Hailing from Queens, NY comes an Artist who started as a battle rapper and became so much more. Read below as he chats it up with LILMISSCHITCHAT.COM
LMCC- How did you start rapping?
D-Tweez- well it's kind of the cliche story ... the hoop dreams deflating , which led to being in the streets , which led to me wanting to tell my story. my struggles. my life period. I just wanted people to know what my life was like . I was never that much of a talker. kinda stuck to myself in a way. my personal business I kept it private . so I played around with words from time to time just for my own reasons. when I decided to start reciting them to my closer peers and family , they would always seem impressed . telling me that I was really talented and that I might actually discover a gift from God that I didn't know I had . then in a span of 1 year I lost 4 of my absolute closest friends , 1 was actually my brother. like I mean dudes that was in my house EVERY SINGLE DAY. it fucked my head up mentally . bad. for a minute. to the point I couldn't even write music because it was always so depressing . cuz that's the stage I was at in life. but then i started getting more in touch with God and becoming more of a man and really coming into my personality . SO I started going even harder. and I Told myself that I seen my mother struggle for long enough, Ima get her a nice big house and pay all her bills one way or another. that's when I became a full blown artist. but all in all , it was just a way for me to let myself go. release some thoughts. I can say whatever thru a pen to a paper and not be judged. that paper don't talk back and don't have no brain feel me lol . so that's how it all started .
LMCC - Who would you say is your musical inspiration?
D-Tweez- don't really have one. didn't listen to much music growing up. but if I had to say any one it would be along the lines of Tupac , Nas , and Noreaga considering the fact he came from the same exact place I come from.
LMCC- What do you think the music game today lacks?
D-Tweez- lack of substance and originality . seems like everybody rapping about the same thing . people getting co-signed by they peers just because they got money or because they "lit" so to say. and not because of talent. the ART of music is dead nowadays. nobody telling story's and/or being creative . they just putting a bunch of words together that sound good. it's not about being lyrical no more .
LMCC- What sets you aside from other rappers?
D- Tweez -umm .. well of course the 1st thing would be that I don't consider myself a "Rapper" . I'm an "artist" I paint pictures with my words. I think there's a big difference. but more importantly my Versatility and Originality . I can attack any genre of music and make it sound great. and I don't sound like nobody. my sound is original . from my word play , to my Adlibs. also the fact that I'm a human being. I think nowadays the "music" is about a lifestyle that everyone is supposably living . I don't present that. I may brag and boast time to time , to let the people know what I came from and how far I've gotten. but I remind people that I'm still a human being. I still live the normal life. I'm not driving foreign cars and sexing models and poppin bottles every day. I have a family . I have priorities . I have bills. feel me. like my music really comes from my heart. it's not always about what people want to hear . of course I always want to please my fans , but Ima give you my real life within my music. I don't fabricate nothing . nothing is falsified . everything is actual facts .and I make all kinda of music. whether it be quality street music. a Smoove laid back kinda song. a controversial and political kinda song. or I just wanna get some lyrical excercise and throw a shit load of punch lines and metaphors. I can pretty much do it all. I don't have a lane. cuz I can make any kind of music . shit i probably can jump on a country beat and make that shit sound hot lol
LMCC- Who would you say is your biggest competition?
D-Tweez -I look at people like drake and j cole and Kendrick , Wale . dudes that actually give me that "feeling" when I hear them. those are Artist , I'm an "Artist" , I don't consider myself a "Rapper" anyone can be a "Rapper" . As far as my biggest competition tho, that's myself . in the most humblest , non cocky way . I'm my biggest competition for the simple fact that I challenge myself. I wanna be better than myself. meaning when I complete a song , I feel like my next song gotta be 10x better than the last one. I compete against myself all the time . I'm only gonna be as big as an artist that I allow and push myself to be
LMCC- Name some artists you would like to work with in the future?
D-Tweez - Aside from the 4 artist I just named ... I wanna work with artist that will make me challenge myself when doing a song with them. I wanna work with Lauryn Hill , Erykah Badu , Ryan Leslie , John Legend , Jay-z, Eminem Pharell of course . ... as far as new artist , I would work with Lil Durk , Meek Mill , Wiz Khalifa them dudes that bring that quality . they got they lane and showing no signs of slowing down . it'll be kool to bring our minds together and see what we can cook up .
LMCC - Dope, those are all big names.. Who do you think is the best unsigned rapper excluding yourself?
