DraMatik – Drama Defined

PlayasOnly.Com: When did you start rhyming?

DraMatik: “I started rhyming at the age of 9 which was really just poetry…but being a Hip-Hop fan I seen that I could make the poetry fit to a beat or rhythm, so I just kept going with it! And yes it was in the Golden Age of Hip-Hop. I didn’t have a team or partner at first but when I opened up to people and let them know I did flow I hooked up with my first Partner Steve Rock Nice and Ika And Defunto Jay and We made our first crew I.K.J with is one of Lawrence, Ma. aka Law-Town’s first Hip-Hop/ Gang Group! I Kick Jams”

PlayasOnly.Com: How did you come up with the name DraMatik?

DraMatik: “I didn’t come up with the name DraMatik, it came up with me! LOL More like it was given to me! So here’s the way it went down. My name is Andre so naturally people call me Dre for short. So growing up in the hood with my boys I use to express myself loud and with a lot of emotion and facial expressions, my boys would say “Dam Dre your mad Dre-matik” or “Stop being so Dre-Matik”, and it was a big joke, but it stuck and I transfer the same emotion and expression in my music. You can feel what I’m saying in my words and delivery. So I just went all the way with the name and took the Stage name DraMatik.”

PlayasOnly.Com: Who were some of your early influences when you began rhyming?

DraMatik: “Golden Age of Hip-Hop- KRS-1, Chuch D & Public Enemy, EPMD, Edo G, Scientifik… Hip-Hop will never be like that again! It’s a Shame”

PlayasOnly.Com: How would you describe your style?

DraMatik: “My style is based on everyday life and trials and tribulation, life and all its events can be DraMatik. Whether joy, pain, hurt, sorrow or happiness, that’s what I Flow about, and I never stick to one style. I’m always evolving as an artist, From Folk Hop(A style of Hip-Hop I Created) to Rock-Hop, Hardcore or Street Shit DraMa is in everything and I Embody that.”

PlayasOnly.Com: What do you think of Drake and Niki Minaj?

DraMatik: “Can’t stand them and what they stand for, even more the man who put them out and founded them. You can really see how I feel about them on my track “On a Mission” where I go in on several artists and really air out how I feel! “LIL Wayne is a pain in his Skinny jeans, made for ladies so I’ll call him the King of Queens!”

On a Mission- DraMatik (Industry Diss) by DraMaWolf

PlayasOnly.Com: You make many mentions of the golden ages of Hip-Hop and your take on Nicki Minaj and Drake wasn’t with open arms. Are there any new cats you are feeling? If so, what are you feeling about them?

DraMatik: “I’m not really feeling much of the new music or cats now a day, creatively the main stream MC’s are not doing anything for me, I stay with the Vets The Nas’s ,  Kanye’s, The Wu,  and the D-Blocks. But on the underground  I’m feeling a lot of the Local cats, I am feeling some of the new talent coming out Law. That lil nicca Lil A very diverse and he has an ill vocal and delivery. Skillz Da Monsta is another lil up and comer with mad talent and ill flow as well as punchlines… of course the Vet’s on the Underground KS, Itchy, Clip, Reks, Term, Cappa, Block Mc Cloud, Chance, Poundz….THEY STAY TRUE TO WHAT HIP-HOP IS AND DON’T CHANGE THERE SOUND TO TRY TO SOUND LIKE WHATS ON THE RAIDO, and you know how I feel about the radio LOL! “

PlayasOnly.Com: New England has some nice MC’s, what do you think holds New England artist back from receiving their due recognition?

DraMatik: “I think it’s a unification thing, we need to come together and show Love, it’s always about people being divided because he don’t like this one or this one don’t like that one, or just plain hate. A lot of people think I should have put down the mic years ago, if I listen to that Id not be here today making the music I make today! People need to get along and stop hating…So with that being said Term get over the bullshit I been let it go do the same…. Krumb Call me, Reks return my dam call, I need dates for that Law-Town Finest Video shoot!. That’s just locally, these walls need to be broken down and we need to reconnect. ALL ACROSS THE BOARD”

PlayasOnly.Com: You mention of Termanalogy needing to “get over the bullshit”. Can you elaborate on that further? What happened between you two in the past?

DraMatik: “LOL! I should have expected this one…and even now when I say it, it’s in a playing around way because I and Term are cool… Well me and Term (Street when it was just Ed & Term) go way back. I’ve always had love for them. Shit the first time Street was ever played on the Radio was because of me and Missing Elements but you’ll never hear them say that. As time went on myself and Hectic were drafted by KS and the W.O.L.V .E.S and soon then a still struggling artist Term came in the picture (yes Term use to be in W.O.L.V.E.S) as did many artist (360-Lunox & Astro, Kali, Sonic) come into W.O.L.V.E.S use it’s platform and move on, (Once again YOU WILL NEVER HEAR THEM SAY THAT) leaving most members sitting back waiting for shine while some came and used it and kept it moving. I feel that these artist should show that love Wolves showed them and not act like it never happened.But that was not the issue our issue was deeper and I cannot get into detail about it, but I always felt like we had gotten past it and moved on but till this day I always feel Term a lil Stand offish with me, I’m proud of his accomplishment and what he has done for Latino’s and Law-Town Hip-Hop as a whole, we even came together and he helped me with an Idea I had for a Scientifik remake of Law-Town called Law-Town Finest…it had the best MC’s to come from Law-Town and the order they came in….Scientifik, Krumb Stancha, Reks, Term, Me, Sonic, Lunox & Astro, Hectic and Ghetto, it’s one of the best Law-Town Songs ever recorded. At the End of the Day I still feel Like Term still has an issue or still has a bad taste in his mouth, because every once in a while he lets it show,  that’s why I say Get over the Bullshit! LOL! He should know that I support him and have his back like I did when he first started, though you might not believe it and though YOU WILL NEVER HEAR HIM SAY THAT!”

