DKTM Collective
After a long hiatus, DKTM group member has blessed on Black Friday with the release of his latest single “I’m Alright”. Produced, written, recorded, mixed, and mastered by Baatchoy himself the talented artist gives us a taste of his diverse range and sound when it comes to production as well as lyricism. One of the most unique releases we’ve featured on here to date “I’m Alright” should definitely be on your radar.
Peace & Love
Welcome to the DKTM Series. The DKTM Collective, short for “DON’T. KILL. THE. MOVEMENT.”, is a collective of artists, producers, and overall creatives that have come together in order to pursue their artistic endeavors. They have bolstered an impressive fanbase within the DMV area and are reaching for even further heights with every project they release.
Every episode, we will focus on one of the collective’s artists, until we reach the end of the roster.
Below, we get into our fifth member, Blklexx.
Enjoy 😈
So what is the most difficult part of the music making process to you?
Oh wow, that’s a good question! So um most difficult part of the creative process honestly depends. So like sometimes if you’re working with a lot of people everybody works at different rates and every body has different schedules. So like for example if you’re working with beats you might get the beat at a certain time or even a little late. And then by the time you get the beat you might not have the time to write for it because your busy working on something else. So overall scheduling, and really giving yourself time to write, especially when working with other people is the hardest part.
Yeah, I definitely get that people are so inconsistent, so next questions is kinda weird and might be kinda hard to answer but if you could name your fan base what would they be called.
Oh wow, I honestly never gave thought to that!
I thought of something like movers, but I don’t think that makes sense
Movers??????????? (Looks at Morgan with Confusion)
Yeah you know like, Don’t Kill The Movement. But i was like you know never mind.
That name sounds like we sell drugs, or like we would probably endorse and solicit drug use and sale if that makes sense?
Haha, LMFAO Move That Fucking Weight!
(baatchoy comes in and informs everyone’s he’s running to one of the best spots in the DMV Hip-Hop Chicken)
Lex: Can you bring a half and half for me?
Reem: (Slaps Keys out of Lex’s hands): NO, NAH NIGGA, FUCK THAT. (Picks them up right away), I got you bro. Also for five dollars a day you can also have a Reem Unknown.
Lex: Aye bruh, yall gotta release the audio now, Reem always says some shit like that, one time he was completely calm and he told out friend Natalie. (As Reem): “Natalie can you stop making that noise it’s making me irate.”
Everybody's laughs,
Lex: Reem Is really funny as fuck, like one time. I had met Reem and knew him around but this is really around the time we started to hang out more and become cool. So one time this nigga came up to me, and with the deepest voice possible was like. ( As Reem): “I’m drunk enough to slap a nigga.
Waaaaaaaaiiiittttt. Okay so next question next question. So how do you make your self stand out in a group with so many people.
Ummm so one thing I’m glad I did was go bald, cause people look at me and be like oh this nigga bald and that grabs a lot of attention.
Right, that makes sense. So was that your choice or did someone go like aye you should shave your head?
No actually, I was like lemme just go bald. Actually lowkey, before I even went bald we were working on a song called Blklexx Luther, and really that song ended up being the last song on Metropolis “Adult Swim To a Minor”. Like the orginal song had a different verse and hook and all that but that's where the bald idea came from, so it was going to mini persona or character for me.
So what were you called before that?
I switched between different name honestly. Like at first my first rap name honestly was so dumb, it was one of those like Logic. Not to say logic is stupid or anything like that but that such a simple name, like his appeal is like he’s a rapper, rapper. And while there's nothing wrong with that I felt like I wanted to have a less generic name. And like his name works for him because he’s built a brand around all that but for me I wanted something different.
Yeah this can actually work for you bro, like you can build a brand around this.
Yeah exactly, like my first rap name was like ILLIAD, and i coulda kept it, and i fuck with that style of artist and rap but I wanted to be me. So then i changed my name to Maverick because my name is Erick. But then people started shotetning to Mav, and people still call me Mav depending on who you talk to. Then Nav came out and Mav was way too close to Nav, and this nigga has more clout then me so that killed the name. Then i came out with Blklexx. Especially after we started talking about metropolis, cause last year around the summer is when we came out with the overall concept of Metropolis. Honestly we technically started it like when we did “Adult Swim”, but we didn’t fully conceptualize “Metropolis” was a project until last summer. Like was started making crazy synthetic beats, and then we did “City Lights”, “Chop”.
