Funk Volume’s conscious casino-city free-spirit Dizzy Wright hangs out with editor ToneSwep at Oakland’s vicinage venue The New Parish to examine false realities, artistic control, fighting for fatherhood, and other aspects of The Growing Process. Performing on this night with the homie Casey Veggies, proceeds from the two west coast all-stars sold out showcase benefitted the Eric Garner foundation furthering an important and still poppin’ Concert for Justice Series. Train Your Mind to be DOPE!
written by ToneSwep
(ToneSwep: TS) The new album. Let’s talk about it. I heard “God Bless America” with you, K.R.I.T., and Tech. Each of you was super lyrical. What was the idea behind that song and how did you bring the OG Tech and Mississippi K.R.I.T. into the fold?
(Dizzy Wright: Dizzy) I knew that nobody had put them together for a song. That’s what it was. Right before I got with Funk Volume I was bumping K.R.I.T.’s “The Return of Forever” in the car. It got me through a lot, bro. Real talk. It got me through some hard times. And then Tech 9 was that OG in the game who I always respected. And he wanted to work with me. We’re all at different stages of our careers in rap but all represent the same sh!t for Hip Hop as a whole.
(TS) Your debut album “Smoke Out Conversations” dropped back in 2012. What was the chess move behind waiting three years to release a second project? Even though you had the “State of Mind” EP last year, which was raw, it just wasn’t a full body of work.
(Dizzy)Here’s the thing. When I got with Funk Volume, I’d never even sold music, not yet. And even when I first got on Funk Volume my first project was supposed to be a mixtape. But them wanting to make it an album instead of mixtape thrust me in the spotlight a little earlier than I anticipated. It ended up being a good thing, but I wanted to get back to giving the music away for free. That’s the slow process. That’s real artist grind. I didn’t deserve it if I only had to adapt to it. I wanted to grow with the talent, emerge more and more as my skills evolved. I never acted like I was on level two. I knew the levels from day one.
(TS) Let’s talk Vegas. Your city. Most cities have noticeably changed in the last five years. The economy is down, the internet is up, and money and poverty are both running rampant. How has Vegas changed?
(Dizzy) I’ve changed more than I think the city has changed. I went from being absolutely poor and appreciative of the little things - And don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the little things even more today - but now I’m away from Vegas more than I’m in Vegas, feel me. I’m changing while in the city, maybe even changing the city some. Went from damn near surviving to living on a level beyond what most people could imagine.
(TS) Vegas is a hustler’s city known for the street life. Why aren’t there more rappers making it big from the 702?
(Dizzy) Because so many people come to our city and perform, that we’re trying to be like everything else that is hot. That feeling like “I can do that better than that”. Instead of being original and allowing ourselves to slowly add something new to the game. Everyone in Vegas is trying to be from somewhere else when it comes to rapping, or how the dress, or talk. You have to really sound like where you are from, I think. Or people won’t feel it.
(TS) Talk about touring and the independent artist grind. Where are some of the most memorable cities you’ve been to on tour? What were those experiences like?
(Dizzy) I could talk about Denver for days. I’ve been spending my 420’s there. But I’ll talk about Salt Lake City. It’s a different type of feel. They are inspired by what I’m saying. They give me a type of love that I can’t even get in my own city. People who are fans of what I am actually saying. They just want to be inspired. I come out and the energy is all the way up. And those are the cities that make all of this worth it. Because in my city I see people who grew up with me and think they know me better than the world does.
(TS) You have been with Funk Volume, one of the top indie labels, since day one. But you are still young. Would you ever consider signing a major label deal at this point?
(Dizzy) Would the mainstream media accept Tech 9 for who he really is? Or does he have to explain what he has going on? No one else can do that. And that’s the thing, bro. If the major isn’t going to allow me to speak for myself, allow us to speak for ourselves, then it won’t work. I’m not trying to be different, the best, I’m just trying to reach the people I can reach and inspire them. Nothing else matters. A major can be a part of what we got going on if they will allow that, but it will have to be a Funk Volume thing. That’s family.
