FeaturesDOUBLE DOSAGE
For several years now, two long time friends have been laboring on their passion project to become recognized MCs in the music industry. With a recent win off of the renowned hip hop competition, "I Run LA", they are quickly seeing the fruits of their labor. TheSource.com just featured them, and soon XXL Magazine will, too. They are Double Dosage, better known as Loot and J.U.S.E. And although the exposure has allowed them an indelible stamp on the rap scene, they haven’t forgotten about their roots – in performance and even in production.
How did Double Dosage start?
In 7th grade; it started out as a clique, but we hated each other. JU was the new kid on the block. But we found peace when we talked about music by Bone Thugs, Wu Tang, and the Death Row camp.
So Double Dosage (DD) started out as a crew. How did DD evolve to just include the two of you?
We just kind of grew out of it.
How long have you guys been doing music together?
We’ve been professionally recording for a year now. We started doing Friday night beat sessions that have now turned into an everyday thing.
Within that year, you’ve released a sampler, a debut mixtape (Loot, Juse, Respect vol. 1), and just last month another mixtape (The Construction), all for free. How do you feel about that strategy?
Our game plan asks this question: How can you sell an album to someone if they don’t know who you are? So we just keep pushing the music, beginning on the street level.
What’s the process like for you when you create music?
We don’t have an executive producer, so we seek beats from other producers. They are either sent to us, or we search for them. We don’t have an engineer, either, so the recording and mixing is done at home in our in house studio. When we release songs, we like to release its music video at the same time. The music video is conceptualized, filmed, and then edited by us, too.
Besides street level distribution, how else are you getting your music out?
Performances. We try to do them once or twice a month at different venues.
You just came off of a big show, actually a contest called “I Run LA” hosted by Star Strucc Ent., Interscope, Konvict, and Universal Records, which you won. Tell us more about that show.
It was mostly a hip hop competition, with the exception of 2 R&B acts. A total of 28 performances, and we came in 1st place. We won $1,000 which was put into the distribution of “The Construction.” We also won a trip to Hawaii, a distribution deal through Universal, and appearances on the website of The Source, and in the September edition of XXL magazine, found on page 147. Our video for the competition can be found on YouTube.
For the rest of the summer, you have more cultural events scheduled. Do you feel that there is a downside to catering to a niche audience?
We love performing for the Filipino community, but have no problem reaching out to other people. We have a very diverse audience, so we cater to EVERYONE. By the way, we’ll be at FPAC this year.
As emerging, independent artists, is it hard to break through in LA?
We’ve only lived in LA, so we really don’t know. Everyone is hustling in this city, so we nurture the competition. We only have one goal, and that’s to sell words that people listen to. The fact that our city has a huge population of artists does make it interesting.
The cover of “Loot, Juse, Respect vol. 1” has a photo of you two sitting underneath the Hope Street sign in Los Angeles. Was that planned? Like is there a deep meaning to the photo?
It was more like a coincidence. But now, we’d like to consider it fate.
What are your favorite places in LA?
Home. There’s no place like it.
If you could play anywhere in LA where would you play?
Ideally, we’d end a nationwide Double Dosage tour at the Staples Center.
Who are your favorite artists to come out of LA?
Tupac, Snoop, Nipsey Hussle, and Nate Dogg.
If you could perform with any other artists (dead or alive) who would they be?
Eminem, Jay Z, Drake, Snoop Dogg, and Tupac.
What are you listening to right now?
Our mixtape 'The Construction', Eminem’s 'Recovery', and Drake’s 'Thank Me Now'.
What is the ideal music label to sign you?
Interscope, Shady/Aftermath, or Grand Hustle.
What else is in store for Double Dosage?
Look out for our feature on XXL, our Universal Records distributed track, the Pinoys Makin’ Noise vol. 2 mixtape by PST Gear, a new music video for “200 Proof,” track #4 on “The Construction,” which we plan to do with Oishi Media, and our upcoming shows. Updated info is on our site: DoubleDosage.com, or follow us on Twitter @DoubleDosage213.
When someone downloads any of your available mixtapes, what kind of message can they expect from you?
Do you, handle business, and live life.
When we finished this interview with Double Dosage, we were really enamored by their drive. They took their mutual love for hip hop and brought it to the next level as artists. To be able to create and distribute music on their own terms and get the kind of attention they've been getting is quite the feat. We are looking forward to what's in store for this duo. For now, you can download 'The Construction' HERE and watch the music video for their latest single, 'Show Me the Way' HERE.
by triciaCA