dp888 – Guidance
ARTIST NAME: DP888
SONG TITLE: Guidance
ALBUM TITLE: Guidance
RELEASE DATE: June 25th, 2021
GENRE: Hip-hop, Drill, Trap
iTunes
Amazon Music
Spotify
YouTube
dp888 is a hip-hop artist and songwriter with heartfelt lyrics, touching melodies, and emotively versatile deliveries. Born Jongho Daniel Peck in Seoul, South Korea on December 9, 1997, he grew up listening to a variety of music genres, including jazz, classical, disco, soul, hip hop, and rock.
After building his musical career as a house/hip-hop DJ since when he was in middle school, he was inspired to alter his path at 21 into becoming a rapper and songwriter after recording an original song for the first time at his friend’s house.
He writes his music from a very honest and personal perspective, which often involves raw and susceptible thoughts and emotions at its core. His music openly speaks about traumatic past memories and the consequential mental illnesses he had to go through. He aspires to keep spreading hope and light to the people who are in similar situations and raise awareness about the significance of mental health with music as the medium.
His latest double single, ‘Guidance,’ released in June 2021, highlights his melodic and emotive versatilities, and the delicate lyrical style that captures people’s ears.
Describe yourself as a musical artist.
Hi. I am a musician who is trying to learn about himself a little better with music as the medium. Yes, I am interestingly boring.
Tell us the genre of your music.
My genre ranges from Hip-hop to R&B and Jazz.
Tell us the story behind your song.
I wrote this song when I was mentally in a dark place. I felt lost and I was questioning everything about myself, who I am, what I am doing, what I am doing all this for, and so on. It was a time of absolute chaos that I suddenly started singing, ‘I need guidance.’ That’s how this song came into this world.
Tell us the problems you are facing as a musician.
Among many, staying consistent is the biggest problem for me. Art production can be a very enduring and energy-draining work. And it is almost impossible to measure progress. So all of these things can be very demotivating for me at times.
Discuss the recording and production of the song.
I did the entire recording by myself. And the instrumental was from a producer I found on the Internet one day. I remember that very harsh 808s, kicks, and the melody, driving me over my limit when I was recording. It was extreme and intense but a special experience.
List the names of blogs, radio, or television stations that have supported you so far.
Blogs like Broadtube, Dats Muzik, and a couple of radio stations in Europe and Africa have supported me along my journey.
Elaborate on your music career, experience, and future goals.
There have always been a lot of ups and downs in my musical journey. But every now and then, that moment of “oh it was all worth it!” type of realization comes to me, and these moments really helped me to get through the uncertainty that often clots my vision. I plan to continue making music, improving music, and expanding my craft.
Brief us on what inspires you to write, compose, and sing/rap.
Everything really. Everything is a source of inspiration. Even the experiences that seem so minuscule can turn out as the biggest source of creativity. So I try to be open to whatever comes into play in my life.
Brief us on the top-secret behind making a hit song.
There’s no top-secret in particular, to be honest. Just being true to your feelings and thoughts at the moment is really the most that we can do as artists. As I often tell myself, the rest is up to God and his plan for each of us.
Tell the advice you will give to an upcoming artist.
Don’t just try to mimic your favorite artist. Mimicking can be a great starting point but it can never take you to the next level. So always be open, be courageous and experiment with your creativity.
Discuss at length your music careers, albums, songs, tours, recognition, or awards you might have received.
One of my songs was once added to Spotify’s editorial playlist. This was a great achievement for me.
Name your favorite artists for collaboration.
Woojin, my fellow brother, is my favorite artist for collaboration. We know each other too well and our styles are both special and unique but different so that they perfectly complement each other when put together. Check out a song called “Motor Boat” and “Shut Up” to see our chemistry. I dream to collaborate with 6lack and Dave one day in the future.
Discuss music promotion and how you are boosting your fan base.
I contact as many curators, bloggers, producers, DJs, etc. as I can. I feel like you have to be like a factory of your own if you are trying to promote your music. Laziness and doubt are the biggest enemies when it comes to promotion.
Tell us how you manage other activities with your music career.
I incorporate using weekly to-do lists and my mobile calendar to make sure I finish up things that are important for me. When involved in various activities, it is so hard to be lost in the void.
State your artist’s name and elaborate on it.
dp is the initials of my full name, Daniel Peck. And the two lower-case letters juxtaposed reminds me of the duality of this world. Number “888” comes from my wish to catch something that is eternal; something that lasts forever; something that is infinite—thus, the number 8. And the repetition of the number three-time s was intended to highlight such a wish.
State the title of the song and the meaning.
The title of the song can be taken literally. It stemmed from the feeling that I need guidance in order to sail through this journey called life safe and sound.
State the title of the album and the reason for choosing the title.
‘Guidance’ is the title of the album. I chose this for the song Guidance is the main track of this album.