@itsDanBull #ATDSInterview

Can you give as a little introduction to you as an Artist?

I'm Dan Bull, a man from England, and I rap about things I am interested in, which predominantly consists of geeky topics such as games and internet politics.

How long have you been making music? 

I can't really remember not making music, so it must be a long time.

How many songs /albums have you released to date? 

I don't know how many songs I've made, but I try to do a new one every week, and have been recording for ten years. I have a lot of unpublished material, and a lot of published material. I'm just about to release my third "proper" album.

Can you tell us about your new project and the background and inspirations behind it? 

The album will be called The Garden and it is simply a collection of soulful summery tunes, quite a departure from my earlier personal / depressing music. I got fed up of seeing so much cynicism, sarcasm and irony everywhere I looked, that I wanted to make something that was simple and honest, and that could be taken at face value.

How have you ended up in the music industry?

I forced it to happen by accident, I suppose. Music was always my hobby, and always my ambition, but I never really got through any doors into the industry in a traditional sense. I built my audience very much through the video side of things, and without YouTube I think far fewer people would be listening to my work.

What do you think of the music industry at the moment? 

I try to avoid it where possible and just get on with my own thing. From what little experience I've had of the mainstream industry, it's a very fickle and ruthless entity and I'm glad to be getting along outside of it.

Who inspires you when you make your music? 

Anyone who is honest, odd, or just does their own thing. Artists that fit that criteria for me are people such as Morrissey, Lee Scratch Perry, George Clinton, Thom Yorke, and I could carry on naming people for days.

Can you recite a few bars that inspired you to start writing?

"Will someone please explain to my brain that I just severed a main vein with a chainsaw and I'm in pain?" - Eminem - Brain Damage. It just flows and rhymes awesomely. I listened to a lot of Eminem.

Who have you collaborated with so far in your Career? 

I collaborate a lot with producers and animators on my music videos, and sometimes I will feature other rappers in my songs. My album will have feature verses from Beit Nun, Joey G-Zus, and possibly some others.

What book are you reading at the moment?

My Kindle is still in the lost property department at Heathrow Airport and I haven't picked it up yet. But I was reading the second book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series. I can't even remember what it's called now :(

Who would you like to collaborate with in the future?  

As many people as possible from as many backgrounds and cultures as possible.

What was the first album u bought?  

I think it was Americana by the Offspring. It doesn't sound as good to me now as it did when I was 13, which is a real shame because it rocked.

What was the first thing you downloaded illegally? (Any source of media)

I can't remember my download history but the first time I infringed copyright was probably when I sang "Happy Birthday" as a child, as thing song is still under copyright. Lol.

Whats your favorite song at the moment?

I am currently moving house and have had zero time to listen to music, but my favourite song of all time is the theme tune to Ghostbusters.

If you had to sell your music collection tomorrow, what album would you leave in your drawer? 

I have a little vinyl collection and if I had to get rid of everything but one record, I would probably keep "Kind of Blue" by Miles Davis because it's a very versatile record and a very good one too.

Your dream collaboration track for a future album - Producer & Feature artists (Dead Or Alive). 

Ronald Frankau, JS Bach, Cab Calloway, and God because if God exists it would be pretty awesome to hear him drop 16 bars on a track.

What do you do when your not making music? 

I sit on a chair and stagnate.

How do you feel about Underground Hip Hop at the moment, do things need to change? 

As long as people keep doing their own thing, trying new ideas and having fun, that's all that matters.

At All That Dope Shit we like to feature as much underappreciated artists as we can. Can you name a few guys from your local area we should check out?

Well at the moment I'm moving house to Birmingham, and there are some good rap artists from there, you should check out SonnyJim, Jimmy Davis, and Robert Kilroy-Silk.

What are your thoughts on the All That Dope Shit Blog?

I've never actually looked at it but I'm going to guess from the name that it predominantly features a lot of dope shit.

Anything else you would like to add? 

Yes, I am sorry that I was mean to Daniel Ebbutt at Scouts when I was younger. I pinched his arm really hard and really maliciously and I have never had an opportunity to say sorry to him. Sorry Daniel Ebbutt, you are a stand up guy.