Rapper D-Jay spits words of wisdom
• By Rosalia David
DESPITE the domination of Amapiano and Afro beat, renowned rapper Diogene Ochs has said he will remain loyal to the hip hop industry without throwing in the towel even when the going gets tough.
Speaking to Confidente this week, Ochs better known as D-Jay said unfortunately a lot of rappers have now quit music or either moved to doing other genres to please the masses.
“Yes the Amapiano sound took over but it is new. Hip hop is more than 50 years old so it’s here to stay.
A lot of rappers left rap. Some are doing other genres to keep their careers active.
But these are the same people who are going to suffer down the road. It’s OK to be multi-talented but you need to be original.
“If you are a rapper it’s ok to visit Afropop but come back to rapping. Don’t confuse the fans because at the end of the day if you ask fans to name their top Afro pops, there is a very slim chance you might be in there. Don’t get lost in a genre that isn’t yours,” he said.
D-Jay went on to say that the only solution to remain relevant is to identify the right sound to fuse with the original sound to bring the fans back.
“If something is not working anymore you have to find a way to make it work. For example, I can’t make people listen to the song ‘Listen to your heart’ now because music has changed. That era is gone. Now we are in the vibe. Now we have to have fun and still get the message across.
“I have the key to what’s missing. I won’t tell you now but you will see as soon as I release.
I’ve studied a bit of sound engineering so I know what has to be done in the production to capture the audience,” he further narrated.
With the aim of bringing back the hip hop music that fans enjoyed listening to, the award winning musician said the trick is to fuse sounds, release quality and good visuals while being professional at all times.
With more than a decade of experience in music, D-Jay further said a lot of musicians usually get lost in the hype without realising it.
“We are at the point where getting a million views is becoming a norm now. Our people are finally online all day, every day so we as artists need to push our work for them to see. I advise artists to start taking social media marketing courses and all these other small things we can do to get ourselves out there… once we master that, we can easily make real money, release quality work, build a bigger fan base and be recognised internationally,” the rapper said.
Asked on the current project he is working on, D-Jay said the year 2022 is strictly dedicated to fresh tunes only.
“I am working nonstop. The love and vibe at the studio is perfect. We are forever going through songs and coming up with the best ideas. I will release at least three or four big singles and focus on an album only from next year. I just want to release new music videos since I have been off screen and all these songs were inspired by different things,” he explained.
Mentioning veteran producer Elvo as one of the talents he has worked with on his upcoming project, D-Jay said he also worked with Rich Eagle and Rob Eboy.
Asked if there was anything that changed during his time at the peak of fame Ochs said:
“I wouldn’t change anything, maybe just myself a bit. But I had to let people step on me in order to learn. I wasted a lot of time being the nice guy and allowing things I normally wouldn’t. But yah, I guess we all learn.
“Anyone who deals with me knows how serious I am about Namibian hip hop. We don’t compromise when it comes to business… it’s either you take it or leave it cos I know my worth at the end of the day. It’s stressful but I learned how to have fun in this industry.
That’s the most important part.
Have fun, grow and learn then pass it on to the next generation”.