Honestly metropolis goes crazy I first heard City Lights, then I heard White Rice and I was like damn!
Yeah man shout out to Dyyo for blessing with the first verse. Dyyo is so dope because he’s like super versatile, like he doesn't really focus on being like a rappity rap dude, but he can really rap. And he can give you all different types of verse and stuff. Bro like and then the way he came in on “White Rice” was crazy and i had to match his energy and live up to the name.
So let me ask you really quickly is there a Sci-fi movie that you would really like your music to be apart of. I ask that because you have an interesting sound to you, so is there a particular show or eben movie were you would be like damn if i could get my music on that would be great.
Twinks Peaks especially cause of the way they rebooted it. It’s an old show and it ended in ‘90, or ‘91. Twin Peaks is a really big influence on a lot of us in DKTM, like me, Tish Pope. Especially with references. Like Pope has bars about Twin Peaks. Like when he says; “That’s a message for the blind from a place between the pines.” Like there's a ton more Twin Peaks references I;m just blanking on some of them.
So in what ways do you inspire yourself when you are feeling apprehensive, or the inspiration isn't there.
I literally do something else, if i feel like i have writer's block. Well for me it's less writers block and the more you know…. I’ll put it this way I feel like when i;m feeling absolutely stuck i'll start reading something else like poetry, ill listen to music that’s not Hip-Hop related so like Bjork or something. So like listening to something that is not related to what I usually listen to or make, and usually that music will give me inspiration to come back to it. As for rapping itself, I’m a big hip-hop nerd so for me there's so many different ways to approach a verse and rapping that its hard for me to have completely writers block, and i don’t really force myself to write anything so i technically never really have it.
So kinda like spur in the moment type thing?
Yeah I try to be real spontaneous, so like i did a verse for the song that’s gonna be on Pope’s upcoming project.
Yeah that makes sense after you’ve been doing this for a while there’s certain times where you just know what you’re doing.
Yeah, it’s just about being comfortable with your writing style and process. LIke when i say I'm rapping nerd I really am a rap nerd, so i try to study as much as i can to the point where I understand what separates me from other people, and I am usually able to implement at will. So I;m usually not super stuck, and I just try to have fun, keep it loose and not be to tight about any of it.
I feel as though that should be something you should always so especially as an artist, because sticking to the same regiment won’t allow you to evolve.
Yeah, like all my favorite rappers a fairly borderline unpredictable one way or the other. Its either their actual rhyme schemes, their patterns, or it can be someone like DOOM who completely plays with your expectations almost every time he says anything. Like Doom will have whole bars where everything rhymes with each other then he might a punch line, drop off that topic, start something else, and its like what he’s rapping about is fresh every time you hear him. Another one Biggie is not necessarily that way with subject matters but he’s like that with his flows so the patterns themselves are unpredictable their just like so like slick. So i just try to make my rhyme schemes like you’re going somewhere. So not even like telling a specific story but using imagery, and the patterns themselves to get the point across. Like you can either rhyme patterns themselves work in such a way when people hear them you’re able to manipulate people’s ears with them. So you can use it to evoke different ides or evoke things.
Yeah that makes sense!
Like for example the way I rapped on “Youcanshakeyourassinhell”. The first verse me and the beat are like hand in hand. Like for me it starts out at a clasp, and the first verse is very hard up with the beat and by the end we start to merge to eventually come together.
Yeah, that was one of the more eccentric tracks I’ve heard on the album, and I was like damn this is crazy. I jumped around the project first but after I went back and listen to it from top to bottom everything started to make sense.
Yeah, I feel like that's an album you could technically listen to backwards, and it kinda flows. It works because “Youcanshakeyourassinhell” is like you’re going into the city, or like you’re going into this place that we have been and where taking you there. And then by the end we kinda break things down like for me Blk Lex. Lex Luthor is a human being and he hates Superman because Superman is like a God on Earth. And yeah Lex is greedy but there so many qualities about him that human and make him relatable that it’s kinda understandable in a weird way. And while Clark Kent is a representation of American norms and values fuck that cause America is on some bullshit.
Yeah lowkey Lex Luthor is an entrepenuer, but he’s one of the most evil niggas.
Exactly but he’s relatable, and he’s is known for bending these systems. So like this idea that Superman can like can represent America as this altruistic sort of whatever the fuck. I like Lex more because he’s more like exposes the nitty gritty of everything. One of the reasons I like Blklexx as as a name is because he also indulges in evil. And that’s where “City Lights” comes in. It's about how even though we hate evil, we indulge in it, and to a certain degree we like it.
