Photo Credit: Todd Spoth
Houston, TX, like many other American cities, has carefully polarized communities. For every affluent River Oaks resident, there is a struggling South East casualty. When stark nightmares are challenged by a desensitized reality, serious angst and constant depravity are best combated with hope-laced action. Doughbeezy, the South East Beast, champions hope’s enduring spirit. Having earned an illicit working knowledge, the Kickback Killer uses past experiences to propel his present.
Hip-Hop is his muse, and now Doughbeezy opens up to AllHipHop.com:
AllHipHop.com: Hailing from Houston, Texas, by way of Cleveland, Ohio, you’ve had the ability to be influenced by some iconic Hip-Hop legends. Everyone from Scarface, Bun B, K-Rhino, the S.U.C., and Devin the Dude represent Houston. How has Houston’s culture affected you as a lyricist and as a man?
Doughbeezy: As far as it inspiring my music, that’s where all my music comes from [the South]. A lot of folks tell me that since I was born on the East – Ohio and stuff – that my spitting comes from Bone [Thugs ‘N Harmony] and that type of stuff. But all my music is influenced, and the culture that I’m trying to bring is coming from Houston. As far as my shine, that’s where all my influences come from.
I’ve been in Houston since I was 13, that’s all I know. I feel like I was raised here; I became a man here. That’s just pretty much what it is. I love Cleveland; that’ll always be my home, and my birth town. I was born out there, but I was raised out here in Houston; so, that’s all I know.
AllHipHop.com: Currently, some very talented artists and groups – such as HISD, DeLorean, Killa Kyleon, Mr. Lucci, Kirko [Bangz], LOEGz, and Dorrough – continue to reemphasize that Texas has talent. How do you create “working” relationships, but still focus on you and your camp?
Doughbeezy: I think it just comes with the territory. You can’t progress in Houston, or progress in Texas, and not run across these people. Just doing what I’m doing, every single name that you named, I’ve ran across them. Like I said, you can be progressing and not run across these people. We’re going to be put on the same show, or we’re going to be at the same event or the same showcase, and I guarantee I’ll run across one of those names. It’s all a part of the progression. The more that you progress, the more that you’ll start to see that’s doing big things in your state as well.
AllHipHop.com: Perspective is everything. This year, your artistic efforts have received tremendous support. Your song “My Car” was on MTV. You’ve been featured in many respected Hip-Hop outlets, from Shade 45’s “All Out Show” to BallerStatus.com. Plus, you were invited to participate in the Southern portion of the Smoker’s Club Tour. Was there ever a time where you considered walking away from the booth? Who and or what events reinforced your loyalty to making Hip-Hop?
Doughbeezy: Right about the time before my buzz came, I was actually going through a little depression phase. It was about 2012. I had wanted to stop. Everybody had been telling me that I was tripping. They were like, ‘You done came too far to want to quit now. You have too much talent to quit now.’ That was coming from my family and my supporters that were around me.
Once I really had to come to the point where I had to make that decision, I asked myself, ‘To say that I failed, have I really gave it my all?’ The answer was no; so, I decided that I would give it my all and give it everything that I got. That was right around the time where Kickback Sundays [a live MC battle showcase held at SF2, a local Houston clothing store]. From our last interview, I remember telling you about that. There was the Kickback Sundays and the Best Rapper in Texas [contest], and once I gave it my all and started hitting those competitions like that, that’s when the buzz started coming and sh*t. And here we are today.
AllHipHop.com: At times, Hip-Hop can transform into a demanding profession. The culture is encompassing, and the supports want to feel included in your actions. As you continue to contribute your creativity, how are you learning to safeguard your emotional, physical, and spiritual health to ensure that you’re around for years to come?
Doughbeezy: To be honest, I’m learning that as I’m going. Like as you said, earlier with the Smoker’s Club [tour], I literally pushed my body to the limit; folks around me know that I don’t really sleep much, and I don’t eat much. So, I tried going on the road doing that same thing with not eating and not sleeping – going and doing all that stuff during the day, and staying on the road, and trying to perform. Giving it my all on stage every night, it took a toll on my body. I just learned, and I know now, that the next time that I’m on the road that I have to keep track and take better care of my body, you know what I’m saying? It’s all with timing. As we learn and progress as we go, you can’t do the little sh*t like that, like we used to do. We have to take better care of our bodies, drink water, and get sleep. Get a whole lot of Vitamin C and that type of stuff. We’re learning as we’re going.
I don’t carry a Bible with me, but I’m very spiritual. I give all thanks to God. Every morning when I wake up, on Twitter I type #Blessed. I say a prayer when I wake up and before I go to sleep. When I’m on the road – it don’t matter if I’m going out of town, or if I’m just going up the street to the corner store – I always pray for safe travel. No matter what, what I’m doing or where I’m going, I just try to stay deep in prayer. I realize that I wouldn’t be nowhere close to where I’m at now if it wasn’t for God. Any time and every day, I’m always giving thanks to God. I try to keep God real close, keep our relationship pretty tight.
AllHipHop.com: Until the next time, what projects should your supporters anticipate? What’s the status on Reggie Bush And Kool Aid 2? Did Bully And The Beast with Kab Tha Don drop?
Doughbeezy: The status on that Reggie Bush And Koolaid 2, we’re probably looking at the drop around January or February. We’re riding out that Blue Magic as long as possible. We’re trying to make sure that everything is wrapped up [properly] on that Reggie Bush And Koolaid 2. We’re trying to time the release around the All-Star game. You know All-Star is coming to Houston; so you know there’s going to be a lot of things going on by folks around this way. So, we’re just trying to push the momentum over into next year. We got a lot coming, so we gotta keep mashing out. We’ll probably start promotion for it in December. Just keep mashing!
Bully And The Beast, we are still working on it. Me and Kab, we’re trying to make sure that we get everything together. With how good things have been going for the both of us, our schedules have been super crazy. Kab is doing real good right now himself. So, it’s like, we’re just trying to find the timing – and drop a classic when we do drop it.
I just wanna say that I appreciate everyone that’s been rocking with me, from day one until day now. I just wanna say I appreciate it, and keep mashing and keep trying to hold it down for all the supporters. Man, keep rocking with your boy, Doughbeezy. Doughbeezy.com, we out here!
Follow Doughbeezy on Twitter (@Doughbeezy).