doc strange
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Texas emcee Doc Strange presents the Jeff Adair-directed video for "Angle", his new single produced by Tahiti, which will appear on Strange's forthcoming album Business Is My Only Pleasure, the latest release in a prolific discography featuring 2016's Sindrome which included a collaboration with Kool Keith (stream "Telekinesis" on Spotify), and Gorilla Braudcast released earlier this year (stream on Apple). Residing in Arlington but repping Dallas, Strange has also collaborated with Sadat X (stream "A Piece Of Raw" on Soundcloud) and Guilty Simpson (stream "Futuristic Handgun" on Spotify). “I believe an artist re-introduces himself with each release," Doc says about the new single. "I wanted to make an anthem for myself that the listener can relate and vibe with. I present what I am a fan of, which is wit, flavor and verbal jewels."
What are the most common reactions your music tends to elicit? How are those advantageous or disadvantageous for you?
There is no middle ground as far as reactions to my music. You either highly appreciate it or you dismiss it. It’s for an advanced Hip Hop ear. The reactions are in extreme ranges. But I can tell you this for sure. There are far more listeners who feel it in a positive way over the inevitable troll who says, “Your music is trash.” Any reaction is advantageous. Being ignored is the problem. There is no artist alive or dead who has a 100% approval rate. The ability to make people react in an extreme fanatical state is my goal. When listeners say they understand the references, they dig the beats, they smile and bob that head, I try and double down on the things I do that create that energy.
You have a close working relationship with producer Tahiti. How did that come about? What’s your creation process like with him?
My friend and DJ for many years put me on to him. DJ B-Down has produced and worked with me for years. So, I trust his opinion on a few things. He was living in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area for quite a bit before I moved out there. He told me before I came out there from San Antonio, “You need to hook up with P.P.T. “P.P.T is a group Tahiti used to perform in. This was in the Myspace days. I checked out the P.P.T page and they were highly followed and the sound was polished, straight jamming Black Music. I was a fan before becoming a colleague. We developed and executed the “Trap House” YouTube series before we even did any music. We are brothers of the same sensibility. Oddly enough, I approached him first as a producer. He checked out a beat tape I have on Bandcamp. That’s when we did the songs “Another Dimension” and “BMB”. Shortly after that he started sending me basically the sickest beats I ever heard. They were blowing my beats away! The first wave of beats made “Sindrome”. We are committed to doing a string of projects until we run out of fly ideas. But frankly, that will surely not happen in any future I see. The beats and concepts just keep coming. He presents the wildest beats and I approach them from the idea of fusing our artistic approaches. Funky, next level, forward thinking Black Music that is accessible is the angle we come in with.
How did you come up with the name for your forthcoming album Business Is My Only Pleasure?
It truly was a vision. I was up late playing one of my favorite fighting games. They aren’t paying me for promo so the game remains nameless. There is one particular fighter I get absolutely crazy with. He’s cold. Before a fight, he told the opponent “Business is My Only Pleasure.” I had never heard him say this before. It summed up everything I was feeling at the time. Juggling a career, marriage and artistic ventures is fully consuming. The business of life becomes a multi-armed creature you have to manage for optimum results. The album speaks from that point of view.
As an emcee with an eye to the future, what do you think hiphop will sound like in 20 years?
Genres and styles are being made daily. I think Hip Hop will continue to expand due to that simple fact. But, as it was 20 years ago, there will be mainstream fluff. There will be boy bands. There will be girl bands. There will be a bubbling independent presence that influences and invigorates the creative and consumer community. There will be a top 3% that are rich and famous and a remaining majority vying for attention. I love it; I’ll be around for sure to see it.
How would you sum up 2020 for yourself personally and professionally?
I would say it was eye opening. In many good ways it supported my sentiments of independence and realistic financial stability. I cannot live from doing shows and making cute t-shirts. The pandemic shut down live venues at a point where I was just gaining ground doing them! Fortunately I have an “essential” position in my square life that supports my family and my musical pursuits. I haven’t stopped working in that respect. Personally it was revelatory on a cultural level. Black Americans live in a different America altogether. I feel like that is the permanent place of our existence. So, 2020 put my mental against the wall. Rather than blame the system, I have to devise a means for my success, man. By that I mean successful as a father, brother, son, husband, leader, artist. I won’t let a timeline tell me my reality. This year has been great. My music looks and sounds better than ever. I started putting more into my website, more regular content. I look at what “sucks” about this year as opportunities to get better and more live.
