An in-depth exclusive interview with rising star, Dejuan Jamil.
For those that aren’t in the know, Dejuan Jamil is quickly taking the on hip hop scene by storm. Having bolstered an impressive resume of formal education, experience, and talent, he is rapidly building a name for himself in the underground community. As if being a singer/songwriter/rapper wasn’t enough, he has already established himself as a talented producer and audio engineer. Rallying off a show stopping performance at Boston’s Monroe Night club opening up for the legendary Twista, we managed to grab him for an exclusive interview.
Cover art courtesy of Dejuan Jamil
BE:HYPED - Thank you for taking the time to answer some questions for us. We know you’re a busy guy, so we’ll get right down to it. You just had a show recently, opening up for Twista. Would you say there was pressure on you to perform?
Dejuan Jamil: I felt no pressure to perform, I felt more pressure getting people in the building. Once I did my part on that facet, everything else felt more natural.
B:H: How would you say you did? Do you think you lived up to your expectations?
DJ: I feel it was a good performance considering the fact that there wasn't a mic check for the independent artists and that I was given two different microphones mid-performance. I am glad I was prepared and comfortable enough to look past it, not miss a beat and deliver a solid performance to my audience and enjoy doing what I love to do.
B:H: What were some of your thoughts in the days and hours leading up to the show?
DJ: Coming into it was pretty calm and organized. There wasn't a moment of doubt or concern leading up to this performance.
B:H: We mentioned earlier that you are more than just a singer/songwriter/rapper. Most people would be content with having achieved that much. Not you, however. You’re also a highly capable producer. If I’m not mistaken, you create all of your own beats right?
DJ: Yes I performed over instrumentals I produced solo.
B:H: When you’re producing, what kinds of influences do you draw from?
DJ: Honestly, these instrumentals are made purely from my inspiration and instinct when I play the melodies I hear in my head. It's almost like I hear an instrument playing a melody and i then find an instrument that fits that timbre and record that into Logic Pro X and build harmony and percussion around that. So this would mean that I play all my own original samples.
B:H: So we can add multi-instrumentalist to the resume also. It almost seems like you’re over qualified to be a rapper in today’s mainstream. Would you agree?
DJ: I seek to express myself as I feel I need to given the vibe of the production. Giving myself one title of expression, such as rapping, I'm limiting myself from creating something truly great and full of originality.
B:H: What is your musical background? What have you studied, and where did you study?
DJ: I studied Music, Voice, and Psychology at the Shenandoah Conservatory of music from 2008-2011. I then moved to Boston in 2013 and began studying Audio Production at The New England Institute of Art.
B:H: It’s widely known that you aspire to take on the music scene with gusto, but that wasn’t always the case. What’s your day job?
DJ: I am an Audio Visual Coordinator for Verrex Corporation, where I coordinate video conferences for a bank for all of North America as well as EMEA and Asia PAC.
B:H: Do you have any upcoming releases we can look forward to?
DJ: My first major release, the Relentless Riot EP is coming very soon! I performed three songs from the EP when I opened for Twista.
B:H: Any shows in the horizon?
D:H I'm planning shows for July and August.
B:H: Lastly, anyone you’d like to shoutout
DJ: Shout out Meda Blaq Kash Gang Ayahuaska MT448G AGMC Paterson
Dejuan Jamil: I felt no pressure to perform, I felt more pressure getting people in the building. Once I did my part on that facet, everything else felt more natural.
B:H: How would you say you did? Do you think you lived up to your expectations?
DJ: I feel it was a good performance considering the fact that there wasn't a mic check for the independent artists and that I was given two different microphones mid-performance. I am glad I was prepared and comfortable enough to look past it, not miss a beat and deliver a solid performance to my audience and enjoy doing what I love to do.
B:H: What were some of your thoughts in the days and hours leading up to the show?
DJ: Coming into it was pretty calm and organized. There wasn't a moment of doubt or concern leading up to this performance.
B:H: We mentioned earlier that you are more than just a singer/songwriter/rapper. Most people would be content with having achieved that much. Not you, however. You’re also a highly capable producer. If I’m not mistaken, you create all of your own beats right?
DJ: Yes I performed over instrumentals I produced solo.
B:H: When you’re producing, what kinds of influences do you draw from?
DJ: Honestly, these instrumentals are made purely from my inspiration and instinct when I play the melodies I hear in my head. It's almost like I hear an instrument playing a melody and i then find an instrument that fits that timbre and record that into Logic Pro X and build harmony and percussion around that. So this would mean that I play all my own original samples.
B:H: So we can add multi-instrumentalist to the resume also. It almost seems like you’re over qualified to be a rapper in today’s mainstream. Would you agree?
DJ: I seek to express myself as I feel I need to given the vibe of the production. Giving myself one title of expression, such as rapping, I'm limiting myself from creating something truly great and full of originality.
B:H: What is your musical background? What have you studied, and where did you study?
DJ: I studied Music, Voice, and Psychology at the Shenandoah Conservatory of music from 2008-2011. I then moved to Boston in 2013 and began studying Audio Production at The New England Institute of Art.
B:H: It’s widely known that you aspire to take on the music scene with gusto, but that wasn’t always the case. What’s your day job?
DJ: I am an Audio Visual Coordinator for Verrex Corporation, where I coordinate video conferences for a bank for all of North America as well as EMEA and Asia PAC.
B:H: Do you have any upcoming releases we can look forward to?
DJ: My first major release, the Relentless Riot EP is coming very soon! I performed three songs from the EP when I opened for Twista.
B:H: Any shows in the horizon?
D:H I'm planning shows for July and August.
B:H: Lastly, anyone you’d like to shoutout
DJ: Shout out Meda Blaq Kash Gang Ayahuaska MT448G AGMC Paterson
Taken from Dejuan Jamil's performance at Monroe, 4/20/2016
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