D-Tweez-shiiiiit. I can name a bunch . all my peers tho. if you want names .. my Nigga DRUG from Brooklyn .. JERMS from Brooklyn. Smoova from Brooklyn. Keen Streetz from Far Rock of course all my Good Belt Gang brothers . uhhh it's a few other names I would like to throw in the air , but haven't really been hearing much from them lately. but on a larger scale , I like Troy Ave , I Like Joey Badass . it's hard to name drop because like I said before , I don't listen to much music outside of myself and my peers. keeps my creativity level at it's highest point.
LMCC- Alot of people hate answering this question but I ask anyways.. who would you say is the most overrated artist?
D-Tweez - Honestly, I hope nobody hates me for this. but I think Weezy. I feel like he gets away with a lot of shit. not everything he says is dope to me. feel like he be reachin sometimes. but when you've put in the work he has and reach the point he has , it's pretty much like you can get away with whatever.
LMCC- So I know Noreaga is your mentor, what are some things you have learned from him?
D-Tweez -yeah. mainly just to be myself . don't conform to what ppl try to make me. staying true to what I do best . and also remembering that this is an entertainment business . everything won't always be what it's portrayed to be. as far as recording , just knowing how to get ya message
across. how to bring that energy and mood to life when it's time to put them vocals on wax.
LMCC- Earlier you mentioned, "Good Belt Gang" being from Queens I've heard the name alot, it seems like a very shallow name and I don't get that from you... where did it come from?
D-Tweez - lol thanks. well actually it was Nore and His nephew (who happens to be my right hand man) "Yung Reallie" who actually created the name. from what I know about how it was created tho ... was it started out as a joke between just them two. but everytime we would hang out with Noreaga , whether it was 3 of us or 23 of us , everyone seem to always have on a good belt (which is designer belts of course ) so When we met up with Nore , wherever he would be .. he would greet us like "waddup good belt gang" . but the story gets a little deeper . they've actually told the story a few times on interviews we've done . they said that one day it was about 30 of them (won't say us because I wasn't there for this specific event) but one of the guys was actually drunk and they were somewhere by a body of water. the dude jumped over the railing , where there was rocks of course, to take a piss. lol. when he jumped over the railing , he almost slipped and fell. in the process of that , everyone attention went to the dude at that time. when "Yung Reallie" looked at him he said to him "damn you almost died. and you don't even have ya good belt on. how you almost died without your good belt" lmao . and everyone laughed . and Nore then said "oh y'all take this good belt shit serious. we officially gonna be the "Good Belt Gang" " lolll. again that's the story I'm telling after hearing the story . I wasn't there to actually witness it with my own two eyes tho lol
LMCC- If you had to choose between being exactly where you want to be in your career or true love which would it be?
D-Tweez - sheesh . that's kind of hard . lol. great question. umm I mean I feel like if it's "True Love" than my significant other should understand my purpose for doing this . she should be riding with me every step of the way. at the end of the day , this is to have "US" living better . this is building "OUR" foundation. I have big dreams and a even bigger vision. it's not just all about the money with me. it's about having a voice and having platform to give the younger generations behind me a voice . and giving them hope and encouragement that they can be whatever they want in life. So I can't really call it. I just hope that I would never have to choose between the two. True love = True Happiness . the money can never equal up to the love . but being where I need to be in life it's prolly what's most important to me NOW. my mind may change once I hit my mid 30s.
LMCC - What can we expect from you up and coming?
D-Tweez - everything ! I'm walking down every avenue . the music , a clothing line and whatever else comes with the branding and marketing. as far as the work right now , I actually have a whole Album and a Whole mixtape recorded that I can release at anytime. but there's a "Good Belt Gang" mixtape coming real real soon titled "Ya Beat Is Mine" .. that's prolly gonna be the next project that everyone can hear me on until I decide that I'm ready to drop my body of work. in the mean time , I'm gonna start releasing some of this music. pushing singles. shooting videos. got a few dope features wit some dope artist. some of those features NORE arranged for me, with a few familiar names right now .I have a few shows coming up . I'll be live in Atlanta in OCt. for the upcoming A3C music festival . then around November Im gonna go on a college tour in which I'll be appearing at a few homecomings to perform . still waiting on the confirmation on exactly what schools I'll be at . so I can't get too in detail about that. Overall just expect to see the work. the rush is coming . I've been taking it light for a minute now. Feeling a little inconsistent . but I'm back in full effect . ready to show the world what they've been missing out on. it's still some great music out here
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