DJ SLEEP Ez
First off, Thank You for your time DJ Sleep Ez. You’re originally from Chesterfield, Virginia? Correct?
Yea C Field 4 Life!!!
What is the Music seen like in Virginia?
The music scene is lit in VA right now. A lot of our producers are getting national placements and the new generation, are united and supportive of each other now! As for me, I'm just having fun and enjoying the journey!
How did your name come about??
It's really kind of funny but the way I got my name SLEEP, is when I was in the Navy and my 1st Class Petty officer always thought I was high coming in to work for morning mustard. In other words, morning roll call. So you know a lot of people when they smoke weed, your eyes are kind of shut close, so you have this sleepy look. Well with me, my left eye is a lazy eye, so all my life I have that sleepy look. So to make this long story kind of short he started calling me Seaman Sleep and told me I will never mount out to being anything because he thought I was getting high. Which I wasn't but damn sure was selling it back then lol. The Ez came from my mentor The Legend DJ Foot he said it needed more swag to it so I can catch the ears of the consumers. So yea this name got a story behind it I didn't just pick a name and said yea this dope and ran with it.
When did you get into and become serious about the making of music?
I got into making music in 2016 and I was working with an artist by the name of Money Makin Campaign. The reason why I recognize the DJ world was getting over saturated due to technology so I needed to separate myself from the others to stand out.
The process and what were some of your inspirations to begin with?
I'm going to answer this backwards so 1st my inspiration comes from my daughter. We rock so hard it's beautiful. She motivates me as I do the same for her and also I always have this nich to not follow the trend but always be a trendsetter. As for the process, it's simple. I'll link with producers and have them get in their creative mode of a beat and I'll just listen to the track and start coming up with the vibe. As for me the beat has the lyrics in it you just have to pull them out and make it say it out loud. So basically what I'm saying is the beat actually talks to me in a sense that I can hear the lyrics lol! People are gonna think I'm mentally ill lol!
Are you more of a DJ or just a well rounded Artist who can also rap, produce etc?
Ok let's get this situated for once and for all yes I'm an official DJ and it is my first love. I'm actually married to my CDJs' and mixer. Wanna see the marriage certificate lol! I am also an executive producer so that is where the music making comes in. No I am not a rapper lol! Yes I do perform the hooks on my songs but I do that to separate myself from all the other DJs that create music as majority of them specially the mainstreams aren't on there songs at all besides doing an intro or outro.
You’re signed to Rap A Lot MidWest? Can you tell us more about Rap A Lot MidWest and also, how long have you been signed?
Yes I'm signed to Rapalot Midwest as an artist and the official DJ for the label. Been with them officially 3 years now. Now Rapalot Midwest is a home base out of Chicago founded by E & Prez. Which was first created by E son Greazy. R.I.P to Greazy so E wanted to keep his son's name alive by going full scale with his son's dream. So he went down to Texas to meet his fam and founder of Rapalot who is J Prince Sr. To get the blessing and start the chapter Rapalot Midwest. Which he gave him with no hesitation. So Rapalot Midwest is a chapter under Rapalot Records. For example you have Bad Boy Records and then you have Bad Boy South. It's the same with us.
What was your motivation for your newest single, “Dont Won’t It”?
My motivation for "Don't Won't It" is the fact I'm in a good financial space right and I'm embracing it and protecting it. The thing is when you get into a space like this a lot of negative energy starts coming your way and it is dressed in a positive energy. If you allow it to enter your space it will eventually destroy it so I know they Don't want it. I used the wrong grammar to catch the people's ears and eyes to listen to the track lol!
What are some of the things that you like about being a DJ and some of the things that you dislike?
The thing I love about DJing is seeing the joy people have from the song selections I make and the vibe I create and the gig! That is why I call myself a vibe creator more so than a DJ! The main things I hate is all the negative energy that happens sometimes at the gigs and with the business such as fights and financial issues.
Best part of the process?? Making the music or performing your music in front of a huge crowd?
I love them both equally because while I'm creating the music I also visualize the crowd rocking with me and singing along lol! The creating part is the people I work with every time it's a memorable moment. The live performances keep you hungry knowing that you gave them joy for that moment you were on stage.
Can you tell us about one of your most memorable moments of your career?
Wow so many of them but 1 time I was doing a show with Noreaga he gonna trip off of this and he probably going to come for me for telling this but we were in Richmond, VA and I was starting out and we rocked the show but before the show we were hanging out in the parking lot to where we can see the people going in the club. So this girl saw us and her crew walked up to us but more so to him. To get a pic and a hug which he did but 1 of the girls was on crunches. The thing about her was that she was right though feel me. So the convo changes to what odd circumstances you had a girl before. So Nore started telling the story about how he had this girl in a wheelchair lol! The reason this is memorable to me is the fact that I'm having this down to earth convo with an international artist and I knew then I could just be myself. Yea Nore was acting out the scenes and everything it was too funny!
Is there anything that we may have left out, that you may want the readers to know about??
Let's run these numbers up on my new single "Don't Won't It' and I have many shows coming up throughout the remainder of the year so stay tuned with me on your favorite social media platform. Plus that new Rapalot Midwest Compilation Album is on the way!!!