(TS) During your career you had mixtapes like the Soul Searchin’ series, EP’s like State of Mind, and then now your second album “The Growing Process”. For the fans, breakdown the difference in an artist’s focus and approach between a mixtape, EP, and album.
(Dizzy)Firstly, I’m growing as an artist. Every project makes me a little more dangerous because I have more knowledge. I can phuck the game up. I came into this sh!t only knowing what my mom had instilled in me. But learning on your own is a whole ‘nother level and experience; traveled the world and learned what people are really taking from this music. I see what people show with their faces. How my music makes them react.
(TS) You’ve collaborated with Bone Thugs N Harmony, Tech 9, French Montana, Big K.R.I.T., Logic, too many artists to name. Who are some female artists, rappers and singers, you’d like to work with?
(Dizzy) (weighs the question, carefully)… Erykah Badu, Janelle Monae, definitely I want to work with Nitty Scott. I like where her head is at. I just want to bring the best out of these girls. And have them push me to the limits.
(TS) How is home life for you? Family life.
(Dizzy) Yo, home life is beautiful right now bro. I got my girl and two kids. My daughter will be four when the album drops. My son is almost three months. Home life is very humbling. I’m just happy as a young Black man who can take care of his family. I would have been in a lotta young brother’s position if it weren’t for them and Hip Hop. My family and Hip Hop are my life.
(TS) You moved around quite a bit coming up as a youngster. Flint, Vegas, Atlanta, and each of those cities is very different from the other. How does each place contribute to your style as a rapper and lifestyle as a person?
(Dizzy) It all contributed in such a way because I’m not stuck in a box. I enjoyed Hip Hop from every side of the world. Because I got to live in those places and meet kids who fell in love with Hip Hop in that actual place in the world. I experiment and it’s not even a risk, because I have actually heard those different regions in person and seen the actual fans in that region react to the music they like.
(TS) On “False Reality” you stated: “We can’t keep screaming racism if we’re killing our own race.” Why is that what we do, though? You can kill me right now, Dizzy, and nobody would say sh!t. But if a white cop kills me we’d protest. Where does that thinking derive from?
(Dizzy) I think that we are so busy trying to create change outside, we’re not working on our own households. If these young n!99as were taught to be better n!99as they would actually try to be better men. Instead, they are taught to be worse. And that becomes the goal. Kendrick said it with “Hypocrite” on his album. We want to change the world but not change ourselves. We’re changing level 54 but not level two!
(TS) You address the importance of Father/Daughter relationships on “Daddy Daughter Relationship”. Why do you think so many baby’s mamas feel like a man needs to be in his son’s life but not his daughter’s? That’s a common misconception.
(Dizzy) Because society has made these women believe they don’t need a man. But every family needs and deserves a father. Every young woman deserves a young man to love. Every family deserves that. Women can’t keep pushing us out the picture, but young n!99as don’t know how important that is either. I’ve been in that situation where the baby mama is like phuk you. But I’m not with that… I can see why young n!99as aren’t in the child’s life at times because they don’t want to deal with the mama. But fight for that sh!t, bro! Fight for fatherhood. You got to. It’s so important.
(TS) On “Higher Learning” you shared that you are “praised for being real” but that you alternately “don’t feel the support” for being real. Elaborate on that if you will.
(Dizzy)That was more of an online jab. It kind of saddens me sometimes to see my real sh!t get overlooked. And then some sh!t where I was just smoking some weed and threw it together is what they gravitate to instead. They like the message less than the mess. I don’t think that people aren’t feeling it, but my other music is getting bigger than the ones I actually want to touch their hearts and minds. It’s strange the way art does what it wants to, though.
(TS) I want to ask you about the song “I Love My Momma”. She’s been through hell and back is part of the chorus. Talk about the place you were in when creating that song. Was there a particular incident that served as the motivation for it?
(Dizzy)I’ma tell you something. It’s not even on the album. I’m not waiting for the album. We dropping that on Mother’s Day! I didn’t want to wait for the album. It’s for my mama. I wanted it to hit her heart. She is the one who started me on this journey in the music industry. She introduced me to the entertainment world and she encouraged me to pursue it during times when I wasn’t sure if I wanted to keep on going for it. My mom’s is amazing.
