Exposed Vocals: How did you hear about Exposed Vocals? What made you decide to sign up?
Dru Heff The Rydah: I heard about y’all through Twitter. I had stepped back from the social media platforms a while back due to legal issues ,so when I created this new twitter account, Exposed vocals was one the first pages I found just by adding different promotion and music related pages.
Well I decided to sign up Because I came to the Understanding tha,t if the opportunity arises to Promote myself and my music i need to jump on it. Good bad or otherwise. Its all Beneficial in the long run ide like to believe.
Exposed Vocals: So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become an artist?
Dru Heff The Rydah: I wouldn’t call it much of a story. There is nothing story about my Life. I grew up on the streets Of northern California . Hayward ca to be Exact. the Heart of the east bay, SAN FRAN.BAY AREA. From a very young age Troublesome behavior was my form of doing things. My father was off doing his s thing in the Gambling trade. Which I recently found out was much deeper than I ever imagined. Moms was working her ass off to get me and my little sister and grandma by. With that being the setting in my home, naturally the blacktop was where I found myself more often than not. Didn’t take Long before I started Rockin wit the Homies From around the way. My older cuzn was a turf star and her Nigga was a known shooter from the hood. After my cuzn telling him bout my Fights in the streets and that I was just a knuckle head, naturally he put me under his wing and well the rest is History. Another Product of Californias wonderful prison system, reaching all the way into the city streets.Been thuggin since.
What made me decide to become an ‘Artist” as you call it was a few different things. I had always loved music n not just rap n hip hop but rock n rnb and Spanish music because of my mom. She was one of those parents who would tell you “listen to the words n the story mijo its not just noise”. That forever changed how I listened to music and sparked the desire to one day be on stage doing my thing. As I got older there was an older homie from the hood named Allybo and he was doing his music thing. Allybo was one of the most underrated rappers I had ever heard and he didn’t get enough credit where credit was due. Mufuckas was just too busy hating on him but sucking his dick every time they was in his face. He had charisma, the girls and the money and he just had everything that a young nigga wanted to be growing up in the hood and so naturally I just gravitated towards him. being around him and witnessig his charisma was what pushed me to actually start writing and to persue it . I was 17 and I’m now 27 n its just now starting to feel like shit is clicking.
Exposed Vocals: How did you come up with that name? What was your inspiration behind it?
Dru Heff the Rydah: well my first rap name was young Dru. naturally cuz my name is drew but there was another artist from Vallejo California which is a city about 40 minutes out the way from where I’m from and he was already pretty well known, his name was young Dru so that was a flop. In 2007 before the word swag was even popular, we had alrady been on that on the turf .you know things in the hood take off before they take off anywhere . I had been using that term on the regular and so my name starting with D and me havin a little bit of charisma for a young , I just thought swag would be a cool name and it ended up being corny as f*** so I had to switch that too. that only lasted for about a year when I was 18. after about the age of 19 is when I really started going in and out of jail and catching time and rap was still something I was enjoying n still loved to do but it wasn’t really a priority. They called me Druski in the hood and naturally when people asked me what my name was as far as the rapping I just told them Druski. So after some failed attempts of trying to rap with multiple people, created groups ,bringing other people with me and just noticing mufuckas drives wasn’t as heavy or as dedicated as I was, I kind of just backed up and had to take a cold hard look at what I was doing. I realized that I needed to re invent my self. Jeffe in Spanish means boss BT I didn’t want people mistaking the spelling for Jeff So I Used H because I’m from Hayward and came up Wit Dru Heff. The Rydah comes from My Affiliation. When you Are knwon to really get down and bang for the the set and do yo stuff ,being called a rydah is something that’s part of the culture and if you know me You know I’m a muthafuckn rydah. N that brings us to Dru Heff the Rydah.
Exposed Vocals: What do you think about online music sharing? Do you ever give your music away for free? Why?
Dru Heff the Rydah: man I think online music sharing is an amazing tool and platform for sharing and hearing new music. The Internet has given independent artists a whole new way to promote their music and to be seen in places that they wouldn’t normally be seen because of travel complications or other prevalent circumstances. I’ve yet to make a penny on any of my music and it’s not because I can’t but before anything I’m a fan of music and so until I reach that level or that pinnacle of my career where I can say I want to charge $15 or that my distribution or label is getting me the money in advance, I’m not trippin off making no money I’m a hustle regardless and get it so the music is just something that I want to show people. its my passion its, my love and it would be wrong to try to charge people for that when I’m trying to expose to them what I’m doing ,you know .who the f*** am I to be trying to charge them for anything . if they want to donate to what I’m doing I appreciate it. you know I’ma take it for sure but for the most part man here take it. I’m just happy you listen to what I’m making.
Exposed Vocals: Since everyone was a start-up once, can you give any smaller or local bands or artists looking to get gigs and airplay some tips?
Dru Heff The Rydah: first and foremost if you don’t love what you do, stop doing it and find what you love cuz if you just doing it to work or you think it be a cool job you ain’t gon make it. Being an artist comes from within first if it’s not something you’ve already seen yourself doing then that means it’s not for you. I’ve seen this vision in my head since I wash a child and it burns brighter and stronger as I get older it has yet to fade away and I doubt it ever will.with that comes a natural confidence in your art and passion and naturally you’ll want to share it with The world. Look for any chance to perform. Don’t be Picky or proud. Some of the best Opportunities come from gigs you least expected would benefit you.
