Interview by: Michael K
Los Angeles based rapper DUBB released his highly anticipated new mixtape Never Content on January 14th, 2014. Never Content means being never satisfied, and DUBB has transformed this saying into a life style. DUBB says that even if he is acknowledged as the best rapper in the game tomorrow, he would continue to grind as if he were a day one artist. This hunger for success is what has allowed the LA native to build his AV8ERS entertainment company from the bottom up, receiving recognition from hip-hop heads across the globe as an up and coming superstar.
The 16 track project is available for free download on Live Mixtapes; it will also be accompanied by a two bonus track deluxe edition which will only be available for purchase on iTunes Jan 28th, 2014.The new project is hosted by DJ Carisma and it features a series of guest appearances such as IAMSU!, Nipsey Hussle, Eric Bellinger, Skeme, Rayven Justice, Glasses Malone, Lamar Jay and more. The Never Content mixtape features some great producers, including Daniel Worthy, Chinky P and a few other well-known names. Already in the first 5 days since the release of Never Content there has been over 47,000 downloads and support from celebrities promoting the mixtape such as Toney Lanez, Stalley, Nipsey Hussle, DJ Enuff and Funk Master Flex.
The Come Up Show was fortunate enough to catch up with DUBB during his promotion run to ask him a few questions about his latest mixtape, his history in the game and what fans can expect from DUBB during the new year.
TCUS: Welcome to The Come Up Show, I’m glad we could get this interview organized. I just took in your Never Content mixtape, amazing job.
DUBB: Thanks man, I appreciate it.
TCUS: 16 tracks, you have the deluxe edition dropping tomorrow (Jan 28th, 2014) with two bonus tracks coming on that. Funk Master Flex is promoting this, DJ Enough is promoting this, features by IAMSU!, Nipsey Hussle, Glasses Malone- we’re just wondering if you can give us an insight for this recording process.
DUBB: The mindset that I went in with this project is kind of self-explanatory. Never Content– that means never being satisfied. Starting from a musical standpoint, never being satisfied means if someone called me the best rapper tomorrow, I still wanna work like I’ve just started, like I’m an up and coming artist. And this kind of turned into a way of living, you know what I mean just never content with life period.
TCUS: Definitely. You have some big tracks on this project. You have the Nipsey Hussle track “Don’t Take Days Off,” you’re both from the west coast, just wondering how you guys hooked up.
DUBB: Oh ya man. Me and Nipsey have known each other for a couple of years, and we were just dead set to work. Everything’s based off of timing. He thought it was the right time to do a record, so he asked me to send him a record. It was recorded for Never Content, but it ended up going on Crenshaw [Nipsey Hussle’s album] as well. When I sent it to him he liked it so much he asked me if he could put it on Crenshaw and I said go ahead, this way we can cross promote, I put it on my project you put it on yours. So that’s how it happened.
TCUS: It sounds like a very organic collaboration. You also have IAMSU! on, “She Gon’ Roll it.” I’m assuming that collaboration went the same way. How did you guys link up?
DUBB: Oh ya, we all know the same people. Like DJ Carisma- Young California, its a big movement out here. We just keep all the West Coast artists working together. My boy HBK actually hooked that up, you know what I mean. Cus he [IAMSU!] heard about me, and of course I heard about him, so you know I just reached out to my boy and he made it happen.
TCUS: One track I was feeling in particular, that stood out to me was “If I Wasn’t Black.” I’ve never heard a track like this before. I felt it was a really interesting take on rap. The one line, “If I wasn’t black would I even wanna rap/I never thought of that”, I felt that was a very honest line. You also talk about seeing Tupac as a role model, not an artist, I was wondering if you could dig a bit deeper into that track, and let us know the inspiration behind that.
DUBB: You know, I feel like a lot of artist today are missing substance, they’re missing content. I feel like the last artist we had that was so deep in content and could make everyone think was Tupac. He’s a guy everyone can relate to, and that’s one of my favorite artists. I don’t wanna be like him, but he’s very influential in my career. [“If I Wasn’t Black”] that’s a thought I had in my own head, you know. If you were a certain race, you’d grow up different. People have different ways of living.