Nah, that’s crazy I ain’t never thought about that now I gotta go back and re listen to the project.
Yeah, that’s why we put it in the first couple of bars, it's completely vague, but its necessary because you have to be apart of it. Like even “Youcanshakeyourassinhell”. That’s how we best describe being in the city, its like you can have a good time in hell.
So quick question, what was the concept behind “White Rice”.
Well Dyyo came with his first and he was talking about people throwing dirt on his name of looking down on him. My verse is continuing off that but for me it's about defying people who might look down on me. And fuck all the humility like you gotta recognize who you are, and I really don’t think that to many rappers would really really want to Rap with me.
Damn, why not?
Cause I mean a lot of people aren’t really on the bars, I mean some people are I could be wrong don’t get me wrong there’s some really great rappers. But that just me. Like people are weird you know they might not have the best intentions, but like anything its always weird navigating and dealing with people. Especially in a scene where you have eyes on you, but a lot of Metropolis was honestly about the state of where we were when making the album.
Damn Word, Well it was nice talking to you and learning more about you!
Big shout out to Blklexx for coming on and interviewing with Us! if you enjoyed this interview and want to stay up to date with Blklexx and future projects you can find him on Instagram. While you there be sure to check out his newest project; “The Waiting Room” which is above.
Thank you for taking the time to read our article, and if you want to stay up to date with news and content coming from Nefarious Supply you can find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, and to get articles as soon as they drop you can sign up to be on our newsletter below.
Welcome to the DKTM Series. The DKTM Collective, short for “DON’T. KILL. THE. MOVEMENT.”, is a collective of artists, producers, and overall creatives that have come together in order to pursue their artistic endeavors. They have bolstered an impressive fanbase within the DMV area and are reaching for even further heights with every project they release.
Every episode, we will focus on one of the collective’s artists, until we reach the end of the roster.
Below, we get into our fifth member, Mouse.
Enjoy 😈
~~~~
So Mouse, I saw that you recently graduated Towson University. If you could have chosen any song to walk into that arena to, what song would you have chosen to enter as a graduate into?
Oh, wow. Do you feel like that would be a powerful thing to walk into?
Yeah, make me feel like I'm bigger than all of y'all niggas forreal.
Have you ever found it hard for you to express yourself? Or are you naturally an open book?
I feel like for the most part I kind of feel it’s hard for me to express myself and have my expression come back like and be accurate, or like produce a true understanding.
Like that's honestly what I channel into a lot of my music and really why I started making music. It doesn't have to always be literal. So, you know, you could always make a metaphor is something that expresses it in a way. Okay.
So what do you hope your guys’ work contributes to the community either musically or just the community around you?
As we get bigger and have bigger ideas, it just inspires more people to kind of follow suit and do their own thing for real.
So it's like a ripple effect kind of?
Exactly, for sure.
Because there's a lot of similarity in the industry today. So to see people just kind of branch off into their own thing is pretty cool. That's also really why I got into underground shit, particularly from here, because it's like damn.
I really don't even listen to like a lot of mainstream stuff anymore.
Do you have a musical guilty pleasure? Like a Miley Cyrus or a Justin Bieber or someone like that, or do you specificially hate someone that's like really popular?
Nah, like I feel like guilty pleasures for me. It's just kind of like I like what I like.
I bump whatever I’m feeling at the time forreal and I'll be like this shit cranks. I was like bumpin like AFI and shit this morning, yeah, whatever I'm into at the moment is what I'm into.
If there was a lesson you could teach her younger self. What would it be?
I would probably say something like “You don't fail until you stop trying” because it's like I feel as though I learned from my family a lot of impactful lessons that were taught when I was too young to comprehend it and now talking to them again it’s like “Ah, I see.”
I don’t know, it's like if I could meet my younger self, I feel like the one person that'd be able to get through to that stubborn ass nigga is myself from the future.
I read this book about the value of science a few years ago and I'd probably like that drop that off to him as well, not even say anything, just "Read this." you know?
So, I will ask you this. You just recently graduated from Towson. Was it hard? Have you been making music for a while or did you just really get into it since graduating?
I've been making music for like 12 years, like I played in a punk band called Null Void. They, like me, and also like a bunch of people in the house right nowstarted when we were in high school and like we started doing shit live and really came into our sound.
Started touring a little bit, but we were young and we fucking lost our name, so that really like put a splinter in shit, but it's like that's what I've been doing like for the longest, and then DKTM kind of happened like as we all became separate from that, like when our separate ways.
