HGO:  What's up brother?  I think it's only fitting to start this interview by informing your fans that this is actually our second interview with you, the first one taking place about 18 months ago, however we never got the chance to run the piece mainly due to you leaving your old label BBE.  Are you at will to speak a little about that and how you ended up on Hall of Justus?

DB:  Honestly, all we're willing to say about the BBE situation is that as time went on, it became clear that we weren't on the same page with the label. They offered to release us and we accepted it and moved on. The HOJ (Hall Of Justus) situation was a natural progression from that. I know that Dho (manager for Little Brother) had always wanted to bring me in, but he fell back because we already had a situation with BBE (that flowed from Darien's work on the Pete Rock and Foreign Exchange albums -both BBE releases). Once we left BBE, Dho, Tay and Pooh stepped to us and let us know that they wanted to help us win. So we linked up with HOJ.

HGO:  And the rest is... I'm glad we could shed some light on that, from a fan's perspective it's sometimes good to know the drama artist go through in this industry.  We appreciate you sharing that.  So without further ado, let's start.

HGO: When did you know music was your passion and it was something you wanted to do?

DB: I’ve been singing for a long time, but it actually took me a loooong time to realize I really wanted to do it. I grew up in the church always hearing “if you don’t sing God will take your talent” and I was always saying “I don’t want to sing, I don’t want to sing”  They always wanted me to sing in the church but they never asked me, actually they asked my mother and she would always say yes, without really consulting me to see if this was something I really wanted to do.  I really didn’t appreciate that, I would have rather done anything else but that, but it took me being a part of a program that allowed me to use my talent that made me realize that this was something I actually wanted to do.  I had a good time doing it and I felt like I had a purpose in it.  So to answer your question I would say I was 18.

HGO: So when you knew that you wanted to sing, was gospel your first choice, or did you want to do R&B?

DB: Oh yeah it was gospel.  I couldn’t see me doing anything else but gospel, but when I started being around my peers that did R&B, I started playing around with the idea.  But I figured I had to do it a way that had a certain spiritual element to it.  I went through a lot of transitions but I initially wanted to do gospel.  I mean that’s how I was raised, “don’t do that other stuff” so I didn’t do it.  But after time I stepped out & allowed myself to try other things and I grew.  I didn’t feel like I had to only sing gospel, I could still be an inspiration to somebody just not necessary singing about GOD.

HGO: What musical artist(s) would you compare yourself to now or do you feel you have your own style?

DB:  I’m just me (laughter).  No seriously I wouldn’t put myself in the same box as anybody, but I would say there are people that really influenced the way that I sound.  One person that I know is going to throw people for a loop is Faith Evans.  Just the way that she sings, she has a lot of soul.  Her arrangements are ridiculous and I’ve somewhat patterned myself after that throughout the years.  I’ve picked up other artist throughout the years as well…Brandy, Kim Burrell, Daryl Coley, Commissioned, Bebe & Cece Winans.  Then as I got older I started feeling Donnie Hathaway & Stevie Wonder, but to say I sound like them…never.  I’m sure that people would say I sound like others, because we all listen to the same things and were going to regurgitate some stuff yaknow?  I’ll say that I pattern myself after those above mentioned, but to say I sound like anyone, I can’t say that I do.

HGO: What are your thoughts on Raheem DeVaughn?

Raheem DeVaughn yo...he has stuff on his mixtapes that should be on the radio/his album.  Oh my GOD!!  Folks that ONLY have his album don’t even know the half

HGO: You’re right, I couldn’t have said it any better.

DB:  If he had a class I wouldn’t mind going to it…sign me up, he’s a dope songwriter, he puts on a great show and to top it all off he’s real humble.  I respect his work, I would love to work with him, he could just write my part and I’ll show up in the studio.  He’s that dope.

HGO: That response segways perfectly into my next question, you have Little Brother and Chaundon featured on your upcoming LP.  What other artist would you like to collaborate with in the near future?

Faith if you're  listening (laughter)!!  Holla at me, I feel we can make some beautiful music together, so hop on the site contact me…I mean it’s nothing you let me know.

HGO: Tell me about your experience on the Little Brother tour

DB:  Haaa that was an experience and a half.  It really depends on which one you’re talking about.  The last one was fun, I had a great time.  It was long, very cumbersome, did I mention it was very long (laughter)??  It was a good experience, we weren’t headlining the show, we were opening for Dilated Peoples, which was great, we got the opportunity to enjoy more of our time, we got to do what we wanted to do.  We could walk around after we performed, we “weren’t the show”.  It was busy, but real chill at the same time. 

After the commercial free tour it was really intense for me.  That was the first time I was on the stage by myself, just me and a Djay and I had to carry a show for 20-25 minutes each night and keep a bunch of hip hop heads interested in what I was doing.  It wasn’t even the sound I’m doing now, it was something totally different. So by the time I got used to it, it was over.

