderstatistic.


2. How did you find out about myself and www.hailmegatron.net


Man, I found out about hailmegatron.net through the man himself…lol. Actually, I saw a cool article he wrote on the original site a long time ago (for the folks who have been following since day one) and I have been an avid reader/supporter since. Plus, he’s an independent blogger which means that you don’t have all of that other b-s when you come through. Only good original independent music.

3. When did you start music and why did you start doing music?


I started with music like when I was 11 or 12. I came up in the church and my mom was a missionary so I was around gospel music from at an early age. I also played piano in the church so that was my basis in music in general. Very fundamental in regards to strictly music. I wasn’t allowed to listen to too much other than that.

Now, with hip-hop…that came around the same time. I used to write a lot of poetry and with that I started writing rhymes around the time I was in junior high school.

When I actually started writing, I wrote songs like crazy. It got to the point before my house burned down in 1998, I had over 1500 songs written. So, yeah… I was heavy in the hip-hop by the time I hit high school.


4. Who is your biggest influence, musically, and how did this influence shape the way you make music today.


Musically, being from Memphis…my true basis in music is structured from the blues and the soul music that I still listen to. B.B. King, Willie Hutch, David Ruffin, Bobby Womack, Willie Mitchell and Al Green. We call that “pimpin’ mane” music. You probably hear Juicy J say in front of his tracks “play me some of that pimpin’ mane”. That’s what he means.

I listened to all of the legends of hip-hop from the East to the West but I was really immersed in Southern hip-hop early on. Geto Boys, UGK, 8Ball & MJG, Three 6 Mafia, Outkast, Goodie Mob…I was very heavy into that. They showed me that I could do this music from a region that still even with all of the accolades and awards does not get real respect in hip-hop in my opinion.



5. If you had to describe your musical style, how would you describe it?


My rap style is kind of like how Bruce Lee was trying to explain his fighting style in Enter the Dragon. The art of fighting without fighting. Well, my style is the art of rapping without rapping lol.

But, really…I have a very fluid style that adjusts to pretty much any beat. I didn’t really have the luxury to be relegated to my region to say, “Hey, I’m just listen to Primo beats” or “I’m listen to Dr. Dre beats”. No, I had to listen to them plus the T-Mix, Mannie Fresh, DJ Paul and Juicy J beats. So, I had to better than your coast AND my side. If you listen to me rap…you can kind of figure that’s my competition. To answer the question simply, it sound like dialogue. You can interpret that anyway you want.


6. If you could sit in a studio session of one artist, alive or dead, who would it be and why?


I would want to talk to so many people but if I had to chose…just because of his recent passing, I would want to talk to Mr. Willie Mitchell. He was produced many of Al Green’s greatest hits, ran Hi Records and still recorded in Royal Studio in South Memphis up until the day he died. I mean…Mr. Mitchell was 81 years old still going strong. He actually did some work on a recent Al Green album in 2005. I would love to hear his wisdom from being in the game all those years. I would just listen to that man speak.


7. Are you currently working on any projects?


Yes, I have a 6-track EP coming out very soon entitled InDAIpendent produced entirely by my homeboy Midi Marc. It is a hard-hitting project mane. The project was recorded and conceived under the concept that since it’s such a cool catchphrase for people to say that they are “independent” artists…I’m letting people know what that struggle is.

It will be released online exclusively in the next few weeks. It will also be on www.hailmegatron.net also! So, definitely, I want everybody to support my first project of 2010. It is a jewel for everybody that listen and it is an honest approach of what I see as a turning point in the game today. INDAIPENDENT!!!!


8. Would you like to do any features with any other artists?


Yes. I’m at the point where I would love to collaborate with artists. Especially with rappers. But, the thing I believe that hinders a lot of collaborations to my opinion is egos. I am a musician and if we are like-minded artists…why can’t do music together?

You may catch a lot of my projects online like really official with certain artists and producers that are official projects. Then, I have the Odd Daialogue series that is an unofficial project that uses instrumentals produced by D.C. producer Oddisee. So, it goes both ways with me because if I was on and extended my hand to artists and producers, everybody would want to hop on board. So, depending on how I feel and how I’m moved…I am down to work with all artists. Let’s get it!


9. What is your opinion on the current state of mainstream hip hop?


Mainstream hip-hop right now is lost and corporate-owned. Mainstream hip-hop is not necessarily all bad but when you have blind piano players being played in the same 8-song rotation, it’s kind of hard to pick out the Steve Wonder in the bunch. Even if you do find that one diamond in the rough, it is so many regular old pebbles in the rock pile that after a while people don’t even want to search anymore.

