INTERVIEW: DOPE' DOUG

- Could you introduce yourself?

 Hi, I'm Dope'Doug a.k.a DD7. Nice to meet you.

-As you told us your next single will be pre-released on the 26th. What can you tell us about it? What is it talking about?

 The track is called "HELLO?" and it's a single cut from the upcoming album. Every goodbye in the world is bound to ache and sting. Sometimes the scent of a bygone love brushing past makes us reminisce on memories. "HELLO?" is a story about the inexperienced love we truly share for the first time. 

-What was your state of mind while writing it? 

 It wasn't about regrets or feeling sorry for myself. It was more of a resolution for myself. 

-When we listen to your songs we feel an emo-rap/rock kind of influence. What is your favorite musical style?

I'm just doing music that can express who I am in its entirety. I don't like to be restricted or defined to be one genre. I don't really care about genres of music. If I like it that's all that matters.

-Then how could you describe your musical universe? 

I don't talk about some grand scheme of things in my music. I just talk about the emotions and what's on my mind as I carry on and I sing about love - not just between lovers but any form of love. 

Life gets faster and faster. People chase the next stimulus and obsess over how they appear. That may be why our life can be excruciating. I merely center myself and put all my senses on the fundamental values.

-What is the most difficult part when you write a song? What are the subjects you are used to write about?

As I write my lyrics, I always think about whether it is my true self and if there are any lies. Even if I could only live for 1 second, I want to live as myself - that's all.

-As you talk about your pre-release single and as you released two single "Better" and "Hanui" sooner this year, can we expect an album soon? Is there something that you can tell us about it?

"Better" and "Hanui" are unrelated to the album. No comment on the album just yet!

Thank you for receiving us. To conclude are there any tips you can maybe give to someone who wants to do music and write his own songs? 

I have some things I wanna say though it's not just about music. People I look up to and respect always say "follow your own path." To be honest, I still don't understand this 100%, but the way I look at that saying did a complete 180 from last year. It might sound easy and predictable but it's really important. You have to be able to fully follow your own path. When you can't do so and can't understand or accept yourself you start comparing yourself to others and bring yourself down. It's like you're choosing to be in agony. The key to happiness is simple. Even if I were to live for just a second I want to live as myself and nothing else. 

Lastly, for fans abroad who like and support me, I really appreciate you all and I am working on English, Japanese, Chinese and other subtitles for the lyrics. A friend of mine named Subin is helping me to translate in English and I would like to take this opportunity to thanks her. For every existence on Earth that likes the artist called Dope'Doug from Korea, thank you and I love you.