So just like now we can do all this stuff independently and then bring it together like this.
So how did you find your way into DKTM?
So I was one of the original members.
Like I said like when I went to college and like I couldn't practice with them every week and Pope would be like working and like Aghori would also be in a different school and our drummer would just be working as well.
We all just like naturally got into producing because it's like the way to express ourselves when we couldn't, like, link up, and then when we would link up we would then bring that energy back into producing as a group, but at that time it was like this is probably going to be a little bit long.
One of the original members, Lucy Mourn, he got me into like producing forreal, like he gave me like a controller that he wasn't using and I started producing off of that and like 2014-ish.
He then introduced us to Eric, or Lex, and like we all just started linking, like 95 as well. It was just us five. We would, like, send each other little ciphers through text message, and then it's like when niggas finally started getting their own places like away from their parents, that's when shit really started taking off. We would link up and record shit and like it just went up.
Odd question here, but are you a person of the universe, like someone that believes in Universe? Or are you more like a religious person?
Definitely not a religious person.
What do you believe in?
I kind of just believe in like energy in cycles as concepts.
It's like when it comes to life and death, I kind of feel like if you look at anything on Earth, it happens in a cycle. Like a year is just a cycle of four seasons, a cycle 12 months, so it is constantly running in circles.
So it's like, if everything here is running in circles, then like why wouldn't death also be a cycle?
I feel like when people die, the energy doesn't really leave per se, whether that be like it comes back as like a cat or like another person or even an ideology, like where it's like somebody rubbed up on somebody so much that that energy just kept transferring onward.
So did you find it hard while you were studying to balance music or was it like “This is what I really want to do at the end of the day, so I'm gonna make time for it.”?
Um it's definitely hard.
Like I'm an impulsive person so it's like I'll study for a little bit and be like "Alright that's enough of that." But no it's definitely hard and I commend people who do it while they're studying because that shit is truly a challenge.
But yeah, no, I was not easy.
So to kind of ish like grapple questions number one. Is there anything in the future either solo or with the collective that we should be looking out for?
I'm working on something.
I'm working on something, but put the word, something in "bold" and "italics".
Actually, just in "italics" haha.
So the last question for you, Mouse, DKTM stands for Don't Kill The Movement. So, okay. What is the movement to you? What is it that you are trying to preserve?
When I look at it? I just think again about the transfer of energy, and how it can't be killed.
Going back to like an earlier question about what we hope to do, it's like even after we're gone, regardless of what happens I feel like we've already kind of made like an impact and that that energy will just keep going through people right with influence.
I like that. It's like, you know, in whatever you do, you're going to leave a mark on something. Like every word you speak is going to have an impact, is going to echo to something. Whether or not it's like the biggest, thing ever, it's going to make a mark at some point in life.
Definitely.
~~~
If you enjoyed this interview and want to stay up to date with Mouse you can find his SoundCloud above, and you can also follow him on Instagram. While you there you can also check out DKTM on Instagram and check out our previous interviews with Baat Choy, Morgan Marsh, Pope Loud, and 95.
Thank you for taking the time to read our article, and if you want to stay up to date with news and content coming from Nefarious Supply you can find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, and to get articles as soon as they drop you can sign up to be on our newsletter below.
Welcome to the DKTM Series. The DKTM Collective, short for “DON’T. KILL. THE. MOVEMENT.”, is a collective of artists, producers, and overall creatives that have come together in order to pursue their artistic endeavors. Every episode, we will focus on one of the collective’s artists, until we reach the end of the roster. Below, we get into our third episode with member Pope Loud
Like every group made up of a number of members each member plays an important role by bringing individual talents that help the team collectively. A member of the DKTM Collective Pope Loud’s lyricism has shown his ability to craft a song that not only resonates with the audience, but allows him to stay true to his self. Being sure to never compromise his work ethic by settling for anything less than perfect Pope Loud brings a work ethic to the table that helps propel DKTM forward as overall collective.
So my first questions is, what is your favorite form of art specifically what is a form of art you like more than all of the others.
Pope: Personally i feel as if the best way to convey art would be something through like movies, or visual media with music put to it. But my favorite would be, honestly drawing its something i have always done whether I was in school or anywhere else. Although I don’t really do it as much as I used to but it still something i enjoy to do. But music is the most primal way to release energy which i feel is what art really is.
