Born & raised in the East Bay Area 1st ½ of my life! I was always into creativity and imagination. To a degree, always thought of myself as an “off kid”, as much as my mind would think deeply or see things more abstract than most. Definitely a social butterfly & made friends w/ damn near any1 I came into contact with. From Berkeley to Oakland to Castro Valley to Hayward, I learned A LOT about struggle, hustle, communication & originality!
Sang in the choir at St Andrews in West Oakland, Ca from 2nd - 4th grade and 3rd & 4th is when I was picked to do solo acts. “First Noel” was kinda like my “America's Got Talent” moment back then lol. But, once we left Oakland, the choir option tended to slip away because, well, we couldn't afford much. Didn't have the money to purchase instruments so band wasn't an option. Myself and 2 of my nephews thought we could create a rap group - don't laugh, because we thought we could make it lol - but again, lack of funds and (serious) direction. When that idea was put to rest, I figured I would at least still have singing, but, I didn't have any1 to keep the vocals sharp - so, ultimately, singing faded away from a reality.
Never lost my passion for music - just lost any vision on how to be able to get a foot in the door w/ the lack of resources I had at the time. In high school, me and some friends TRIED to be rappers, but THAT got shelved when we never got calls back from the few labels we left voice messages for. So, then, I started to find myself in poetry. Realizing I had a sense of finding the right words to reach the exact message I was intending - especially in a world where people were either too harsh or too vague in how they would communicate. But, my ears would not let music escape me…completely
In 2001, moved to Sacramento, Ca & for nearly the past 2 decades, this is where I hung my hat. Despite it being a bit of a slower speed & different mindset, it has definitely had its place in helping me shape who I am. Here is where I learned how to speak to a whole different clientele of ppl & able to travel outside of CA. And with all these lessons, I still searched for some way to get me back in contact w/ music; but in a manner I was comfortable w/ vs whatever was trendy
FAST FORWARD to Covid, or as E-40 called it, the “Plandemic”, I was able to find some sources through the internet that allowed me to explore, practice & expand on methods that would put me in the position to “produce music". It all turned out to be connected w/ each other because my “creative imagination” gives me the concepts of what I'm wanting to create, my equipment & tools allow me to execute while my love for poetry gives me to ability to hear the music w/ it's energy.
Unlike most people who produce, I don't make music for the sound. It was Dr Dre who I believed said he" makes music w/ his soul". I concur w/ that. Because I use my mind to create it, while my instruments bring it into physical existence. But, unlike the music u hear streaming today, they make music w/ their ears - where as I make it from the heart… I just use my ears to EQ it
“Find Your Rhythm…”
D. Cal