D-Why One Day (Prod. by Dave Cappa)

When I asked D-Why's brother and manager Matt to describe the first single off of the Young, Loved, Hated, & Broke EP, he said, "It's something along the lines of folk trap." So, per usual, the dudes from The Cleanest Corner are bending the rules, this time by trappifying Asaf Avidan & The Mojos and lacing it with some serious David Morris flow. You know, just creating genres, NBD.

The outcome is D-Why's newest called "One Day," and it's hot. I had the pleasure of catching up with the man during VMA weekend in New York City. We drank some of NYC's finest tap water at the Bowery Hotel and discussed topics such as his recent tour, upcoming EP, music taste, love life, and family values. Check out the highlights of this awesome convo below:

Young, Loved, Hated, & Broke. Would you say you are all these things in your life right now?

Absolutely. That's how the name came about. I wanted to do an EP that continued to spread the music that describes myself and where I'm at in my life right now. Young, not only in age, but also spirit in that we're trying to keep things fresh and new. Loved, because of all the love my fans show me, especially on tour. Hated, because there are those who hate what you do and what you stand for, but only add to your motivation. Broke, because we are doing everything on a minimal budget.

During the YLHB tour, you made stops in places like Kokomo, IN., Harrisburg, SD., Barrington, IL., just to name a few. Pretty out there. What was that experience like?

Yeah, very off the beaten path. But we tried to be strategic. A lot of those small cities were very close to big markets, and we were really able to fill out our venues with D-WHY fans from those areas. This was my first headlining tour so we wanted to be smart about the locations and it ended up working out real well.

You're music, which leans the way of hip-hop, often blends different genres. What are a few unexpected artists you listen to who inspire you?

I'd say 75% of the music I listen to is oldies and folk, while the other 25% is a blend of hip-hop and indie variety. That said, I'm really all about the greats, like Dylan, Springsteen, Johnny Cash, Elvis, Paul Simon, Neil Young, CCR. Throw some Doc Watson and Jim Croce in there as well.

The site that much of your content is routed through is called The Cleanest Corner. It's extremely fresh. What's the story with that? Any bigger picture plans there?

The Cleanest Corner is sort of laying the foundation for everything that we do. There are ideas well beyond the music that I'm making, whether that be a record label, brand consulting, clothing, a styling firm, and of course, a music platform. We may even open a general store one day, who knows? It's all part of the vision and is something we are working on every day.

Family and close friends seem to be a common theme on The Cleanest Corner. How important is family to you?

Honestly, family is everything to me, and should be to everyone -- but family doesn't necessarily have to mean "blood related." Family could be your closest friends and the people that you really ride for. My Dad, my mom, my step mom, my brother... as scattered as we are at the moment, everyone is so supportive of what I do and there is genuine belief in the movement. So I just try and hold it down for everyone that holds me down.

Did you ever envision yourself as something other than a musical entertainer?

Well, when I was like, 16, all I was doing was skateboarding and writing graffiti.  Just total hoodlum, running from the cops type shit. During that time, I remember a teacher from school asking me what I wanted to do with my life. I told her Public Relations, because I was good at talking to people. But things changed when I got to West Virginia U. I started recording music, a live show came pretty quickly after that. I ended up graduating from WVU and getting my masters degree in New York, but all the while made a point to continue the pursuit of music, which I now live, breathe, and would die for.

You're a stylish cat, an entertainer, and you are on stage in front of hundreds (soon to be thousands) of girls some nights. How are you flying these days? Single? Got a steady?

(Laughs) Ya know, right now I'm single, I'm enjoying it. A lot of my friends are wifed up. They have 9-5 jobs, focusing on the career, which is cool. But that's so scheduled, and my life is pretty hectic. If I want to have any sort of serious relationship, it's gotta be with someone who understands my lifestyle and can relate to it. But honestly, my life is just getting crazier. And I know sometimes I talk shit in the songs, but I'm not a womanizer.

You're joining Hoodie Allen on the Party With Your Friends tour. Bigger crowds, bigger venues, bigger nights. How are you approaching this opportunity and what does it mean for you to be part of it?

It's an incredible opportunity, man. Hoodie and I have become homies over the last year or so, and he asked me what I was doing this fall. So we jumped on board, and were stoked to hear that OCD and Mod Sun are coming with. It's going to be great to perform in front of my fans that have never seen me, but also a great opportunity to acquire new fans. We're going to perform mostly new, original music, and I'm hoping the first impression is "Who is this guy? His music's great."