Don Dubb

What’s your name ? How can people find you ?

iAmBillyDee
Yeah, I go by the name iamBillyDee. And people can find me @yougottalovebillydee

Don Dubb
So, you know I’ve been tapped and watching your grind for minute. I’ve always liked your creativity. You always had a different vibe. Like you really don’t follow trends too much but, when you did something that everybody else was doing you kind of put your own flavor on it and you made it yours. I view that as exceptional talent. What inspires your music? Why do you do music? How’d you get started?

iAmBillyDee
I started very young. Being surrounded by the music in my family. Musicians in my family. Family friends who are musicians is just music all around me. I think I was just born into it and slowly it just began to manifest itself in my life. More and more I started off acting, so I’ve always been a part of entertainment but around the age of 8. I wrote my first rap, and so it’s been on since then. And then you know as time progressed. I got into my teen years music kind of took over from the acting, and took the forefront of my focus and my passion and energies led me to this day.

Don Dubb
I also remember you were rapping,  you’re doing something a little different now. Talk to me about the transition and whats the direction of our vision, for what you’re doing now?

iAmBillyDee
Well, I think this time around, with this album I have a called Abundance is actually a rap album. My my initial plan was to go with an album called Hunger for Love which is like you said it’s more of a transition from rapping into R&B. The more soulful sounds more experimental type stuff, but you know with everything that took place in the year 2020 in this country we live in of America. A lot of things I couldn’t ignore, and didn’t feel like Hunger for Love would be the best message to bring for this time. So I decided, I wanted to go with a more classic approach to a rap album. I’m someone who’s highly influenced by L.L. Cool J. And so when I think of a real rap album I think of L.L. Cool J. I’m a West Coast guy and I love West Coast music but I’m just talking about when you look at a album as the epitome of a rap album you want to think about L.L. Cool J. So I took that into my mind and I put together a whole new project. After the corona pandemic came about and after the untimely death and killing of George Floyd and, Brianna Taylor and just the culmination of all of those police brutality deaths. Colliding with the uprisings and protests, that were taking place around the country.  You know that drove me back into the studio to come up with something bigger and better and more fitting for this this period. So what I have is a blended scene on this album. Like I said, it is a rap album but, I’m speaking to this this very very specific moment a history that we live in.

Don Dubb
Dope, I like that. You seem very very versatile. How do you think people perceive your talent ? Would you think they want to consider you a rapper or, Just like all around talent ? Kind of give you a little bit everything.

iAmBillyDee
I think I want to be viewed as an all around talent, that could do anything. I do think that some people are more comfortable with viewing me from a certain, you know standpoint. Some people want to see me as just a singer. Some people want to see me as just a rapper. And then there’s a good number of people who are open to embrace all of the things that I bring to the table, as far as you know my my presentation goes and in the genre of music. So you know, I think there are people who are open to the full play, and then there’s some people who just want to know one portion, and I’m cool with that. You know I have fun breaking the two apart putting them together. This album Abundance, it’s going to be next level. I’m really trying to knock it out of the park, so you know the closer I get to releasing it, I keep going back and fourth. I got a rap record, and I’ve got a singing record, and I’m going back and forth and I really wanted to keep this album rap. But you know I’m saying, I’m seeing some serious stuff creeping in. I want to display it all.  There will be times when I separate the two and only focus on rap or only focus on the R&B just for fun. I think there’s some people that want that, and I’m cool with that.

Don Dubb
Dope. Speaking of creating an album, would you like to collaborate with anyone, And if so who, And why ?

iAmBillyDee

Yeah well, I’m glad you brought that up on this album Abundance. I actually started going down my checklist of people I wanted to collaborate with. So I started with a collaboration with EDI Mean of the Outlaws. He’s been a real good friend to me, and has really come to come alongside me. He’s been there with me as far as his influence as far as his involvement with my crew (Illegal Productions) #illp. He’ll be collaborating with us working on some really dope music and get a little bit of insight from him and some game. And so that’s been a real blessing, so I definitely had to get him on a record. I got him on a real special record, I got him on a track with Fatboy  known all over the Internet and all over social media and was definitely an Internet sensation. All three of us on this record I got on this album called Top Down. And so, there’s this one collaboration that, I’ve been working on for a very long time and it’s not quite done yet, but I’m close. Almost don’t even want to say. But there’s still more surprises coming for this album, there’s going to be a feature on here from a legendary Artist, that’s known from the legendary West Coast hip hop scene from the 90s, G funk era, and this artist is somebody I’ve always wanted to work with super dope with the bars. And once I have the vocals, then I can release the name. I’ve had the conversations and things are in motion, but I can’t wait though. Like I said, I want to work with all the greats! I’ll be honest,  I love all of the new artists, I love what they’re doing and I want to work with them as well. But my first desire if I had it my way. I want to work with the legendary artists. In a real way, I want to work with people who make great music.

Don Dubb
Yeah I actually appreciate that perspective man. Hip hop is actually the only genre that tries to put a date and time stamp on creatives, and people who have broken down barriers and created lanes for artist to continue to do what they do. Couple more questions here, If you could pass on a nugget of wisdom to the next musical generation, what would it be ?

iAmBillyDee
One nugget there’s so much, one nugget…… Figure out if you really want to do this. I say that, because I think some artists like the idea of doing music and the small possibility that they could make it big. But I don’t think that, a lot of young artists have really said to themselves, or had their moment where it’s like I’m in this for life. I think a lot of them look at it, as one of the possible things that they could do. But I just think that this music thing isn’t made for people who are not willing to give it there all. It’s going to demand from me! it’s never gonna leave me. If you’re truly in it, it’s never going to leave you alone. So here’s the nugget! This is the nugget, I got it!

Remove the idea that you can quit. That you can consider whether or not you should quit. Understand, you can’t quit if this is for you. You will not be able to ever quit.

Don Dubb

So, like there is no B plan.

iAmBillyDee

Yeah, there is no Plan B. This thing that will haunt you, and if even if you don’t do it, it will haunt you until you until you surrender.

Don Dubb
That’s perfect! this has been great, and I appreciate your time. I know you working on an album and you’re busy guy but your dropping a video. Can you talk to us about that,  I know it’s a part of the album that we just discussed but just talk to us a little bit about this new single ?

iAmBillyDee
Definitely the single is called “Poppin” and I wanted to release this single first, off of the album Abundance because it does deliver that very message. It’s basically a message of hope. It’s saying here I am. I’ve got everything I need, I’m the source, I’m popping, I’m the one, I’m the source, from which all this poppin and shit is coming from. It’s a declaration, a mantra, it’s motivation, it’s something that you can say to yourself in the mirror. If you go into a job interview you want to stop in a restroom real quick. Get yourself together before you go, and you look yourself in the mirror and say, I’m poppin. Or you go look in the mirror and say I get it poppin, and then go get it poppin in a job interview, or on a job, or playing sports, or if you are performing, whatever it is that you want to do. You do it at the highest level and why not because you poppin you know, Future said, You do what you want when you poppin.

Don Dubb
I dig it! iAmBillyDee out of West Covina. We appreciate your time we’re looking forward to the new music. We gonna keep listening, keep doing your thing. Man, salute bro.

iAmBillyDee

Yes sir. You know, I got to get it right, got to get it right I’m from Covina. There’s a difference from West Covina, and Covina.

Don Dubb

I feel like, you have to clear it up. What is the difference ?

iAmBillyDee

You know, it’s love from both cities, but really I kind of always claim Covina and I do that because everybody just knows West Covina. I claim the city of Covina. You know that’s that’s me.

Don Dubb
Dig it. I appreciate you clearing that up. Thank you.