Yeah! Basically being able to vocalize it. Is there an illustrative style that you like the most? Like anime, or 3D animation.
Pope: Um… I wouldn’t say I have favorite art style as far as visual art because I really like a lot of different things, so it's hard to pick a personal favorite. But I don’t know ive always been drawn to tattoo style. I don’t really have a lot yet but i really wanna get more down the road.
Yeah that makes sense, The ones you have are really cool though! So the next question is, the majority of your pictures on instagram have a retro feel to them. If you could go back in time what song of yours or someone else’s would you perform to show what music is like in 2019
Pope: That’s a hard question! Well the thing is i don’t have to much solo stuff out yet I have an EP that I’ve been working on but i had to scrap it a few times because I wasn't really feeling it. So I had to start over a few times, but im finalyl starting to hone in on making an actual project that's called “GRIN” which should be out by the end of this year. But to just pick one song i guess my single “Sides”, its featuring members of DKTM with some others on there as well. The overall sound of it is not what you would expect only because i feel like a lot of music these days is monotonous, it all kinda sounds the same. Not to say that there isn't a lot of good artists out now because there is, but for the most part people are used to hearing the same cookie cutter sounds. An i feel like my songs sound nothing like the usual songs of today. You could love it or hate it but at the end of the day they sound unique.
Yeah i get it, so last week Mouse I listened to this song that you guys were working on can you tell me more about it?
Pope: Yeah so we’re working on a song that i’m doing the hook for. Mouse did the production on it. It’s actually heat.
Yeah i heard it and loved it, and if what i’ve heard is what I think you guys are working on i love that vibe. Its sounds like psychedelic music with a nice beat. Easy to listen to but also the words have meaning behind them.
Pope: Yeah when i write actual lyrics I have to take my time and write them out. I’m not good at freestyling necessarily I try to write it poetically. I approach my music with a lot of thoughts in what i’m saying and I try not to exaggerate too much. I try to be as ambiguous as possible so i don't really describe a lot of things in my life And for the rare chance I do i use it to paint a character behind what my art is.
Yeah that makes sense, it's very important that art of substance comes out or else where all just saying random shit and it doesn't really matter for anything.
Pope: Right! And it’s not like i just say whatever i just paint a picture of my character within the lyrics. It's not necessarily maybe truthly what is my life but it is my expression about how I feel about my life.
Makes sense! So which artist has the most influence on how you make music? Doesn't have to be favorite but what artist have you studied or has been your goal post.
Pope: There’s definitely a lot of artist that have made me want to create music similar to theirs. But what really got me into making hip-hop was my group mates introducing me to Danny Brown. I’ve listened to hip-hop my whole life but I really didn’t start paying attention to it until 2014. Danny Brown really got me into experimental type beats, and then I started listening to lil ugly mane, and more punk type sounds. It’s like hardcore but its also alternative. Like they’re weird sounding stuff you wouldn't hear on the mainstream radios. That pretty much shaped my entire sound. So like interesting phrased music that kinda stutters and has a lot of dark vibes so it almost sounds like a horror movie. I’ve been trying to replicate this but in a way that not talking about violence shit all the time.
So keeping it true to your character but without glorifying violence?
Pope: Right! I’m not a violent person i don’t hurt people so why would I make music thats about that or even something that i can resonate with. So like i try my best to approach it with my experiences, the music I listened to as a kid which was a lot of metal and punk. This influences the overall sound of my music.
So have you ever found it hard to express yourself, or are you naturally just like an open book?
Pope: Oh No i’m definitely not an open book at all, expressing myself is hard. I’m not very good at expressing how I feel that's why it takes me a long time to create things because i feel like i am so meticulous about what I put out. Like I just won’t make a beat and throw it on soundcloud i have to work on it and make sure its exactly how I want it to be. I’m kinda a perfectionist but i feel like i’m also never good enough. So I am working on the same things so that they come out as good as possible. The biggest downside with that is sometimes it can be hard for me to move on and do new things so I feel like I’m stuck in a loop sometimes. Even though i am not, like iof you look back you can see i am not the same person and I have changed. So it’s not like I’m actually stuck in a loop, but that just has to be human nature. You always wanna keep moving.
Yeah I agree it the worst when you out your self in that box cause its like you’re doing really well but youre saying to yourself; “nah this isn't it i could be doing so much better right now”. Like everyone can say you’re doing well.
Pope: Yeah it can be enough but it’s also not enough so you feel like you have to be getting better you have to stay moving.