I also think that the mainstream is unfairly used to access the validity of the culture and that’s not the case. I barely (and I emphasis barely) listen to radio “programming”. But, then that’s a whole different discussion of radio’s whole role in the downfall of mainstream hip-hop.

10. What is your opinion on the current state of underground/independent hip hop?


In certain ways, I think that so-called “underground/independent” hip-hop is no better than mainstream hip-hop. But, that’s not because of the same reasons though.

I think it is a clear separation between underground and independent hip-hop that really don’t need to be there. Underground hip-hop to me is people, just like me…that are putting out there music independently with the help of no majors. I am underground hip-hop. I drop independent records with no label push. Underground hip-hop can be Waka Flocka Flames. It can be Jay Electronica. So, there’s no distinction to me. The underground is music not widely accepted by the masses.

What I do not like is that because of certain subject matter artists get pigeonholed and blackballed to a certain extent because of that mainstream hip-hop conditioning. Fans don’t give certain music a chance because of whatever. Some pure “hip-hoppers” would have a problem with me because I’m not what you would call a “backpacker” rapper but lyrically I’ll rip them to shreds. I’m not what you would call a “gangsta/trapper” rapper either but I’m from Memphis, Tennessee mane. Check First 48 for proof of how they get down in my city.

So, in my opinion the definition of underground/independent music is music that gets exploited until it becomes mainstream. Then the cycle goes back around again. The state of that is up to the people. If you hate on a mainstream artist but then you turnaround as an underground/independent artist or fan and put out or support some wack music, you are just as worse as those wack programmers at radio from both ends. Just because you put yourself under that underground/independent tag doesn’t make you exempt from making a hit. It also doesn’t make the fans exempt when you’re “jerking” and “doing the stanky leg” off the next song that they play on the radio.



11. How has social networking sites (Twitter/Myspace/Facebook) changed how your music gets to different people?


It has definitely evened the playing field for me. I came from a time 5 years ago where I had at least 100 cds on me at all time. I had to account in the discs, the artwork and the inserts into every press run. I was more than breaking even in hand-to-hand cd sales but overall cd sells started falling everywhere.

Now, you have MySpace and Twitter where your music can be previewed through direct links and people can get a better sense of who you are as an artist. I never really used facebook for more than keeping up with my homeys from school but now that opens you up to a different fanbase to preview and support your music.

Also, you have independent blogs too. So, an artist have more ways to get there music there and with more exposure you can lead your fans to support music via digital downloads and more. I have been getting my music downloaded daily in the hundreds off of single songs all the way to my most recent mixtapes.

12. What is your favorite track that you have ever recorded?


My favorite track. I couldn’t choose from my tracks like that. I talk about so many different subjects and concepts that if I chose one, I would have to chose another one that was better. To date, I have 1000 plus recorded songs and I still have more to say. Plus, I don’t feel like I written my best verse yet because I always can write something better. That’s my Sisyphean task I guess. Create the best track that could never be topped. I got a little more time to do that though.



13. Everyone is critical of their own music; if you could change one thing about your music, what would you change and why?


I wouldn’t change anything…lol. But, for real…I am evolving as a man so I’m going to change as I grow. That’s not a thing that I can stop. So, as I change….my music will change.

I can’t rap about certain things because I’m not there anymore. You can’t still rap about what you’re doing in high school because what happens when you graduate? You got to rap about something else.

It would behoove a lot of the other rappers to take that credo a little more when they’re bustin’ guns and selling 1000 kilograms of dope from their luxury condominiums. It’s crazy. You got to change something somewhere down the line.

14. Random question: Do you consider yourself an Autobot or a Decepticon?


Man, I’m an autobot. Optimus Prime with shoulder missle-type dude. Plus, I’m always ready for a fight. But, then I be on that Megatron stuff too. So, I’m half and half.

But, I do know this: that the classic Transformers film from the 80’s is way too overpriced on Ebay. Lol.


15. Do you have any last words/shoutouts you’d like to say?


I would like to thank Hailmegatron.net for all the support and I want everybody to check out the InDAIpendent EP coming very soon!

I appreciate every text, email, comment (positive or negative), download, cd burn and bought show ticket. Hit me up on my twitter: www.twitter.com/ldaialogue, MySpace: www.myspace.com/ldaialogue and website: http://thaovaground.com for all the new happenings and thangs. 2000 Tennessee is going to be an interesting year. Holla at me!