Featuring Death Starr

Who is Death Starr?

Death Star is an emcee who can make beats, started writing from the age of 13, started producing since 17, started recording since 19, a father of 1, a fatherless bastard, the black.sheep.of the family, an addict in recovery, a gory rhyme sprayer, in touch with reality, all for the love of our culture fam, I'm a really determined emcee literally obsessed with success.

How did you get your AKA?

In 2009, Forbidden Poetry were working on their first single release "Against Us", in the hook I came up with the punchlne, "Fuck with Authority, Fuck with Death Star / we punch you in the face and dislocate your left arm “ we both just spazzed out on the track, I changed my stage name from Ova_Do$e to Death Star from that point, I don’t really feel the name to be honest, im on the mission to change it for the last time after the next couple of projects dropping this year.

What made you choose the career that you are doing now?

Growing up, I always felt alone, outcasted, I heard my first Rap album “Marshall Mathers LP” when I was 11, my dad played it to me, I didn’t understand a dam thing about any of it at the time, yet I thought it was dope, when I was 13, I had some school friends, they battled at lunch breaks, I just started listening to the music at the time, plus 8 Mile just dropped so every “cool kid” in school thought they could spit, they threw me into a freestyle battle, the classic and original type of battle, off the dome to a beatbox, I murked that shit, and I sucked, I enjoyed the feeling of euphoria, I went home started writing, freestyling on my walks home, it started to consume me, then a dude named Joshua who was the school “White Boy” gave me a tape from a emcee called Candyman, iwas hooked to real hip hop from then, on never ending searches of the cultures origins and history, I became obsessed with being the best, my pain and my joy followed me in the form of hard kicks and hard snares, I always wanted to be a sportsman till I wanted to become a emcee at 13, I just pursued and persisted 12 years later im about to drop my 3^rd project, I think about hip hop from when I wake up till the moment I sleep, its just who I am, Hip Hop is my religion.

Tell us more about your typical day.

Shit, I wake up around 5:30/6:00am, I meditate for a short period, trying to connect to a power greater than myself, it’s a new thing I have started doing this year, anyway, I get dressed, wash my face, brush my teeth, I hop on my scooter, I travel from Weltevreden Park to Melrose Arch where I work for the Jetline printing franchise, I am assistant manager there, its my bread and butter, it pays for my hiphop, after dealing with the miserable people of that hood, at 5:00pm I drop tools, I either head to visit my son, or I go to boxing, depending on the days, then at 19:30 I head to N.A meetings come home, play fifa (yeah I'm one of those), shower, eat, sleep . . . . . Repeat, I put mad work in studio over weekends.

What do you do when you are not doing what you regularly do? 

Writing Rhymes, Recording, building with artists, or chillin with my shorty, I never have time to do nothing, my schedules are mad busy

How/where do you see yourself/your work in the next 3 / 5 years from now? 

Lots of hard work and authentic promotion and exposure pushing the limits, continually building with heads that appreciate my music, I see myself travelling Europe, staying in states, recording hip hop everyday until they carry me to the morgue, I have put my entire life on the line for this rap game its bound to pay off.

What songs best describes your work ethic?

Represent – Nas, stands out for me, im not a great Nas fan, but Big Puns “Capital Punishment” is a code for life, it’s the 10 commandments for the way I work.

Which artist/s inspires you locally and abroad?

Locally : Titus Track, Aak.Da.God, Articulate Artists, Uno Dasypher

Abroad : Jedi Mind Tricks, Immortal Technique, Tha Soloist there are too many abroad, but Tha Soloist really gets me inspired, the positive an realness he brings to the table, its unmatched in the game from anyone I have ever met, Darkstarz Records, they my team, the push me everyday, forcing me to elevate.

What is your least favorite thing about humanity?

The value they have for life.

What inspired your song Schizophrenia and how did the collaboration with Vast Aire come about?

I was mad into drugs at the time, I thought of the foulest shit I could say “Vaginas bleed until I bite and eat / leaving only a slight piece left for the next guy to try please “, the track came about when I added Vast on facebook, I showed him the collaboration I recently did with veteran Tragedy Khadafi, he hit me back saying it was mad ill with the skillz, he told me he was best friends with Tragedy, that they recorded at the same lab together, he gave me a proposal to drop a collab with him, I gave him my terms, we met half way on an agreement, 7 months later we dropped the track, the love from heads was overwhelming, the collab opened many doors for me to artists worldwide like : ThirstinHowl the 3^rd, Panetary (Outerspace/A.O.T.P), Pace Won (Tha Outsidaz)

If you were 80 years old, what would you tell your children?

Be honest, don’t let yourself become what people want you to be, as long as you doing the next right thing, your life will be the best it can, love your children and contribute responsibly to humanity even if your alone.

If there was a movie produced about your life, who would play you, and why?

I would play me, cause I want to win an Oscar lol, Best Actor award, haha, but if that was impossible, id say channing tatum, the ladies love him, im sure they love me too , plus dude is mad talented, if anyone says that’s gay fuck them, they not on our level haha, if not Channing, then Jason Statham

What is the funniest thing that has happened to you recently?

I don’t have a great sense of humour, but if I had to pick at straws, it must be how my collab with Pace Won came about, on another occasion, I had a incident with a parktown prawn, my girlfriend and I captured the motherfucker and tried to flush it down the toilet, we approached the toilet, I freaked out as she threw it out and I ran out the bathroom and shut her inside, It was hilarious, for a moment I had to remind myself who was the man in the relationship, those creatures are satan's babies I tell you

Where would you go in a time machine?

90’s Golden era of hip hop

Beer or Cider?

None, Im a recovering alcoholic/drug addict, give me a coke float.

Are you messy or a neat freak? 

Usually messy yo, its unmanageable.

Are you a night owl or morning person?

Night Owl!!!!

Do you have any upcoming projects?

Yeah, My solo EP “Schizophrenia”, My crew Darkstarz Records (NY Based) are dropping a group album called Hells Wrath dropping this year, I have a collaboration with a fellow DSR artist : “MC Saunt & Death Star – Angels Deserve To Die EP” and Forbidden Poetry – Hell Iz Home 2

If you were having a dinner party and could invite three famous people, who would they be?

Eminem, Stoupe The Enemy of Mankind & Samuel L. Jackson

Which three things would you save from a fire in your house?

My hard drive, my xbox & my TV it all works together, im sorted.

What is your favorite holiday spot/food/gadget?

I enjoy visiting my friends farm in Parys, haven’t been there since I was 19, but it’s the serenity that place gives, anywhere outside of the busy city, a change is just as good as a holiday.

What is your most embarrassing moment?

My canibus like choke in the Art Of War battle circuit 4 years ago where I choked so hard youd swear there was a dick in my throat

Last gift you gave someone?

Christmas Time, My son a PS Vita, My Girlfriend some paper towards her tattoo.

If this is our last ever conversation, what words of wisdom would you leave me with?

Do the next right thing homie, never look down on someone unless your helping them out.