Tracking Back: Deyah
Photo by Will Beach
Deyah released Care City E.P recently and we’re blown away by the open and honesty displayed in her music. We had to learn more about this artists background, there’s no better way than Tracking Back…
1. What is your earliest memory of music as a child? We’re talking nursery rhyme early.
Yikes.. my memory isn't A1 but my mam told me I had a party in her womb whenever Barry White was played.. can't get much earlier than that!
2. What music were your parents/guardians into? What was played around the house growing up?
My pops was into Latin music, African tunes, Neo-Soul, Jazz and Hip- Hop mainly. There was ALWAYS music playing in the yard, regardless of the time. My mam was more into Motown and Reggae. Fela Kuti & Tupac were always playing.
3. Did you have any tapes or records bought for you?
Yessss! I was bought Aaliyah's 'Age Ain't Nothing But A Number' album, Gorillaz 'Demon days', Erykah Badu's 'Baduizm' and all the Michael Jackson albums available up until that point in time.
4. What is the first music video you can remember?
Michael Jackson - 'Remember the time'. It's still my all time favourite track.
5. What was the first record/tape/CD you bought for yourself? It can be a single or album.
Queen Latifah - "All Hail the Queen".
6. What music were you into in the early days at school? Were your friends into the same thing?
I was into the same kinda music as my pops, friends at school didn't really get the music I got hype about.. Jill Scott, Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, A Tribe Called Quest, Slum Village, Tupac etc and I banged out Lily Allen's tunes A LOT.
7. As a teenager did this change?
Nah I wouldn't say it changed, I just became more exposed to and educated on other genres like, Drum and Bass, Punk, Dubstep and some soft rock.. I expanded what I listened to quite extensively.
8. Did you play an instrument at school and can you still play it?
I played the piano, guitar and cajon drum.. I can sort of play them now still, a bit of practice and I'll be cool.
9. What was your first experience of rap music? How did it make you feel?
Queen Latifah - "U.N.I.T.Y." - I remember thinking yooo this is so wavey but mad insightful at the same time. That track is such a vibe.
10. What’s the earliest rap music video you remember?
I don't remember what track it was but it was a Diddy visual for sure..
11. After discovering rap, which artists did you listen to the most?
I listened to a lot of 50 Cent, Jay-Z, Busta Rhymes, Snoop Dogg, Tupac and Q-Tip. I learnt a lot from each artist.
12. What gave you the confidence to start to compose music yourself?
I wrote poetry as a kid... my school at the time encouraged all the kids to write in whatever format suited them best. I realised how much I enjoyed writing my mind out in a certain pattern and scheme. I started doing spoken word but had this hunger for sound and accompaniment, so over time, I naturally embraced writing lyrics.
13. Would you say your sound today carries influences from your childhood?
1000% when I listen back to some of my tracks, I can always pin point when an influence came from and more time I don't even consciously realise when recording, it's only after I'm like yo that melody derives from X and the rhyming scheme sounds like Y.
14. Do you have any idols in music? Have you met any?
I don't have any idols, only artists I admire and madly enough I've met/worked with a few of them. The artists I admire but haven't met yet are like J Cole, Kanye West, Queen Latifah, Pharrell Williams. I could probably name a further 20 artists..
15. Finally let’s end on an embarrassing question. What is your guilty pleasure today in modern music?
Yikes! I'm not gonna lie, I kinda like those mega cheese ball girl power pop tunes/ballads. I dance and cringe at the same time!
Make sure you check out Deyah’s latest E.P Care City that came ot this week.
Follow @iamdeyah
Play Spotify
Check out more artists on the Tracking Back series here:
