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"

According to VR2OSOV - Favorite Hip Hop Groups

It's a Hip Hop staple for fans and aficionados to come together and spend tireless hours debating which Hip Hop acts are the best.  The debates never end because one that that Hip Hop is currently lacking is standards--- artists, fans, and execs can't agree on what's most important.

Fortunately, one thing that Hip Hop Culture can be decisive about is PERSONAL favorites.  No one can tell you what speaks to you personally.  In that spirit, we've asked the VR2OSOV contributors to speak on their favorite acts.  To narrow the scope, we've asked them to specifically speak on their favorite groups and collectives rather than individual acts--- anything from twosomes like Capone N Noreaga to crews like Pro.Era, to conglomerates like the Wu.

Peep the contributors' responses below!

Earl Grey Summers' Favorite Hip Hop Groups

Sky3's Favorite Hip Hop Groups

"Appetite", by D.E.Z.

Sometimes I hear music and it amazes me that doctors haven't started prescribing sounds as medicine yet.


D.E.Z., one of VirtuosoVillage's in-house producers and contributors has a project on the horizon.  He calls it Persona, and by the sounds of it, it's gonna be something for the city to be proud of.  If the single Appetite is any indication, all I can say is, "What's the hold up..."

Easy Listening: Hip Hop Fans in the South

Get mad all you want; Donald Trump's in office, it might be illegal to tell the truth in a few weeks.

I started to call this article "From 'They Don't Dance No Mo' to 'All They Wanna Do is Dance", but that was too long.  Plus, ya'll don't know about dat Don Henley.  Nevertheless, that's exactly what Hip Hop fans in the South bring to mind.  At least for me.  Lemme tell you a story.

SAAAVE Us, Badmon!!

I’d like to take you wonderful people back to a particular photograph from circa 2015--- you know back when we had an educated, distinguished, respectable President.  But even an educated distinguished, respectable President can have complications--- like teenage daughters.

Don't Get Mad: Reggae Grandfathered Mumble Rap

Please... please don't hate me...

I love reggae, I love dancehall music; anybody who doesn't is arguably a demon, or some sorta synthetic human being who was made in a laboratory, perhaps a homonculus who was created using alchemy.  But I gotta keep it real:  I know a significant number of people who, when reggae and dancehall ruled urban radio, had NO... FREAKING... IDEA what was being said

City of Soul

Augusta, GA...

This city is known as the home of James Brown, The Godfather of Soul. This city is also known for its annual Masters tournament, an event where golfers and fans alike travel from all over the world  to congregate here. Unfortunately it seems that Augusta isn't known for much else. I find it sad because although I'm not an Augusta native, over the past 6 years I've discovered that Augusta is a hub of musical talent.