Contrary to what his name might sound like, Dude Reppin Knowhere is going places. He’s released two singles this year, ‘Airplane Mode’ and ‘Sneaky Style’, both of which have been critically acclaimed, and both of which we really enjoyed. He gave up some of his time to answer some questions for us and we hope you enjoy his replies as much as we do.
Hi there, thanks for speaking with us!
Your performance name is quite intriguing! What’s the background story to that?
KNOWHERE is the creative void from which all inspiration and art arises from. This is the place that I represent as an artist and also as a traveler. When asked where I’m from, or where I’m reppin’, I have many answers since I’ve lived many places and prefer to live on the road. So I’m the DUDE REPPIN KNOWHERE.
We’ve reviewed two of your releases so far, ‘Airplane Mode’, and ‘Sneaky Style’. While there’s some clear similarities, they each evoke a different style. How do you decide what genre to perform in? Do you adopt a character for your releases?
Thank you so much for your in depth reviews! On this new project each song has a very different vibe and could easily be placed in different genres. What’s a genre today though? I might start calling my genre “smoothie”- a blend. The Dude is very flexible and versatile with style and scenes, so the character remains this way.
Who are your go-to artists when looking for inspiration? What’s your top 3 tracks on your playlist?
Artists for inspiration- Larry June, Kurt Cobain, Theophilus London.
3 Songs I’ve been playing recently- Solar System by Superorganism, No Matter Which Direction I’m Going In I Never Chase These Hoes by $uicideboy$, Don’t Be Afraid by Tycho Jones.
What got you into music in the first place, and what advice do you have for anyone else who’s just starting out?
Friends got me into creating music. In college my friend Sean and I would jam his acoustic and sing and rap, then Corey came into the picture as a classically trained electronic music producer. We all gave each other a platform to express our unique sound and selves. My advice for people starting out is when you’re in creation mode, shift completely out of business mode, money mode, and ego mode.
What’s the songwriting process for you? What comes first, the lyrics or the melody, or is it a combination of both?
I do both – write poetry and then craft the sound around it, but usually we play with melodies then the lyrics flow.
‘Sneaky Style’ saw you hark back to the 80s – what was the motivation behind that?
Riff Raff, more specifically ‘Tip Toe 4’.
Also one of COLORMIND’s preferred lanes as a producer is in this vaporwave nightrider 80s space.
What’s coming up for Dude Reppin Knowhere? What can fans expect from you next?
The 6 song EP titled “SPACE ACTIVATED” is set to release in November. Another music video is dropping before that. And I’m wrapping up another album now with my other favorite producer Ace Marcano.
Finally, what question do you wish someone would ask you in an interview, but nobody ever does? And what’s the answer to that question?
Question I haven’t been asked – If music was eliminated today, what would I be doing and pursuing? I would be training in the art form of performance automobile racing, and teaching meditation to children and the masses.
Watch the video for ‘Sneaky Style’ below and follow Dude Reppin Knowhere on Facebook, and Instagram for more information about the artist and his music.
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