A conversation with MC/music producer D-CYPL

We ares sharing our recent interview with Christopher “D-CYPL” Collins, a NJ Based MC/Producer.

Twist Online : First of all please introduce yourself to our readers.
D-CYPL : I am D-CYPL a MC/music producer for many genres. Along with producing I am half of the duo Jersey Advocates which includes myself and Lyrical Justifier. I am also half of the group MK836 which includes myself and Brother Noyze the Mad Musician. Also I’m am one fourth of the group Legion of Rhyme which includes myself LJ, Brother Noyze and Jus Julez.

Twist Online : Who or what inspired you to get into music industry?
D-CYPL : I was first inspired by some of the greats like KRS-ONE and of course Biggie. I also was and still am a huge fan of Big Pun and Black Thought and The Roots. In fact Pun and Black Thought inspired a lot of my style. But what inspired me to get into the industry was really at around 14, 15 years old me and my brotha from anotha motha Lloyd or La Murda as I call him both declared that we would be a great duo in music. He the producer and I the MC. Of course he ain’t quite pursue it like myself so I wound up having to go and jus’ play both roles myself. So when I was in college LJ actually approached me about getting studio time and getting some stuff recorded.

Twist Online : You are part of two Duos. Tell us more about that?
D-CYPL : Well MK836 the group I have with Brother Noyze is a Trip Hop group. Although we are far from limiting ourselves to one genre. We do all kinds of music hip hop, rock, soul, jazz, r&b. Really whatever sound we need to complete a record we tap into and achieve so that we can make these songs come to life. Jersey Advocates the hip hop duo I am in with LJ (Lyrical Justifier) are about consciousness. We have a message and use a lot of different styles of music to abapdt it to own brand of hip hop, to Express our message about how we feel about the state of things today. And the system that doesn’t exactly work for the people it claims to exist for in the first place. But we are not anti spitting dope bars or makin you get up out ya seat to party.

Twist Online : Tell us about your release “For The Cause”?
D-CYPL : For The Cause is my first independent project. It is something I have worked very hard on and is near and dear to me. I was working on a mixtape to have something to promote for my part in an upcoming top secret hip hop project for the label. I was working on all the singles and bangas and I was running short on time. My job’s peak season was coming up SO I just said to Noyze “You wanna jus release all these this stuff as an EP?”. He agreed and there you have it. I also made another decision creatively. I chose to go it alone intentionally and not have any features. In the past the featured artists we’ve worked with because they’re so talented are so booked up and even though we have creatively made up for it via replacing verses with creative DJ skills or some of the incredible musicians we’ve had doing solos. I still wanted to be able to do complete songs in person at a live show and have a small catalog of the them to chose from. So yeah, that’s how it all got formed.

Twist Online : What kind of response you have received from the release?
D-CYPL : A little slow start but people are starting to tell me how much they like it and that’s amazing. A lot of people in my life have asked me when I will get my turn to tell my story my way. I think that this project is showing that I can stand on my own two as an individual which is something I’ve always believed. My story will really be told with this mixtape and album later this year. But being apart of incredibly dope collabs is one of the best things. That’s why I like being apart if the groups I’m apart of. Like MK836 with Brother Noyze and Jersey Advocates with Lyrical Justifier. Also why I like the project coming up with all three of us and Juzt Jules.

Twist Online : What’s the best part of being a music artist?
D-CYPL :
Obviously, getting to express yourself. I can always be me in my rhymes. That usually gets me into a little to a lot of trouble in life. Still embracing and getting lost in music and/or rhymin’ is one of the greatest things in the world. So just getting to be apart of the art is probably my favorite thing about being an artist. Of course gettin’ a check out if it isn’t all that bad though.

Twist Online : Have you set some goals to achieve?
D-CYPL : Right now the goals are just to release our top secret project. Also getting the mixtape and album out so people can appreciate everything we’ve done and will do. And hopefully getting to quit my job to support myself doing music and the other projects I’m working on cause I’m doing them full time.

Twist Online : Are you working on any new project?
D-CYPL : Right now I’m just working on the on releasing the MK836 material me and Brother Noyze have worked on. Possibly a new Jersey Advocates project. The album, mixtape I mentioned and of course the top secret projects Mindless Sound Records have coming up.