So last question what do you hope DKTM contributes to the community.
Pope: Well i feel like DKTM has welcomes so many different people and it goes to show that you don’t have to be a certain type of person to connect with somebody. That’s honestly what the collective really is. It’s a way to connect with people that you’re not from the same place as. You can learn a lot about everybody and it helps you grow. Like people from outside the group come here because they feel like it’s a safe space for people to make music and just express themselves. Humans have always made music but i feel like in this society its kinda frowned upon. There’s this kinda niche person that create something. And now people are just so focused on making so much money so they don’t express their selves authentically whether it be through dance, music, or art.
Makes sense, so DKTM contributes authenticity?
Pope: Yeah Exactly
If you enjoyed this interview and want to stay up to date with Pope Loud you can find his SoundCloud above, and you can also follow him on Instagram. While you there you can also check out DKTM on Instagram and check out our previous interviews with baatchoy, and Morgan Marsh.
Thank you for taking the time to read our article, and if you want to stay up to date with news and content coming from Nefarious Supply you can find us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, and to get articles as soon as they drop you can sign up to be on our news letter below.
Welcome to the DKTM Series. The DKTM Collective, short for “DON’T. KILL. THE. MOVEMENT.”, is a collective of artists, producers, and overall creatives that have come together in order to pursue their artistic endeavors. They have bolstered an impressive fanbase within the DMV area and are reaching for even further heights with every project they release.
Every episode, we will focus on one of the collective’s artists, until we reach the end of the roster.
Below, we get into our first member, Baat Choy.
Enjoy 😈
We’re discussing all things producing with Baat Choy.
The producer has worked on multiple projects for the collective, including “Black Passionfruit” by BLK LEXX and Lucy Mourn, POPE.LOUD’s “SIDES”, almost every track of BLK LEXX and Mighty Mouse’s MIGHTYLEXX tape, Morgan Marsh’s “Polo”, as well as another LEXX track, “BOTHERED!”
He’s also produced his own solo projects on the side, such as love tapes, On These Grounds We Walk, [ lo-fi hip hop chill wave beats to study to ], and even his old independent release, HIRAETH - EP1.
Sitting with him and talking was such an eye opening experience for me considering I know little to nothing about the producing process.
His outlook on his skill and art as a whole is the attitude a lot of artists in the industry could stand to copy.
His pure love for music and desire to create makes even the most daft producer think about taking their craft more seriously.
So please enjoy, Baat Choy.
Do you feel like fashion has an influence on music and vice versa?
Yes, but only because in the much larger picture because art in general has a huge impact on the culture and the timezone. Whether it be fashion music movies cartoon you can really get a sense of how that decade, or even century was.
Going back as far as the renaissance looking at that art you can get a sense of what fashion was at that time.
What is your favorite part of production?
I love creating a sound that synthesized sound, Every acoustic sound has an equivalent synthesized sound. And more. And it’s the “And More” that interests me. It’s mind numbing to think about it.
I associate a lot of synthesis sounds right now as “when I hear the sound it sounds like this or that. This is something I’ve heard in real life.
“How can I extend this further.”
My favorite thing about producing with other people is honestly getting to know them.
I feel like I get to know the person at a much more intimate level when I work with them with music.
I love working with people who are trying to express themselves with music. And those moments, and they will happen, you feel like you make a connection in a deeper way.
Do you have any auditory stimuli?
Negative: When I was a kid and I saw a balloon, I would be like “I don’t like that”.
I was an anxious ass kid. So that sound when you’d grab a balloon and rub it. I hate it.
Positive: High heels on pavement. Hooves on a street. It makes my eyes roll in the back of my head.
It’s so subtle but powerful in a way.
What are some projects we should be looking out for in the future?
Right now I’m working on a couple things. Long term project. Wanna create a project as me as a producer and lead vocals from the talented friends I’ve made in this area. I have twelve songs I’m working on. I’m a patient person I can wait.
I’m working on this new EP with DIO.
So your group name is DKTM (Don’t Kill The Movement); What is the movement to you? What is it you’re hoping to preserve?
To me; the rest of the guys come from a punk stand point.
I can’t consider myself punk. The movement is definitely pursuing love and art. The self driven nature that is art and something about going back to the industry not being needed by artists.
Us throwing over that idea of we need a greater power to succeed. We can succeed with our own hands. As long as you’re doing it for and with yourself with love and happiness.
As corny as that sounds.
