Hip-Hop Wired: What’s was the sound and direction of Psalms of David II? What influenced your decision not to work with more known artists on this project?
Dee-1: “I just got signed to RCA, so the first one – Psalms of David Vol. 1 – got me signed. I feel like I set the bar pretty high with the first one. I got a record deal. I’ve been grinding for eight years, and that one mixtape, that was the tipping point I’d say that got me signed. So the second one, this is one where a lot of people are curious to see what’s his first body of work going to sound like now that he’s signed. Some people get signed – they get a little check – and they just get comfortable. You can hear it in they music, like ‘Aww, they’re not as hungry no more.’ Man, I got signed and I’m hungrier than ever. That’s what you’re going to hear on this. That’s the sound.
I’m on tour with Lupe Fiasco right now; just got off tour a few months back with Macklemore. I got friends all throughout the industry, so I could have had all these star studded features on here if I wanted to go that route, but I was like ‘No.’ Coming out the gate, a lot more people going to be paying attention to this mixtape than ever before, so I wanted it to focus on myself and if anything, the people who’ve been paying dues with me in New Orleans for years.”
Hip-Hop Wired: Artists with your brand of rap often keep it independent. What made you make the major label move?
Dee-1: Cause I’m a major dude. I needed to be major. Straight up. My music, it would have a ceiling on it if I tried to stay independent. I signed with a major label, because they have a big enough machine to push the magnitude of the music I do man. I plan on making big stadium hits – you know, songs that are going to be all over the radio, and everywhere, and in movies. All that type of stuff, so a major label was the route. I did it eight years independently, so I know what that’s like.