TCUS: Ya when I heard that line I felt it shed some light on why hip hop is so embedded in the culture. And in regards to viewing Tupac as a role model, he defiantly touched on topics everyone can relate to.
DUBB: Exactly.
TCUS: Now you have the Never Content show coming up in February 21, 2014. Just wondering what the fans can expect to see from a live show.
DUBB: Never Content Show, February 21 in LA on Sunset at a venue called Los Globos. We’re supposed to kick off [The Fly High Tour] around like June, July. So I’ll keep everybody updated.
TCUS: Any Canadian tour dates coming up?
DUBB: I’ll be in Canada, but I don’t know exactly where. You know, I don’t know if it’ll be Toronto, Montréal. I dunno where I’ll be but ill defiantly keep ya’ll updated when I have the dates locked up.
TCUS: Good, because we would love to see you! Now I’ve been reading up on you a bit. You were born and raised in LA, in Athens Park. In your biography, you said it was a rough area. I was wondering if you could shed some light on what it was like growing up there, and if it’s influenced your music at all.
DUBB: Growing up where I grew up is just like everywhere else. Everybody is a product of their environment, but it really depends on what they do. My area is filled with you know, cocaine, gang banging and guns. But that don’t necessarily mean that you need to be all the way into that lifestyle. Like, a lot of my friends are into that lifestyle, as far as the gang banging situation. So I grew up around it, but I was still able to focus on what I was doing. Like when I was focused on basketball, I was focused on basketball.
That gang bang affiliation and all that was around me at all times, but I was still strong minded enough to know what’s important for me. I still mess around with some people because that’s where you’re from. But still be smart enough as a man to know what’s most important for me. I love my hood, shout out to Athens, but we trying to make it out here in this music industry, if I’m out here gang banging everyday that isn’t going to happen.
TCUS: Listening to your music, I feel like you have a different perspective of that lifestyle. Like you said, you’re a product of your environment. You see the surrounding around you and place yourself in amongst that. Not glorifying it, just speaking what you know. Lets rewind to 2011, you released your first mixtape, The Face of California. is that correct?
DUBB: That’s not my first mix tape, I had mixtapes out before then. I started back in 06’ really trying to make it as a rapper in the industry. The Face of California was really like my 5th mixtape.
TCUS: Oh man, my bad!
DUBB: Ya, that was one of the first mixtapes where people really started messing with me, like a real big fan base, everywhere else outside of LA. At first it was kind of regional, then we started getting into New York, then people like ya’ll [Canada], different areas. So ya, that mixtape is where I started to get real notoriety.
TCUS: With your crew the AV8ERS, right? The entertainment line you started from the bottom up?
DUBB: Ya, Ya. Along with me, a dude named Chippy, my manager. And my boy Eazy No Steroids, the ANR. But you know we’re all CEO’s of the company. We all share one third of it. It’s an Entertainment company, record label, we also have a clothing line for the record label. We’re independent at this point, we do have majors and independent labels that are interested. Until it all makes sense, until the right time we’re gunna keep moving independently and making our push. We’re doing pretty good on your own.
TCUS: You guys have a solid movement behind you! Lastly, what can we expect from you in 2014 and later on down the road?
DUBB: Aw man, just expect greatness! AV8ERS always gunna fly high. We’re always reaching for the top, then we’ll reach even higher than that. Basically we’re gunna put out a couple projects this year, start off the tour, new and bigger collaborations this year, everything on the up. Just watch me right now, everyday we’re getting bigger. It’s just like a snow ball rolling down the hill. We’re getting bigger, that’s what we’re doing.
TCUS: 100! Well we appreciate you calling in, love this mixtape man. Keep grinding DUBB, we cant wait to see what you and the AV8ERS have to offer the game.
DUBB: Appreciate it man, thanks for having me.
TCUS: Alright DUBB, Peace.
DUBB: Ya!