Exposed Vocals: Do you ever make mistakes during performances? How do you handle that?
Dru Heff The Rydah: Practice makes permanent. You should know yo music front to back before you Eva hit the stage. I wouldn’t know what to do cuz I’m not hitting that stage unprepared.
Exposed Vocals: Do you tour? Anything interesting happen on tour that you think our readers would enjoy hearing about?
Dru Heff the Rydah: My focus and serious approach to my music is really just beginning so I haven’t been on tour yet. And I stress the word YET.
Exposed Vocals: Where do you usually gather songwriting inspiration? What is your usual songwriting process?
Dru Heff the Rydah: From the only place that gives true inspiration. My life and those in my world and what we go through. My life is plenty to DRAW from. My song writing Process isn’t very complicated but its effective. I write minimum 16 bars. when I finish my verses I’ll record them Into my phone and rehearse them until I have them down . it makes going to the studio much more effective and efficient. I usually don’t wright my hooks until my verses are complete. I don’t care for topic writing too much so I freestyle verses and tie them together with an Ill Hook.
Exposed Vocals: Do you have a band website? What online platforms do you use to share your music
Dru Heff the Rydah: As of right now a websight isn’t too high on my priority list as far as online promo. Right now Twitter ,IG, SoundCloud and Snapchat are what’s most relivent. Gotta stay current with the internet and you’ll always do koo wit promo.
Exposed Vocals: What are some really embarrassing songs that we might find on your mp3 player?
Dru Heff The Rydah: like I said earlier I was raised With different types of music Genres always in rotation. If I had an Mp3 I wouldn’t give a fuck if you found some Taylor Swift on there. If I like it I listen to it and I own it n I ain’t hiding it from Nair mothafucka. I wish a nigga would try n test my gangsta behind some Music haha.
Exposed Vocals: If you were given half a million dollars and a year off, what would you do? How would you spend it?
Dru Heff the Rydah: I wouldn’t spend it. Id invest it and watch my money make me more money.
Exposed Vocals: Any planned studio upgrades? What are you working with now?
Dru Heff The Rydah:As of right now im working out of a local Spot called @theshopstudios but the Owner and the head engineer are my niggas so that’s home for me. I leave my vocals in their hands. Whenever they feel the need is when anything of that nature is upgraded. I just play my part n Murda mics.
Exposed Vocals: How do you find ways to promote your music? What works best for you?
Dru Heff the Rydah: The Game is to be sold not to be told. I can’t give y’all that recipe straight up.
Exposed Vocals: If you could perform anywhere and with any artists (Dead or Alive) where and who would it be with? Why?
Dru Heff The Rydah: That’s a difficult one. I Have a long respect for many artist in so many different Genera’s. But one artist who was influental to my style of rap and even more so in being the theme music to my life Was The jacka. From the Mob Figaz. He spit my life and I felt at times he was speaking to me. To be able to rock the FILLMORE IN SAN FRANCISCO , being a bay native, would be Something I can’t even begin to Describe.
Exposed Vocals: So, what’s next? Any new upcoming projects that you want to talk about?
Dru Heff the Rydah: today 9/15/15 I just dropped a mix tape Dedicated to my Brother who died two months ago to the day. #MARSWORLD the mix tape its called. For those of you who use #soundcloud,yo know you can record and post music on there right away. So when my brother died it sparked something inside me. I performed and recorded thewhole mixtape onto SoundCloud in the days of finding out he passed and through out the days that fallowed up to his services. A true story of how I was dealing with his Passing. To Bring it all together I rerecorded them in the booth and Put it up on SoundCloud for download. And today I’m releasing the mastered version hard copy. Its 11 songs no features. From my Pain n my heart n my love for my nigga. My brother died because he was denied Medical attention while having an asthma attack in our county jail. Santa Rita county jail in northern Cali. East bay area. After Several court orders from the judge to Have him taken to the local county hospital because of nasal polyps that were caused by the asthma that needed to be removed. And being denied the medical care he needed Which ultimately played a large roll in his death. This mix tape was made not only in his memory but to have people know my brothers story and to expose these crooked ass lawman who don’t value our lives but claim to protect n serve.
Exposed Vocals: If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?
Dru Heff The Rydah: man I’m still not to far from life in a box or on a shelf and i feel this music will keep me focused and away from a fate, that is all to Real for young niggas that come up off he same soil as me.
Exposed Vocals: Do you remember buying your first album? Who was it? What was going through your head?
Dru Heff The Rydah. I gotta keep it all the way A hunnit. No fuckn way could I remember any of that hahah a
Exposed Vocals: How do you juggle the rest of your responsibilities while trying to stay ahead in your music life?
Dru Heff the Rydah. One step at a time and I set aside time that is only for my music. Organization is key.
Exposed Vocals: What should fans look forward to in 2015?
Dru Heff The Rydah: SoundCloud.Com/Dru-heff/sets/Marsworld-
the-mixtape for the rest of 2015. Its that real wit me.
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