Where did you grow up? Houston, Texas, off of Tidwell & Hirsch Road, down the street from Trinity Gardens.

What influenced you to get into music? My first label, M.O.B. Entertainment. Indie label in Houston in 2003. I initially was wanting to be a ghostwriter. The CEO wanted me to be an Artist.

How do you approach songwriting? Is there a particular process or inspiration that guides your creative work? I entered into music with a rhyme book, as a lot of artists do, trying to match rhymes with tracks. Now I listen to the track, and the track tells me what to do, I go into it with an empty mind, most of my songs are free-styled, and I write to fill in the gaps, but the track dictates whether I rap or sing, what pitch or tempo, and even the tone. I let the music walk me through it.

 In your opinion, what role does music play in challenging societal norms and promoting alternative perspectives? Music is the ultimate alternative perspective. It’s almost like being drunk, in a sense that when you’re drunk the truth comes out right? Music makes the truth come out. Music - your music, will define your character. People tend to over talk in life, but what your write, what you create, that is you in a nutshell. Your art is your soul put out for the world to see. Perspective is reality, and your art will dictate your reality.

Can you tell us about House of Dogz? The House of Dogz is a radio show & podcast about pop culture and the things that concern us, trending topics, and it is also a multi-generational perspective on those topics. It is my son, my nephew and myself, and at times my daughter. We are hosted on a Christian network, so we watch our language out of respect for our other hosts, but the content is not held back. We speak our minds, albeit respectfully, but honestly never the less.

Do you perform live often? I have performed three times in my career, twice in Houston and once here. I do not look to get booked.

Collaborations are a big part of the music industry. Are there any artists you dream of collaborating with in the future? Right now I enjoy collaborating with my son, Yang Ghoul the Synn Eater and my daughter Giani Da Brat. I’m focused on their creative careers for the most part.

How would you describe your music genre? You definitely mix a few different elements into your music. Badasses’ Song has three out of 13 tracks that are really hip hop. My next LP Sugar Skull, is not hip hop at all. I am from a multi-racial background. And really the only people in it that listened to rap were my friends and myself. I grew up listening to country, Tejano, Zydeco, and the Blues. I have everything in my playlists, so if I hear a track I like, and I feel moved by it, anything could come out. Plus, I’ve been recording for 20 years and I turn 50 this year. I reserve the right to record whatever I want to.

As an independent artist, what challenges have you faced in navigating the music industry, and how have you overcome them? Marketing, scammers, and marketing. We cannot compete with the majors when it comes to marketing. And paying $40 per boost on TikTok adds up after awhile. The Indie hustle has changed. I’m not hocking CDs from my trunk anymore. It’s all about streams, boosting posts for money paid to Meta, and trying to get one song; one post, to go viral. It sucks. it used to be Managers would manage you and get a cut of your proceeds. Now, Managers want $400 - $750 a month and everything is still done online. The indie scene is absolute saturated with artists, it’s almost an impossible feat to really break out. You have to love your own music to remotely stay afloat. And still, it’s all costs and write offs, no profit.

What message or feeling do you hope listeners take away from your music, particularly in today's world? I want people to think, listen, and remember that without the family, there is nothing after today. And at the same time, have fun, and have faith.

https://www.convictionradio.com/house-of-dogz