[ t h i s 1 i s 4 f u n art by Aghori
Stream Baat Choy’s new project, NEVER LET GO, above on Soundcloud, and while you’re there, be sure to check out the rest of the DKTM Collective. Like we said, you won’t be disappointed. If you wanna stay up to date with Baat Choy and all her new releases, you can find his Instagram here. Thank you again, Baat Choy, for the great interview.
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Black Passionfruit cover art
This week we at Nefarious Supply are gifting you all with another list of vastly talented and woefully underrated artists. From passion-fruit to pre-game, artists such as the DKTM Collectve, mikey, Ashton, TWNTYFOUR, DWN2EARTH, G’avin, Marvin Dolo, Josh Dillon, and LNLYBOY spread their brilliance on track after track and the artistry shows.
Lucy Mourn and BLKLEXX from Maryland’s own DKTM Collective come together on the politically charged track “Black Passionfruit”, speaking on topics of their pride in black culture and how far the African American community has come in this day and age.
mikey’s track “my ways” is a reminiscent track in which the artist recollects the times when he used to be overlooked and under-booked by those who didn’t believe in his vision. However, now that he’s at the point where he is now, he still hasn’t changed what makes him him, and won’t ever switch up for anyone or anything.
Ashton and FRVRFRIDAY come together on the track “After Sunset”, with beautifully strung together 808s overtop a consistent hi-hat addition. Ashton raps about a girl that seems to always be on his mind. He expresses to her that, after sunset, he’ll try to not only figure out how deep this connection with her is, but also how to navigate through this precarious industry. FRVRFRIDAY appeals for patience and understanding, also questioning the girl in question’s trust in those around her.
TWNTYFOUR’s “Like she used to” tells a tale of a girl who seems to have lost the ability to love due to heartbreak, excessive drug use, and even instances of insomnia. As it always with with TWNTYFOUR, the production quality is outstanding and the storytelling is just as immaculate. This track is one of three on this list.
His next track, “Caribbean Devil”, is a more upbeat and Antillean anthem. The track is boastful and charismatic, whilst retaining the TWNTYFOUR standard that has persisted throughout the artist’s discography.
DWN2EARTH makes a solid appearance with his track “MUTOMBO”. The artist croons over a smooth, kicked back instrumental. DWN2EARTH croons over topics of wealth, busy schedules, and fake relationships with those who didn’t believe in his passion. The instrumental bleeds into a beat switch that adds a very pleasing finish to the superb chorale.
ALONE cover art
Gavin’s “Ashanti” samples SWV’s classic “You’re Always on My Mind”. He attributes the woman in question to Ashanti. With how she stays on his mind and how he will always be there when she needs him, Gavin swoons over her and dreams of treating her to the finest things life and give, and the love that only he can provide.
“pre game” by Marvin Dolo is a deep and confident melody, speaking on his attraction to a girl who came to the pre game of party. The track goes through the motions of him thinking of things he can do and experience with her. Dolo states he’ll take his time with it, making sure she knows who she’s dealing with and what can happen if the two of them take things to the next level.
TWNTYFOUR’s final track “Maria” takes on a latin vibe overtop a heavy hitting bassline. The song sounds faintly reminiscent of Travis Scott’s “Maria, I’m Drunk”, whilst adding the artist’s unique takes on love and heartbreak. The chorus becomes immediately infectious after the second time hearing it and TWNTYFOUR uses autotune masterfully to convey his message.
“Solecalibur” is a verbal play on the popular game, Soulcalibur, and Josh Dillon shines with beautiful vocal runs and smooth hitting lyrics overtop a groovy laidback instrumental. The artist gets vulnerable with his own insecurities, while also playing to his strengths when it comes to the girl who plagues him day in and day out. He expresses his confusion with his own feelings but comes to terms with the fact that even though he doesn’t want to, he needs her.
The final track on this list comes from our very own LNLYBOY. “ALONE” is a self-reflective track contemplating on feelings of loneliness and the grind of coming up in the music industry, as well as LNLY’s changed behavior after reaching the heights of recognition he’s achieved. It is a short track but heavy with the subject matter at hand, wrapping a beautiful bow on our underground episode.
Big shout out to all of our rising artists for their outstanding music. If you want to stay up to date with new music coming from any of them, you can find all of their social media and discography in the links as well as listen to the new underground playlist above!
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Q. What does DKTM stand for?
A.DKTM stands for Don’t Kill The Movement, we chose the name because our creative energy is undeniable in the sense that it extends beyond our music.
