[INTERVIEW] MIKE DIMES TALKS TEXAS + TOURING

Mike Dimes is one of my favourite new rappers tearing up the scene from the inside out. Still fresh off his May release of debut album ‘DLOG’, his lead single, ‘My Story’ has been racking up millions of plays. Mike Dimes brings us witty, well-crafted verses over dark, hard-knocking beats while still remaining fresh. The 10-track album introduces us to the world of Mike Dimes, with only two features, both from friend and collaborator FlexOnDaTrack. The San Antonio rapper has big plans for the future. In 2021 he plans on going on tour and with a spot on the lineup for JMBLYA 2021, expect to see Mike Dimes everywhere soon.

So you just released ‘DLOG’ a few weeks ago. What does ‘DLOG’ mean?

‘DLOG’ is an abbreviation for Double Lamb OG. I’ve been going by that since like high school, it’s a name. I’m Mike Dimes and ‘DLOG’ is the alter.

It’s a 10 song project. You only have two features on it from the same dude, FlexOnDaTrack. How did that friendship come about?

Flex is my dog. I’ve known him for like three years. When I first started music, I met him at a show we had in San Antonio, TX. While I was performing, he would yell like, “we got to do a song together.” I remembered him and we’ve been working since, I’m featured on his album coming out soon too.

Why did you choose him?

I don’t really like other rappers music like that. Me and him, his voice and my voice on the same song go together well. So it’s a good contrast, we work good together, that’s why I chose him.

What does ‘My Story’ mean to you?

‘My Story’ is my story. It’s me explaining in the most detail as I can while making it entertaining. Talking about how I’m a fly dude, and a lot of people don’t like me but it is what it is. I’m just telling a story, in the hook it’s like “Leave my house, they tried to jump me, this no lie, this a true story.” It’s me explaining it in a cool way.

It’s a loud and booming song, but I feel like the track itself is pretty minimal, it’s mostly just you and the beat. What was that session like when you were recording it?

I found the beat like a day before I went to the studio. I went in there, I didn’t preview it to nobody. I just said, “Alright we’re about to go to the studio, y’all are going to hear it live with me.” I recorded it and they were telling me it goes hard. I was telling them, this was going to be the song that blows up out of all the songs ever made. You know how most people would be like, “Yeah I heard that before.” When I said it, I meant it and the results came true later on.

Then you followed it up to with ‘My Story Pt 2’. It’s more cinematic. The beat gives me Meek Mill ‘Dreams and Nightmares’ vibes. What made you decide to switch it up for the second one?

Because the first one was very amped, serious and grungy. I wanted to make the second ‘My Story’ a complete contrast to the first one. So people understand that there are more sides to go through.

I saw that you’re on the JMBLYA lineup this year with artists like Future, Gunna and Lil Tecca. How does it feel to be getting back into live music?

Man, it’s a blessing really! My first shows were local shows and now my first show in like a year and a half is on this big stage. It’s crazy, it’s exciting.

What’s your favorite thing about performing?

The crowd. Seeing how the crowd responds, even if it’s just one to 10 to 100 people. Even if one person in the crowd vibes with your music, it’s a feeling nobody else can really explain.

One of my favourite songs of yours is probably ‘Labels Callin’. Obviously you’re independent right now, is that a route that you plan on sticking to or are you taking label meetings as well?

There’s meetings every now and then, but it’s whatever I feel comfortable with whether it’s the indie or with a label. I’m unsigned right now, but it just depends on whatever feels comfortable.

Are there any Southern rappers or artists that you have been influenced by over the years?

A lot of people from the South in all honestly. My Mom is from Georgia, Dad from Virginia, East and South from them and the West is from some of my friends I met. From the South, there was a lot of them in the scene early on; Mike Jones and Paul Wall. Those are the two that had the biggest impact on me from the South.

When you were first starting to rap, were those the people that you were listening to?

No whenever I first started getting into rap, it was Tupac, A$AP Rocky and Joey Badass. Those were the big three, then 50 Cent along the lines too, it was really East Coast.

What’s something that you feel like you don’t get enough credit for?

My music. My music, in my opinion is better than most people’s favourite rapper. I just don’t get the attention everybody else gets, it’s really an underdog statement, my music. I just wish my music got more appreciation.

What is your favourite thing about San Antonio or Texas in general?

I mean, I really don’t be going out. If I’m going out it’s really just to the studio, my favourite thing is probably my group of friends. I’m a military child, I’ve been moving around all my life, this is the longest place I ever lived. So all the friends I’ve made, we made a family out of it. That’s probably my favourite thing, just chillin’ with them all the time, making art.

Is chopped and screwed like still a big thing out in Texas?

I mean yeah it’s still a thing, you just have to find the right parts of the music industry that make it still. People are always doing chopped and screwed [versions] of big songs on YouTube. Somebody made a chopped and screwed version of ‘My Story’. Any song you look up, there’s a chopped and screwed version of it. Texas had a big influence in all that and still does to this day.

Did you get a lot of trouble when you were a kid?

I just did whatever I felt was right. Everybody might think it was wrong, but if I think is right, I’ma do it. I don’t know, I was used to doing that. It turned into me just being like, fuck the world, type of thing. I do what I want.

You said in one of your songs that you have you been the game for three years, what would you consider the start of your career?

The first song I put out, my very first song. I thought it was going to blow up, like every song I ever put out I thought was going to be the one, but I didn’t really care too much about it because I still like my own music and I don’t care if anybody else like it because I like it. I’ve been taking it seriously from the first song I dropped.

When you first started did you have a home studio set up or were you going to studios?

One of my old friends, his older cousin had a home studio set up, but it was like a nice home studio. I just went over there and recorded stuff, probably like a year after I started looking into real studios.

What can we expect from Mike Dimes this summer and for the rest of 2021?

Better music, everything is times 10. All my new songs coming out will be way better than anything I’ve dropped before. More shows, more interviews, you’ll see me more.

Besides JMBLYA, do you plan on going on tour?

Of course I don’t know where yet, but I plan on it.

What’s something that you’re excited for right now?

Just going to the studio, making trips to make more music. That’s the only thing that really excites me, making more music.