Local Artist: MC DP

Friday, 09 July 2010 13:35

Gainesville is not necessarily known for it's hip-hop scene, but that will change if Gainesville native "DP"—or Danny Perez—has his way. The 28-year-old rapper and songwriter just released a new album, Bar Tab Blues, and a single, "Hollow, " and he took some time out to talk to INsite about his creative process, stereotypes and Jerry Lee Lewis.

By Jon Silman; Posed photos by Brandi Jo Petronio

How'd you get your start?

I started rapping in high school. It was the trendy music at the time—the rock’n’roll of our generation, you know—and it was the type of music I wanted to make.

What is the hip-hop scene like here in Gainesville?

It's hard to find. I think there's a lot of guys that are pretty good that don't know how to work in Gainesville. I mean it's a college town and if you're gonna make hip-hop work, you gotta kinda follow the same scene that has already been built. We're not in Atlanta where you can have a club hit and just play the dance clubs and be successful. It's a little bit different here.

What's the difference between an MC and a rapper?

I guess it depends on who you ask, but to me they're the same thing.

OK, so what makes a good MC?

Delivery is probably one of the most important things. I mean lyrics are important, but you can have someone that has shitty lyrics but they can like deliver them really well and it's more captivating than someone who's got some mind blowing lyrics that you don't really care to listen to because their voice is boring.

Who's the best rapper out there right now?

I would say Lupe Fiasco. He's the only hip-hop artist that I can listen to nowadays.

What's the hardest thing about being a local hip-hop artist?

The hardest thing? I mean, I enjoy what I do. I don't really look at what's hard about it. I guess the hardest thing is, when you're an independent artist and you're out here on your own trying to make money on your own you always kinda question, "Am I doing the right thing?" "Is someone going to notice me eventually?" There's no direct career path for musicians. The insecurity and the uncertainty that you have to deal with on a day to day basis.

What influences you?

Other people’s stories. I try to be an observer. I try to put myself in a lot of situations where I'm around people who have interesting stories, and then kind of pay attention and pick that up and put it into my music. A lot of the stuff I write about in my music isn't necessarily stuff that I've gone through but stuff that I've seen or stuff that people I know have gone through.

Are there stereotypes for rappers? Do they have to act a certain way?

I don't really pay attention to that. The stuff I do is different from mainstream rap and I don't really have to cater to that type of image. I'm kind of anti-image.

So you don't buy jewelery or big chains or anything like that?

(Laughs) No, that's so not me at all. I got this (holds up a pair of dog-tags) somewhere for about five dollars, and I've been wearing it for a couple years.

What kind of music do you listen to that would surprise people?

I listen to a lot of Jerry Lee Lewis. He's like my inspiration.

Great-Balls-of-Fire guy? The guy who married his cousin?

Yeah, he was my idol growing up, minus the whole cousin thing.

Talk about what's going on in your career right now.

I just released a record called "Bar Tab Blues" that people can get online at iTunes or Amazon or my website officialDP.com. I'm kind of working that album right now. I've been getting some interest from the industry, and I'm really trying to get a deal off of this album.

For the full interview with DP, pick up a copy of INsite's July Issue today!