VR2OSOV EXCLUSIVE: An Interview with DEZ

Recently, VR2OSOV had the opportunity to sit down with up-and-coming producer DEZ (pronounced Dee-Ee-Zee).  DEZ is fresh off of his April 28th sophomore release, Persona, where he showcases his beatmaking specialty.  DEZ's love for the culture results in a rich, sample-based style that borrows heavily from boom-bap Hip Hop conventions, yet leans toward the experimental.  Check out parts 1, 2, and 3 of our interview as well as the Persona project below.

Hosted by E.G.S.

{Part 1}


{Part 2}


{Part 3}

The "Mumble" Issue: Is There Really Even An Issue?

Everybody loves to hate "mumble rappers." Need example of the type of rapper I'm talking about?

Lil Uzi Vert

Lil Yachty

And we definitely can't forget...Desiigner.

All I hear from people are statements like, "Hip hop is dead." Apparently our generation doesn't have any talent whatsoever. There are absolutely no good rappers out. None. Zero. Zilch. Now I could write an essay on why those generalized statements are bullshit but I'll keep it short.

A Michael Jackson Cover of "This Woman's Work"...

So, I don't know where this came from. ...Oh YES I DO.  I was listening to that cat Michael Trapson!  His parody song Billie Jean and I Dab!  Now, peep the way my mind works, you can't give me stuff like that because I get ideas.  When I saw the dab in the video, I thought about how some people cry and, basically, dab to hide their tears.  Which made me think about Maxwell's song, This Woman's Work, because of the whole, "I should be crying but I just can't let it show..."

...And THAT'S where my almost-brilliant idea popped up.  I say almost-brilliant because, well... I shoulda thought of it before MJ left Earth Realm.  Dig this:  Michael Jackson should've covered Maxwell's This Woman's Work.

Rico Love & the Double Edged Sword of Artist Development

I believe that it’s possible to gauge the trajectory of a music producer’s career based on their idea [if any] of developing a recording artist – guiding the entire musical persona of an entertainer from an executive position. Most composers with longevity were thrilled at the thought of it, years before their opportunity surfaced. I always thought that my first chance as an executive producer would be the debut of a singer, but I had no qualms the day that Atlanta rap artist and good friend NoTiQ sent me a Facebook message: “I want to introduce people to your sound, be the Aaliyah to your Timbaland …

Beatmaking with D.E.Z.: More Love for the Craft

First let me introduce myself I go by 3 aliases:  Dez, D.E.Z., and mydudedez.

Okay, let's get down to business. I'm a producer from Augusta, Georgia and making beats is my passion, but the thing that bothers me is now production is slowly getting the limelight and to me it should have a long time ago.

Check this out, the most important part of Hip Hop or any genre of music is the composer; you wouldn't have some of the greatest musical achievements in history if someone didn't write down, chop, loop, pitch tune or add drums and keys. When you think about it, the key element of any Hip Hop song is the beat, because we all know that, even if the people ain't listening to the lyrics, they're bobbing their heads off the beat. Just the other day I was checking out the documentary called "The Art Of Organized Noize" and I loved it, but theses guys should have had more than just shout outs--- it should have been more them be displayed at the forefront of it all

Don't Worry, Cee-Lo's Still Black...

...he's just gold sometimes.  See, this is my theory on what had happened at the Grammys the other night:

Back in, uh... I think 2010, Cee-Lo dropped a mixtape.  It was called Stray Bullets.  'Twas a pretty dope project, for those of us who don't mind that one of our favorite rappers also happens to be a soul singer.  Now, on this mixtape was a song; as a matter of fact, it was the intro and outro to the mixtape.  The song was called Goldschlager.  Here, give this a listen:



Now, the fact that I'm writing this article and the fact that the world's gone completely bonkers about my dude wearing a gold suit tells me that--- ya'll didn't support this mixtape.  Otherwise, like me, when you saw the brotha in gold... you automatically woulda simply thought, "...Goldschlager".  But it's cool:  we all overlook greatness sometimes.

"HPPY VALENTINES DAY", by Janemba Juice

There's just something about Charlie Brown--- when you meet a creative mind that messes with Charlie Brown, you know you're dealing with somebody that has the potential for greatness.  See Aaron McGruder.  See JDilla.  And a little closer to home, see Augusta's own Janemba Juice.

Not long before V-Day, Janemba treated us with a lil gift from his just-released project SWK.  Entitled HPPY VALENTINES DAY, the piece is accompanied by some nice, nostalgic Peanuts visuals for those of us who came up in better days.  Along with the sounds and visuals, Janemba shares his thoughts:

"Ive been longing for simpler times, so in the spirit of Valentines Day and my recent intrapersonal conflicts represented by Charlie Brown I give you:  HPPY VALENTINES DAY"