Dubb Sicks Interview: SXSW 2010

Delivering a hardcore flow, hip hop artist Dubb Sicks knows how to shred a mic with lyrical cuts, a grimey rhyme fest over heavy beats. Dubb Sicks, who recently released his latest album entitled "Lifestyles Of The Sick And Fameless", is based out of Austin Texas and scheduled to perform at SXSW. Spinner recently caught up with the rapper and got the low down on his alcohol fueled writing process, musical influences and much more.

Describe Dubb Sicks sound?

It is up tempo, grimey gutter party music.

When did you first start rapping?

I started performing in 2004 in Odessa, Texas. After I spent a lot of time in Fayetteville, North Carolina watching some of my friends do what I do but not quite doing it the way I would do it. I started there, but once I outgrew my little fishbowl in Odessa, I moved to Austin.

What are some of your musical influences?

I've got a wide variety of musical influences especially being a hip hop artist. I'm really a huge Bob Dylan fan, John Lennon and the Beatles are some of my favorites. As for as hip hop goes Andre 3000, Devin The Dude and a lot of underground rappers especially the ones that are on my level. I watch how they handle themselves and handle their careers.

How did the name Dubb Sicks come about?

My last name starts with a W. When I was growing up, all my friends used to call me Dubb or J Dubb. Six has always been my favorite number. It was the number I wore in high school when I played football. I just switched the spelling up on six and rolled with Dubb which I was already being called anyway.

What's a must have when you're on the road touring?

Man, I gotta take a body pillow with me! They serve so many purposes in the car, you can lay it up against the door, drool all over it. If you have to sleep on the floor somewhere you can just set it down on the floor and sleep on top of it. I had knee surgery a long time ago so it kind of helps to keep myself lined out when I'm laying on the ground or a couch somewhere.

What are your musical guilty pleasures?

I really don't listen to listen to hip hop on the radio whenever I'm in my car. When I'm in my car I listen to the classic rock station. It would be something like listening to the Eagles or other stuff that comes on the station, I'm not really much of a hip hop radio fan.

Tupac or Biggie?

Biggie, I guess if I have to pick one. I'd probably go with Eazy E if it was a longer list. I'd pick Big Pun over all of them.

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

Some of the wildest fun I had was when I was on tour in Cali last year. It was my birthday and me a partner of mine ambushed the DJ at a strip club on the Sunset Strip and made sure they played my song while I got a lap dance before I left.

Describe your writing process.

I usually start off at the corner store. While at the corner store, I buy a lot of beer. After that, I go home and I drink it and then I'll write songs about whatever comes in my head. Sometimes I'll get an idea of a style of song I wanna make off of hearing something else on the radio. Usually it just comes to me whenever I see something when I'm out and about and I see something random going on. I go home, booze up and I write about it.

What do you enjoy more, touring or recording?

Touring by far. I'm not really that fond of the recording process. I like to record, don't get me wrong ,it gets a lot of stuff off your chest. I record with the sole purpose of performing that in front of people. Whenever you take something that was in your head, put it down on paper, then record it, then you go somewhere and they already know the words to it. That's the total pay off.

What's your biggest vice?

I stay up too late a lot. Drinking, women and drugs.


Andrea Mitchell is a contributor from Seed.com. Learn how you can contribute here.