Dpart - 10 Questions
Dpart is a North West London based Rapper/Songwriter.
From humble beginnings in a small West Hendon Council Estate Dpart has been putting out music for 12 years with the intention of openly discussing his own life experiences so that the listener can know they are not alone in their daily struggles.
Dpart has found space in an over saturated scene with a sound that can be described as cathartic. He is not afraid to air his dirty laundry to make sure his sound and subject matter is relatable to the listener and with a strong focus on mental health awareness he wants people to know it is always okay to openly discuss how they are feeling as a form of release.
After a 3 year break which was initially thought to be permanent his comeback album Deep Art entered the official UK download chart at #39. This album also lead to Dpart gaining the support of artists and influencers including Robbie Williams, Wes Nelson, Jamal Edwards MBE and more.
He has recently released his new single Declan Rice which uses the player as a metaphor for bouncing back from losses and chasing your dream whatever they may be. The single had support from Soccer AM, Sky TV and the player himself. This is Dpart’s most streamed single to date and lead to him singing a distribution deal with DUMMY.
Dpart plans to carry on his assault of the scene with consistent releases every 4-6 weeks and although 3 years ago he thought he was done, it is clear to see he is far from it!
Dpart sat down with Wordplay Magazine to answer our infamous 10 Questions:
1. So tell me, how did it all begin? What sparked your love for music?
For me it was where I grew up. The older’s were on grime and always doing sets so I started writing bars from young. I’ve had a colourful past with my Mum dying when I was 7 and my dad being in Jail I was pretty much shoved from pillar to post. As a result I’ve got a lot of stories to tell and my main reason for doing music was for self expression. I realised soon after that talking so openly about my experience was helping people with their own so that’s my whole thing now and if anything else comes of it then that’s a Brucie bonus!
2. Who are some artists that influence you and that you want to work with in the future?
I am a big Mic Righteous fan and the first to admit he has heavily influenced my musical style. His way of being almost uncomfortably open gave me the confidence to be the same and I’d love the chance to light something up with him one day.
3. What are some of the problems you have faced making and releasing the music during the corona virus pandemic?
I’ll be honest besides not being able to gig this is probably the most productive I’ve been and if it wasn’t for the pandemic I am almost certain I wouldn’t be doing music now. I hadn’t recorded or made a track in over 3 years prior to lockdown and genuinely thought I was done but the lack of work got me writing again. One the fire was lit again I couldn’t get any studio time which pushed me to finally invest in a little home set-up which was the best choice I have ever made.
4. How would you describe your sound?
Cathartic.. a way of expressing emotion to provide psychological relief for myself and hopefully the person listening.
5. What's your proudest moment to date so far as an artist?
To be honest its hard to pick one because this past year has been a whirlwind. I am a big West Ham fan so Declan Rice joining my live stream to tell me he liked my song was a big one. I also had 2 of my songs played on Soccer AM which was a big deal for me because I’d never thought I’d see the day my music would be blaring out of my TV!
If I had to pick one though I’d give it to seeing my tune at #21 in the Download chart on the official UK Chart website. With the amount of tunes released daily the fact one of mine was the #21st most Downloaded that week still blows my mind!
6. Do you have any advice for our readers who may be trying to play the mad game of music?
Build your own foundations and platform from the ground up and don’t get caught up in the glamour of getting on big channels etc.
Looking back now my priority when I started 12 years ago was getting on channels and I never saw much growth it just looked good.
For a year now I’ve been fully focused on doing everything myself and building my platform from the ground up and my biggest regret is that I did not do it sooner coz I hate to think where it would be now if I did.
7. Are there any artists on your radar at the moment that we should check out?
Obviously there is my team like Porcz, CP and Doez who are all ridiculously underrated.
Outside of that ARTAN is smashing it and has truly developed his own sound in an age where its hard to.
There is also a sick Female Rapper called Abby Power and her sound/workrate is crazy!
8. What albums are on heavy rotation on your Spotify playlist currently?
Suicycle has pretty much been on constant rotation since it dropped and to me it’s a work of art. From production to content its probably up there with my favourite albums of all time.
9. What do you like to do when you're not making music?
Mainly just spending time with my kids. If my life experience has taught me anything its that time is such a limited resource so I just want to create as many happy memories as possible and do everything I can to ensure my kids have a better hand dealt than I did and I like to think I do a good job.
Aside from that I like getting down to the London Stadium as often as possible to support the mighty Hammers. It gives me a chance to escape being ‘Daddy’ or ‘Dpart’ and just properly unwind which is important to keep sane.
10. Name Three things you can't live without when in the studio?
Beer, a Meal Deal and good vibes!