Back in 2023, we conducted an interview with Frederick, MD emcee Demetrius about his single “Ridaz”, his background, and his views on the musical landscape in his hometown. In this conversation we catch up with the recently married father of one who has, in our opinion, reached his goals from before. Today, Demetrius has a new 2-pack available, called “You Decide What’s Next”. Here, he opens up about the creative process behind these tracks, the growing emphasis on substantial lyricism, and more.
This interview has been slightly edited and condensed for clarity.
G: The visualizers and reels you’ve made to promote these new singles are minimal but captivating. If I wasn’t already familiar, they would definitely catch my attention. How do you locate the chosen locations?
D: It depends. Sometimes I scope out spots. When I did the record, “Still”, I knew about that spot because GoldLink did like a magazine shoot there, and I never saw anyone else use it again. I was just waiting for the right song. I try to shoot in Fredrick as much as possible, just to represent [my] home. I try not to do the typical local rapper thing: Always being at the gas station, or around section 8 housing to make it look grittier. Let me go where life is. So with [the visual for] “Life Is”, that’s a pond that I’ve been fishing on before, but never thought to shoot there. [One day] I was sitting there with my wife, talking and reflecting about life. At the time, I already had the song in my head, written down and everything. I’m looking around, at the water and lat the skies, and think: I’m going to shoot here. I always try to do it where it not too difficult, because it’s just me, my iPhone and a tripod. I don’t want to have to move around people, run across the street or into traffic for a shot, have something mess it up and have to redo it. Sometimes, I can do a shot, and then the storage would be full, and then you have to redo that whole shot. If it’s a difficult set up then it can be discouraging. I don’t look at any of the footage until I get back home because I try not to let it mess up my mind. [It is an] ‘Anything I come home with, I’ma make it work’ type of thing.
I’m an everyday man, and that’s who I try to represent.
G: Honestly, leading up to its release, I thought “You Decide What’s Next” would be a new full length project. Nonetheless, the songs are both sensual, much less gritty and are “girl” records, for lack of a better description. For something that isn’t your normal style of rapping, was this an exercise in maintaining subject matter? Also, what was the recording process/session like for both records?
D: I wanted to make it a big deal because this one was different – something not really in my wheelhouse. So this one has a full campaign behind it. I’m gonna push this one pretty heavy through the end of February. Even locally, I have an event coming for it, and a book coming. Even if it’s not me posting a song everyday, I’m posting something about it. Right now I have previews of poems at youdecidewhatsnext.wordpress.com.
It (making “You Decide” and “What’s Next”) was way easier, especially because right now in hip-hop, the girl records are pandering. It’s very much like, ‘come get this money girl, you deserve this money’, and I didn’t want [my songs] to be that. From my perspective, this is just a nice date night with my wife, and I’m keeping it spicy and interesting. If someone wants to look at it from their perspective of this being a relationship that is just blooming, or a one night stand, they can do that too. That’s why I didn’t get too detailed. Keeping it on one point wasn’t necessarily on purpose. Their both produced by Witness-a guy I found on YouTube. Honestly, most of my beats, I find on YouTube, still. There are a couple of producers that I work with. Other than that, the majority of them are from YouTube. I heard them back to back. When I heard them, the hook came to me on the first one, immediately. Then on the second one, it’s the same. It was so effortless, that I was like, I guess I’m making girl records. I say that I make “reality rap”, and in reality if you’re on a date, you’re not going to pull a ‘Jim Jones’ and just have money falling out the pocket, you’re going to focus on the date.
I recorded them, one right after the other. I try to move quick in my sessions. I’ll write my songs and make sure that I understand the intention on how I want to say it and everything like that. That may change as I’m recording. For the most part, I try to get five takes and I’m outta there. And we keep it pushing. We sit down, we pick, and then we go with it. I do some comping but I try to keep the flow as natural as possible. I’m an underground rapper with a budget, so if I’m in there for a few hours, I’m tryna knock out as much stuff as possible.
G: What is your view on the current state of hip-hop, where it seems as if there is a greater desire for authenticity and substance. Also, the spirit of competition is still in the air (i.e. Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Joey Bada$$, Mick Jenkins, etc.) and the rappers are rapping.
D: I think it is perfect for somebody like me. I’ll tell you this, and I don’t get to say it often: When I first stated rapping, I wanted to promote other artists for my brand. I didn’t have plans to rap. So starting out, I didn’t care to be nice with the bars. Until someone said that I wasn’t a lyricist. They tried to say it in a nice way, but I didn’t like that they said it. And the competitive nature in me was like, ‘alright, I’ma get this right.’ So, me rapping like this came from me being competitive. Otherwise, I would’ve just been trying to make little hype music. So I love it. I think it’s what’s needed. I hate the idea of some people feeling like hip-hop is dead. I feel like people always say that, and have been saying that for a long time. I don’t [even] think that genre’s die, but I think that the originators can lose them. We watched us lose jazz, country, and rock, for sure. This [rap] can’t be the thing that we lose. I think it’s needed for black culture outside of music. I feel like hip-hop adds so much more sauce to everything that we do.
G : Speaking of Mick Jenkins, he’s recently released a project via Even.Biz (a music platform that allows fans to buy music directly from artists. It’s designed to help artists connect with their fans and give fans early access to new music and exclusive content). What is your take on this method of release, versus traditional ways? Is this an avenue that you’d ever consider?
D: I think it’s a beautiful thing. I think, for people that are built for independence, it’s important. I don’t think everyone is built for independence, so I don’t shame people if they want to get their money elsewhere. For the most part, I would prefer to stay completely independent. So, you have to find ways to make money. People complain about streaming but it is what it is, right?
This [rap] can’t be the thing that we lose. I think it’s needed for black culture, outside of music. I feel like hip-hop adds so much more sauce to everything that we do.
G: What or who do you listen to, if you’re not listening to your own music?
D: Right now, Odeal, and this dude Phabo. I like this new wave of RNB, that I feel like is from the Brent Faiyaz tree. I don’t think people give him enough credit. I try not to listen to rap, for real. I pay attention to more of the underground side of the field because that’s my lane. I have to do my scouting reports.
G: Is there anything outside of music that you do that helps you when you get back into the booth?
D: Life. I’m an everyday man, and that’s who I try to represent. If the listener can’t picture me, they can picture their cousin that was wilding for little bit – got a job at the mill or something – and who now has a family and is taking care of their business, probably doing something on the side to keep stuff up. That’s the person I represent, so living life is kind of how I get inspiration. Me being outside and working; here in Frederick I’m heavy on physical marketing. I’ll hand out postcards, put up flyers, do shows – being active. That all comes to fruition in the music. If I stayed in the crib all day, I probably wouldn’t get anything made.
G: What’s one personal goal and one career goal you have for 2025?
D: One personal goal is just to keep increasing my confidence. I feel like a lot of times we don’t know if we’re good enough. Then it gets to a point – when you realize that you are good enough, but being good enough doesn’t even matter. Now, you have to place other factors into it. All of that takes confidence: being able to do the music videos, certain interviews and photo shoots, going around introducing and networking. I don’t talk to too many people, so having the confidence to explain who I am, what I do, and not belittle myself while doing it or hiding. I can’t remember this lady’s name, but she said “Are you being humble or hiding?”, and you have to ask yourself that. Like, it’s okay to be humble, but you have to make sure that that’s what you’re actually doing.