Q. Who is all in the collective? Tell us all about who is in the collective and where you guys are coming from?
A. Lucy Mourn, Reem Unknown, POPE.LOUD, baatchoy, BLK LEXX, mouse., Aghori, Morgan Marsh, 9inety 5ive, SlovaK, and Dinkel. Half of the collective is from PG county and half from Baltimore.
Q.What is the collectives mission statement? What do you guys plan on accomplishing with this collective of artists?
To challenge & defy the expectations of contemporary culture. We just really want to embellish the individuality of each artist but do so as a singular unit. The better the platform we build together we are the powerful we each are.
Q.How would you describe your collectives music to somebody?
A.Everyone in the collective comes from different backgrounds. Some of us have been doing post metal, experimental, and ambient music etc. So even though we’re rooted in hip hop the sound is abrasive but overall just emotionally expressive.
Q. Who inspires everybody for the DKTM sound?
A. We all love all sorts of stuff as individuals but we honestly are the most inspired to be creative by the other artists in our scene. Guys like JPEGmafia, Sir E.U, Butch Dawson definitely have paved the way for us and inspired us to push further. We’re definitely influenced by Danny Brown, Portishead, Lil Ugly Mane, Frank Ocean, Gorillaz, and Mars Volta just to name a few
Q. If there was a top 5 list of artists right now that the collective listens to, who would be on that list?
A. We’ve been bumping Rico Nasty heavy. Flying Lotus is always in rotation. Earl and ScHoolboy’s latest releases. We can all agree we’ve been playing The Internet a lot too!.
Q. Do you have any collaborating artists that you’ve been working with? Is there anybody the collective wants to add onto the roster of artists you guys have?
We work super closely with everybody in 3Side, and D.y.y.o as well.We’ve developed a genuine relationship. We’re not really looking to add anyone to the collective but we’re definitely open to it if it happens genuinely.
Q. What platform can people reach your content on the most conveniently? What albums and
songs do you already have out that people should listen to?
Soundcloud is the easiest platform, but our music is available on all platforms. Since the year started our collective has released two projects. MIGHTYLEXX released Metropolis under DKTM and you can Baatchoy’s Love Tapes on his Soundcloud page.
Q. Is there any one song that the collective has made that stands out from the rest?
The song Chop! off the Metropolis EP stands out the most by far. We all agree it’s our strongest track.
Q. Do you have an outstanding moment since the inception of the collective that makes you
realize how important it is to make music like this? If so what would that be?
When we were asked to perform at the Crown for the monthly 808 show series curated by Station North Sadboi, it felt like an affirmation that all of the work we’d been putting into building our presence in the scene was finally paying off. Although we were relatively unknown before that show, we played to a packed room and had one of the best received sets of the night.
Q.Do you have an outstanding moment since the inception of the collective that makes you realize how important it is to make music like this? If so what would that be?
A. Compared to our previous background(s) of playing in other projects, DKTM so far has been the most well received project we’ve been a part of. It feels very rewarding to be able to make art that is true to our various intentions and personalities AND have it be well received by a wide audience.
Q. Can you tell us anything about future projects? Anything that people can look forward to
coming from you?
A. Various members of our collective plan on releasing projects in the upcoming months. POPE.LOUD will be dropping an EP titled GRIN and we are currently preparing a few singles to release before summer. We are constantly working on new material.
Q. Tell us a bit about your newest project and what we can expect from it.
A. Our most recent projects would be Metropolis by MIGHTYLEXX and love tapes by baatchoy. In MIGHTYLEXX’s METROPOLIS you can expect disorienting punk inspired psychedelic rap fueled by crackhead energy. baatchoy’s love tapes is an EP taking contemporary songs concerning the topic of love and flipping each song in order to reframe them into a ambiguous love-themed narrative.
Q. Do you have any last thoughts before the end of the interview? Any message you really want to get out to the people and your fans?
A. Donald Trump is a bitch. // P.S: Seriously, look into quantum mechanics.
Shout out to DKTM for agreeing to interview and featured on Nefarious Supply, you can check out their new releases above via their SoundCloud above, and be sure to look out for more content featuring the individual members from DKTM. To stay up to date with them you can follow them on Instagram and can find where to follow the individual members there.
If you enjoyed this interview be sure to leave a like and comment, and to keep up with content coming from Nefarious Supply you can find us on Instagram, Twitter, Apple News and Facebook, and be sure to check out our Youtube and SoundCloud for hot music from underground and emerging artists daily.
