David Dallas Interview: SXSW 2010

Posted on Feb 21st 2010 4:00PM by Matt Holden
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In 2009 David Dallas released his first solo album entitled 'Something Awesome.' Before that, he was part of the hip hop duo Frontline, which won the New Zealand Music Awards Best Hip Hop award in 2006 for their album 'Borrowed Time.' Among his many accolades, Dallas was also a recipient of the 2003 NZ Music Awards Songwriter of the Year award for a song he collaborated on with Scribe, P-Money and Savage called 'Not Many: The Remix!' Spinner spoke with Dallas recently about his career and experiences on the road before he prepares to perform at SXSW.

How would you describe your sound?

If awesome was a sound, and you sampled it then put bangin' drums behind it, then got a guy who likes good lyricism and R&B/Pop songs to rap on it, it'd sound like this.

How did you get started in the music industry?

I was recording myself with some cracked software and instrumentals I downloaded off the internet and those recordings found their way to my friend Nick who ended up producing for me. Nick was already an established DJ at the time so he'd pass our demos around to people. Our friend P-Money who's a DJ/Producer in his own right liked what he heard, and being that he already had a label, he signed us up. We've been working together ever since.

What are some of your musical influences?

Snoop, Mobb Deep, Nas, Jay, Em, Jamiroquai and the Roots have all at some point released an album that owned my life. All the mainstream R&B that was/is played on the urban stations out here has always had a big effect on me too. (TLC, SWV, Bobby Brown, Silk, Joe etc.)

What made you decide to use your real name instead of a nickname?

I'd never introduce myself to people by a moniker, I'd always use my real name. So I figured if that was the case I might as well just go all the way with it.

What's the craziest thing you've seen or experienced while on tour?

We bumped into Adrien Grenier ['Entourage'] whilst walking home from our first night out in New York. I think he was actually trying to hop in a cab and get out quick, but when he heard our accents he was intrigued that we even knew who he was so he stopped to chat and his friend filmed us for some documentary they're doing. Perhaps they were trying to humor us, as my friends and I were fairly intoxicated at the time, but we really didn't care. We were just tripping on how in New York you can bump into all manner of celebs whilst just walking around. That s--- is buzzy when you come from a tiny country on the other side of the world.

What's in your festival survival kit?

Water, cellphone, cash for all the overpriced and bad food, ID to score some beverages.

Who's better: Tupac or Biggie?

Biggie is technically a better rapper but Pac's passion and his ability to emote is pretty much unparalleled, at least in hip hop. If I'm picking favorites it's pretty much 'Picture Me Rollin' vs 'Warning.' I give Pac the edge... just.

What is your musical guilty pleasure?

I don't really feel ashamed of nothing I listen to, but if I had to put one that might surprise people, it's N-Dubz, 'I Need You.' Everything about the song/video is hilarious to me.

What is the hip-hop scene like in New Zealand?

A lot like a miniature version of the hip-hop scene in America. There's mainstream acts with big pushes that get played all over TV/Radio, and an underground scene with gigs every other night etc.

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