Chat with Dell Harris - New album Chateaurap and his intriguing use of symbolism
1. How long did it take you to finish your album?
“the first song I did for the album was ‘Quiet Please’ and that was about a year ago and then I created the other half of the songs and finished up the last quarter of it right at the last minute. It took about a year to do, but in terms of like, serious recording, it was more like six months”
2. Was it hard work?
“it felt really natural because there was certain songs that I wrote, like for example I wrote three songs in one night and then just kept the best one out of the three. So yeah, it was just like natural shit like that. ‘Stackhouse’ came out particularly naturally along with three other songs in just one night and then like, Quiet Please I actually wrote but most of the songs I just freestyled. I would start by writing a couple bars in my head and then spit them to see how they flow, and if I like them I would keep going and just add them up”
3. What made you call it Chateauraps?
“Well actually, a homie of mine was like doing a little video in my crib and AC just shot it on his iPhone and we were just fucking around. I had just been Rick James for Halloween and he saw it and I was like, sniffing flowers and stuff and he said ‘oh, its like chateau the movie’. I rented it on Netflix and I watched it and felt like it was just this French movie where they inherited this chateau and there from American and have no money and yet inherit this big chateau...so it’s kind of excellence and “bootlegness” and in one, which is what my album is like."
4. Are there any artists you aspire to?
“my team is dope! Like, Villa, AC Slater and the whole party and we just collaborate and just push each other forward. Villa is actually a big reason to why a finished my album because he just came in at the last minute and just featured on a load of tracks and gave me inspiration to finish. My team is so strong, that I don’t have to look at artists that are like out there and think ‘I want to be like him’ or anything like that."
5. What music do you listen to day to day?
“ive been listening to a lot of Disclosure, but mainly I just play my teams EP’s and my own shit”
6. You mention Biggie and Tupac, are they an influence in your choice of career?
“If you don’t like them then you don’t like hip-hop,Simple."
7. What response have you received from your controversial album cover?
“Some people get angry over the whole illuminati thing, but most just appreciate it for the art that its meant to be. Coming from a black Masonic household, symbolism is something i grew up around and read about as a kid. Its something i'm genuinely interested in.”
8. Do you believe in music illuminati connections?
“No man, that shit is retarded. It’s a stupid notion to think the worlds underground power organisations want pop culture involved **laughs**”
9. What's next for you, UK?
“Yeah I would love to come to the UK, and I’m now in a position to travel so its definitely something I plan to do, even if I don’t have a big tour”
10. Are you aware of the UK grime scene?
"YEAH, I fuck with grime. Tempa T and giggs, that shit is dope! Although technically neither of them considers themselves true grime artists, and I would defiantly look to collaborate, but you have to be delicate because grime and hip hop are two separate art forms so you have to be careful to get the balance right"
11. Are your fans important to your career?
“Quiet please is trying to branch out and delve a little deeper into the music and that might have hit a new fan base if Soundcloud is anything to go by. But my fans are important, at the moment I have a very dedicated and specific fan base but I find my fans to be highly creative that helps me in my career”
Dell Harris's Album Chateauraps is available on iTunes:
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/chateau-rap/id708401678
Spotify:
https://play.spotify.com/album/0jrZzBQD786TQl2iQxftri
1. How long did it take you to finish your album?
“the first song I did for the album was ‘Quiet Please’ and that was about a year ago and then I created the other half of the songs and finished up the last quarter of it right at the last minute. It took about a year to do, but in terms of like, serious recording, it was more like six months”
2. Was it hard work?
“it felt really natural because there was certain songs that I wrote, like for example I wrote three songs in one night and then just kept the best one out of the three. So yeah, it was just like natural shit like that. ‘Stackhouse’ came out particularly naturally along with three other songs in just one night and then like, Quiet Please I actually wrote but most of the songs I just freestyled. I would start by writing a couple bars in my head and then spit them to see how they flow, and if I like them I would keep going and just add them up”
3. What made you call it Chateauraps?
“Well actually, a homie of mine was like doing a little video in my crib and AC just shot it on his iPhone and we were just fucking around. I had just been Rick James for Halloween and he saw it and I was like, sniffing flowers and stuff and he said ‘oh, its like chateau the movie’. I rented it on Netflix and I watched it and felt like it was just this French movie where they inherited this chateau and there from American and have no money and yet inherit this big chateau...so it’s kind of excellence and “bootlegness” and in one, which is what my album is like."
4. Are there any artists you aspire to?
“my team is dope! Like, Villa, AC Slater and the whole party and we just collaborate and just push each other forward. Villa is actually a big reason to why a finished my album because he just came in at the last minute and just featured on a load of tracks and gave me inspiration to finish. My team is so strong, that I don’t have to look at artists that are like out there and think ‘I want to be like him’ or anything like that."
5. What music do you listen to day to day?
“ive been listening to a lot of Disclosure, but mainly I just play my teams EP’s and my own shit”
6. You mention Biggie and Tupac, are they an influence in your choice of career?
“If you don’t like them then you don’t like hip-hop,Simple."
7. What response have you received from your controversial album cover?
“Some people get angry over the whole illuminati thing, but most just appreciate it for the art that its meant to be. Coming from a black Masonic household, symbolism is something i grew up around and read about as a kid. Its something i'm genuinely interested in.”
8. Do you believe in music illuminati connections?
“No man, that shit is retarded. It’s a stupid notion to think the worlds underground power organisations want pop culture involved **laughs**”
9. What's next for you, UK?
“Yeah I would love to come to the UK, and I’m now in a position to travel so its definitely something I plan to do, even if I don’t have a big tour”
10. Are you aware of the UK grime scene?
"YEAH, I fuck with grime. Tempa T and giggs, that shit is dope! Although technically neither of them considers themselves true grime artists, and I would defiantly look to collaborate, but you have to be delicate because grime and hip hop are two separate art forms so you have to be careful to get the balance right"
11. Are your fans important to your career?
“Quiet please is trying to branch out and delve a little deeper into the music and that might have hit a new fan base if Soundcloud is anything to go by. But my fans are important, at the moment I have a very dedicated and specific fan base but I find my fans to be highly creative that helps me in my career”
Dell Harris's Album Chateauraps is available on iTunes:
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/chateau-rap/id708401678
Spotify:
https://play.spotify.com/album/0jrZzBQD786TQl2iQxftri
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