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Destry Interview continued

"I’ve got two songs that are ready to go as soon as I can find, I’m looking for, I’m being really particular, I’m looking for MC’s, I want a female MC, but I don’t want an average female MC, it’s a cliché that if you see an MC that person has to be a certain ethnic colour of whatever I don’t believe that, the worse thing I’ve ever heard and I keep hearing it, is that all black people can sing, cause all black people can’t sing. There are some other people out there regardless of their colour that can blow, that can really sing, and it bugs me to know that people think that way, so I’m desperately trying to change that view point by getting different types of people to do the same thing. I’m thinking of holding auditions, I want a female MC that is not of the ordinary, that stands out a bit. I wanna put a group together with the female MC, a male singer, I want a male rapper as well, I’m on vocals, and maybe even another female vocalist, just to experiment and get some other things going. I do admire the Black Eyed Peas, but I’m more of a Missy Elliot fan. She’s definitely a force to be reckoned with…"

"I do a bit of R&B as well and I have an open mike that I host and put together at the Paradise Bar on New Cross every Monday, it’s called Soul Fusion... I’m also doing a project with under privileged teen-agers for Creative Media Project, they have studios in Brixton and studios in Peckham - I’m waiting for it to all go through and hopefully I’ll be teaching production and vocals to these urban kids that will start in the next few months."

What would you describe as you’re biggest achievement to date?
"Longevity. I’ve never thought of it on that level, I’ve just kept my nose to the grind stone, and just tried to get as much material out to as many people of possible... My biggest achievement to me, was being able to meet the godfather of soul, James Brown, I met him in Chicago, we were sharing the same business manager and I got a chance to talk to him, I got a chance to play the piano, we hung out for a while right before his show, I got a nice big picture of him on my wall. You know that to me, you see someone like that with so much energy, so much enthusiasm, you see him from a distance and you think that’s not someone you think you would ever be around, once you are around him you realise it’s average people just doing the best that they possibly can."

"So that to me was a change in the way I thought about music, as an artist I would have to be, I would have to make it big, or I would have to do this, I would have to do that, but that’s not what it’s about, being around him I think that changed my mind about the music business."

What else would you like to achieve?
"It’s really strange, in all the time I’ve been in the music business (except for one time I did a gay pride), I have not done any tours, no tours whatsoever, I would like to go out and either open or just perform in front of a large crowd"... he pauses. "I would like to finish off owning my own label, building my label, ‘Love Is For Free’ was released on 1044MM that was my label, that has since dispersed/broken up. I want to do another label which hopefully I’ll be able to do in the next couple of years". He continues "I want to actually retire in the next 10-20 years, I think I’ve roamed the world enough, I don’t think I will ever retire from doing music, just to be an entrepreneur, a business owner, make sure I leave a positive impact on my children."

Out of all the record labels you’ve worked with, what have you learnt?
"Keep your eye on your money, when you’re starting out in the music business nobody tells you about your PPL or your royalties, your different types of royalties you can pick up, different type of performance, it’s just a shame, people will, labels will buy your publishing for next to nothing, I know that’s the nature of the business, and it’s a doggy dog world out there, but at the end of the day I could never run my label like that… Most musicians, most artists, are just trying to deal with what’s going on in there head first of all, wondering how and why things have turned out the way they have. To come along and have a little bit of talent that is marketable that is sellable, then have most of the monies that you have taken away from you, it’s a bit frustrating."

"It’s strange because, it’s strange to know that that is the way people want to do business in the music business - I’m really happy that the internet has come along, cause now any artists that can figure out how to put their own website together, and work in e-commerce can now do everything they that they need to without the labels holding on to their material, holding on to their publishing, holding on to the royalties."

"I’m fortunate to have met Jet Stream (not that any of the labels I’ve worked with before did me wrong or anything), Jet Stream has always been upfront with me. I don’t have to ask questions, the questions are answered before I even ask them, that makes me feel really comfortable."

"It’s one guy, his name is Derrick Denso. He’s an architect by trade, but he also used to be a scout/A&R, he decided instead of letting the label take artist from him, he’ll just put the artist on his label and he works out a deal where everybody’s happy."

Has your parenting experience made you more determined?
"It has, it has made me more determined, If not I would have gave up a long time ago. But I’ve worked with so many talented people, talented producers, talented singers, keyboard players, bass plays, I got a chance to work with Gota (the drummer from Simply Red) he was extraordinary."

If there was anyone either dead or alive who you would love to work with?
"Missy Elliot definitely, I wouldn’t mind working with Alicia Keys, as far as dance music, I really enjoyed working with Kerry (Chandler), I’m really happy working with Aaron and Nick now they’ve come out with some really nice tunes, Nick has unfortunately decided to get out of the business. I would say Fatboy Slim, he’s played some of my music, I think he’s played ‘I’ll Die For You’ a couple of times."

Our special thanks to Destry, if anyone would like to get in touch with him regarding possible musical alliances - drop us a mail and we'll forward your details on...