DraMatik: “I know I can be abrasive and harsh as I’m out spoken and I bite my tongue for no one,  I’m sure it causes a lot of people to dislike me or hate me, but it’s who I am and I won’t change for anyone nor back down my opinions, thoughts or ideas for any man or woman.”

PlayasOnly.Com: What keeps you motivated to continue to make music?

DraMatik: “The Love for the Music and the fact that I still have something to say or some one’s life to touch with an experience I have been thru or know of. Why should I stop making music if it’s still in me and my blood, plus I make it better than most of the MC’s out there…I LOVE HIP-HOP and I feel I owe it to Hip-Hop to make the music that is being lost today because Record labels  and DJ’s wanna put out and play the fuckin bullshit, you don’t have to play me or my Team but it’s out there and its being played world wide.”

PlayasOnly.Com: Also, you and Krumb rock together on the W.O.L.V.E.S, is that no longer the case.

DraMatik: “Hell no… KS is the founder and C.E.O of Wolves it’s his creation, and Krumb Supports all his W.O.L.V.E.S it’s through him that we have the Protect ya Neck Deal…and if you had a chance to listen to the Warlordz CD he’s all over it! You can find that on Dat Piff for free download. KS and I have known each other before the music, when he was young Krumb and he was just starting to MC he use to be called MC DIE LOL, me and KS will Always Rock together.”

PlayasOnly.Com: Is it true that Krumb Snatcha has retired? Are you aware of what lead him to wanting to quit?

DraMatik: “Yes Krumb Snatcha has retired the artist Krumb Snatcha is no more, so now we can talk about the man who use to be Krumb Snatca, he is an artist who has grown and evolved in to something else, a new mind state and a new beginning. Now under Wu-Management KS has recreated himself and is now King Solomon, Still KS but different meanings now, he went from Krumb Snatcha to King Solomon so Where Krumb Ends King Solomon Begins. There a lot of great new music coming from Both KS and W.O.L.V.E.S stay tuned!”

PlayasOnly.Com: What’s your most memorable moment as an MC?

DraMatik: “Great Question, I have a lot of great moments in my career, My Boston Music Award nomination, First time I heard my song on the radio, first mix-tape release, great show performances, creating my own kind of Hip-Hop. I think above and beyond all things would have to say thoug the first day Krumb asked me to be a Wolf and join the W.O.L.V.E.S. If that would have never happened in my career I don’t think I’d ever stuck to the music biz. It happened at a cross roads for me, where I was either going to move forward or stay stuck as an MC and person. If the W.O.L.V.E.S would have never happened to me I would have never evolved as an artist, being around artist like Krumb and Itchy and absorbing there energy and adding it to my drama ways of thinking helped me to add to my music and style. Now I’m the MC I am today because of the W.O.L.V.E.S.”

PlayasOnly.Com: What you do you ask from the younger generation who are doing music?

DraMatik:

1. Remember and know where the music came from…do your research; know the true meaning of Hip-Hop before you pick up that Pen.
2. Be yourself don’t try to sound like everyone else or everything you hear on the radio because you might be the next new thing.
3. Know who are your local pathfinder and MC’s and make sure you show them the respect they deserve
4. Stop reciting lines that have been said before
5. Don’t use industry tracks it’s a waste of music, if the beat isn’t yours and its already a hit who the hell want to listen to your version, none the less making a video out of it, this game is about Originality.
6. If you want to be successful in this business you have to learn to invest in yourself because till the label come knocking no one else is gonna do it. You have to put yourself on and thats going to cost you money. DJ’s, MC, and the radio are not going to be looking to give anyone anything for free.

PlayasOnly.Com: Is there a full length album with just music from DraMatik? If not when can we expect it?

DraMatik: “Yes there is…It’s called Tha X-Permiment and it should be out at years end after the Next W.O.L.V.E.S Cd…It is a Collabo album with CG Classic…he did all the beats on it…and it is X-accly what we say it is an X-Perimnet with music…there will be a lot of creative stuff on there from Spanish Rhythms to hardcore street shit, it will be dropping after the First W.O.L.V.E.S on Protect ya Neck.”

PlayasOnly.Com: Where can we find you and your music?

DraMatik: “You can find my Music on the following sites:”

Indicharts.com, soundclick, reverbnation, youtube, blastro and last.fm

DraMatik: “You can also catch me on facebook, twitter or myspace”