HGO: One of my favorite tracks on the album is “I need you”, which initially debuted on the Little Brother/DJ Drama “Separate but Equal” mixtape.  Tell me how that track came to being?

DB: On the bus actually, we were doing the Commercial Free tour and they were playing tracks and that one came on and I was burning inside.  I started dancing and signing.  I basically begged for the track and the guys said we’ll see what we can do.  Months went by and Phonte said he had a surprise for me.  He had a track he wanted me to lay vocals to and meet him at the studio.  I get to the studio and I hear this track, and man I lost it.  I just said “let’s go.”  Whatever vibe you want, let me know I’m ready.

This was actually the point where my style changes in terms of what you’re going to hear from now on.  This track showed me that I’m going to do what I want to do and do it my way.  This is really me and it works.  I wrote that track in less than 30 minutes.

HGO: Have you and Phonte ever thought about doing a 2006 “Best of Both Worlds” LP?

DB: That’s possible, very possible.  “The Feeling” was almost that.  It was half & half.  What you heard on that album was heavily influenced by Tay.  If there was ever another one it would really sound like my first project.  So it’s been done.

HGO: Talk to me about working with Phonte?  You eluted to him being a heavy influence on the “The Feeling” and I know that he has written several songs for you, so touch on him for a minute.

DB: This album is so much different from my first one but at the end of the day I learned so much from him.  I started to learn how to be a better writer, I would still do what I do, but just being around him and seeing how he does things, put a lot of things into perspective.  And I learned I could make things a lot easier for myself if I did this, this and this…I learned that from him.  I learned how to tap into my arranging because of him.  He’s dope.  I would tell anybody, that’s he’s, a dope emcee, but he is so much more than an emcee.  He is a musician, he’s an artist. He has a whole lot of ideas that people I don’t think would even conceive having…he’s phenomenal.

If you reading this Tay, this is the last compliment I’m ever giving you, everything else is going to be Hate!!! (Laughter). 

HGO: How does your career as a singer affect you in your personal life as far as fans, family and time to yourself?

DB: I can’t even lie that’s extremely hard to balance.  I get at least two “hate calls” on my phone a week, about the fact I haven’t called somebody!  As far as my immediate family, I don’t have a problem with that.  There are times when I don’t see them for long periods at a time, but they understand.  I’m the one who doesn’t at times…I’ll call saying “I wanna come home!”  But friends and relationships yeah they do suffer.

HGO: As far as the “hate calling” are you tired of getting the “Hey D I need money” calls?

DB: (Laughing)  I ain’t got no money!!  So I don’t have to worry about that!!  You got jokes, you got jokes, I like that (laughter).  If anything its stuff like “I better get a shot out on the album credits” or “I better get at signed copy, where’s my copy?” Uhh at the store waiting for you on October 17!! (laughter)

HGO: So how long do you see yourself doing music?  Is there anything else you have an extreme passion for?

It’s funny you ask that.  You know they say “You start how you finish”.  Like I said, I started in the church and I think I’ll finish doing something in the church.

HGO: Alright let’s touch more on your new album (Somebody to Love) due to hit stores October 17.  If you were an architect, layout a musical blueprint for your album

DB: Hmmm alright, you are trying to be tricky!!! I don’t do tricky questions (laughter)!!  Seriously though, well let’s say you have three rooms, in the first room you get your dance on, get your sweat on.  In room two, hmmm how can I say this (long pause to provide a politically correct answer)

HGO: Boom Boom Room?

DB: YES!!! This room is the boom boom room.  Use your imagination on that one.  And the last room, is a real chill room, it basically tells various stories on things I have been through. 

All the rooms cover various aspects of relationships.  The first room you are just meeting somebody, in the second you’re real comfortable with this person now and the last room is the “breakup/resolve” room.  That’s how I would design the album.

HGO: As we close out all HGO interviews, we like to add a little outside the box thinking and get a feel for basically what type of vibe you're on musically so with that being said, if you were a mixtape DJ, give me 10 songs that you would put on your mixtape?

DB:

1. Faith Evans – give me the reason
2. Brandy – Necessary
3. Little Brother – Knock Knock
4. Carl Thomas –
5. Beyonce – A gift from Virgo
6. Donny Hathaway – For All We Know
7. Stevie Wonder – Too Shy To Take
8. 112- This Is Your Day
9. SWV – Rain down on me
10. Omarion – Touch (no one would expect me to say that but I’m feeling this track)

HGO: As always, it's been a pleasure, let's do it again soon.

DB: No doubt, thank you.

Darien Brockington's album "Somebody To Love" is available on ITunes October 3 and will be in stores October 17. To learn more about Darien and listen to music from the upcoming album check out these sites:

www.darienmusic.com
www.myspace.com/darienakadbrock