Jez Dior is an artistic alternative rapper from the West Coast who has been paving his way with deeply emotional tracks that maintain a strong sense of vibes.
Listening to the tracks from his recent release titled The Funeral, as well as his 2013 project titled Scarlett Sage, it's apparent Jez has experienced some pain during his life. Fast forward to the present day, a reality in which his 21 songs on SoundCloud have gotten played over three million times, it's apparent he has learned how to channel his struggles into a positive movement. The release of the featured track titled "Relapse" marks this milestone.
It's been a pleasure to exchange pleasantries with Jez, and he recently opened up to us about his vision, family background, dream collaborations and goals.
You're a young artist who's career is just getting started, so why is it a Funeral?
Calling my EP The Funeral is a metaphor for killing off the artist I believe I was perceived as before and essentially the birth of an artist who doesn't want to be pigeon-holed into a genre, as I don't believe any artist should be these days.
Can you explain the significance of your name? How has your where you come from affected your style as an artist?
I'm glad you asked this, I don't think a lot of people know that its actually my real legal name.
Where I come from and my families culture is everything to me, and everything that I embody as an artist. My musical taste all comes from my mother and father. I can't thank them enough for exposing me to every type of music at a young age.
Who are three artists you'd love to collaborate with and why?
I've always said my #1 collab would have to be with Caleb from Kings of Leon, his voice is just incredible & with my new music being so guitar driven I think it would actually fit quite well.
I've also been loving the new Hozier album lately, I'd fancy working with him...seems like a cool dude.
On the hip-hop side it would have to be Kanye, he's a huge influence and is never scared to try something new which i love.
As you move into making your next project, how will you look to widen your fan base?
The reception at recent shows has blown my mind, they have been so wild & fun so I think its only right that I get on the road with my band as soon as possible so we are weighing out our options there. I'm definitely going to continue to release videos and I'll also be putting out a good amount of songs for free over the next few months until we go for a full album.
Where do you think the future of hip hop music is headed? How do you plan on adapting to the ever-changing landscape of the industry as a whole?
I think hip-hop will be at the forefront of mainstream music for a while still, but with that being said there are plenty of artists in sub-genres of hip-hop that are incredible and definitely changing the game and breaking barriers as far as the culture goes.
The industry changing doesn't scare me at all, I make music for myself and my fans. The industry is fake but the love from them is not, thats all I want and I think they know this & know that we are in it together.
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