In a rapidly changing, high-stress industry it can be difficult for artists who enter the independent music scene as a unit to remain a unit. In this brief Q&A session I recently had with DaZoo they shed some light on how they stick together through the chaos and what motivates them to work toward success.
Achickwitbeatz: Who is DaZoo?
DaZoo: In 2004 DaZoo was formed from a friendship between Aaron, Antron and Ken. Antron was returning from work in the South and Aaron and Ken were in the basement recording Hip Hop tracks. Antron naturally was game as he already had been recording basement tracks since 1999 under the name Trondiggy. DaZoo’s philosophy is to keep it real and express yourself to the fullest. We represent real Hip Hop with no fluff and no filler; basically honest reality rap. DaZoo makes music for the love of the art, to express our passions and feelings and to entertain by pushing boundaries and creating new sounds and concepts. Antron is the Lyrical Magistrate aka TronD, Aaron is the Musical Magistrate aka C.O.D. (Cadence of DaZoo) and Ken is known as the Illegal Alien… 3rda.
Achickwitbeatz: How long have you been making music?
DaZoo: C.O.D., TronD and 3rda have been making music together since 2004. Individually, C.O.D has made music since a kid playing the saxophone in school bands and orchestras, TronD started rapping and producing in 1999 and 3rda was always a huge Hip Hop fan who decided to try his hand at music under our influence.
Achickwitbeatz: What can listeners expect from you?
DaZoo: Listeners can expect DaZoo to push the boundaries of passionate reality Hip Hop. With each track we record we try to give listeners an honest interpretation as well as abstract visions of the songs topic. We creatively capture real life situations in rhyme in a manner and perspective no other group is willing to convey to listeners. While most groups follow trends or stick to commercial topics DaZoo is always looking for topics and ways to describe life that will show the masses there are still unique ways to express reality.
Achickwitbeatz: What are 5 skills/attributes an artist should have to make your top 10 list?
DaZoo:
Honesty – the ability to convey truth in your music and be truthful in your relationships
Integrity – the capacity to stay true to the ideas behind your music and why you created it
Fearlessness – the ability to step outside of your comfort zone and experiment with your art
Creativity – the talent to be able to come up with new ideas and concepts or ways to express old ideas in a new way
Passion – the unwavering desire to create and work towards completing a project or reaching a goal through trials and tribulations
Achickwitbeatz: Conversely, what are 5 attributes that would put artists at the very bottom of your list?
Greed/Ego – especially in a group setting thinking you are above the group will lead to its demise
Lazy – No work ethic, not willing to work hard to ensure the success of the group or business
Unoriginal – copying others style or work and not being creative in your own right
Dishonesty – being untrustworthy in the business world and when working as a team is a recipe for failure
Stubbornness – especially in a group setting you have to make compromises and work towards the success of the team and that means being flexible on decisions
Achickwitbeatz: What advice do you have to offer artists who are a part of a group or collective to remain connected when working toward goals?
DaZoo: Communication, communication, and communication is key to any relationship and especially in a group you want to stay connected by communicating your needs, your opinions, issues and goals. You can save a lot of time, money and friendships by being open with your thoughts so problems and misunderstandings do not start or grow out of proportion. Not everyone is going to agree all of the time but as long as the goals are understood and the team works together for the benefit of the group it can be successful.
Achickwitbeatz: What's next on the horizon for DaZoo?
DaZoo: Building our catalog with fresh new music is the main objective right now. We also are looking to network with studios, producers, other artists and promoters looking for talented performers. Our goal is to drop a video this year and some original music in addition to mixtape tracks and performing.
Achickwitbeatz: How can people connect with you guys and stay current with what you have in the works?
DaZoo: People can connect with us through social media...
Facebook page: www.facebook.com/dazoo or www.facebook.com/trondiction.
Twitter: @Trondiction @C_O_D_
Instagram: @Trondiction or @rhythmic_genius
MySpace: www.myspace.com/dazoo360ent
Soundcloud: www.soundclound.com/dazooent or www.soundcloud.com/trondiction
Reverbnation: www.revebnation.com/trondiggy or http://www.reverbnation.com/codmzk
We are working on a YouTube Channel, a Google + page and some other social media places but our music is everywhere. There is plenty more to come…just stay tuned… It’s DaZoo!
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