Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dope Chris Taylor. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Dope Chris thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

How did you learn to do what you do?

Singing along with my favorite songs from other artists. Not just rap music, but any song that resonates within me. Trying to feel the same emotion that they had when they sing/rap their song. Once I started creating songs, I tried to fill my music with those same emotions.

Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process?

Creating a structured Writing process. One of the lessons/drills that elevated my style was Cole’s writing. In gist, 1. Journal your thoughts to clear your mind. 2. Start with writing a 16 bar verse with simple rhyming at the end (Keep rhyming the same word). 3. Copy another artist’s flow on their song. After that, I’ll start diving into Panda’s (My producer) beat folder and start writing.

What skills do you think were most essential?

Perseverance, Consistency, Execution, Courage, and Adaptability. Those are the abilities that separates artists that are living full time of their craft vs. artists who are not. Truth be told, I still tend to struggle with these essential skills. But I try to take it one day at a time, set reasonable and attainable goals, ride my momentum, and celebrate my wins along the way.

What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

Honestly, the biggest obstacles for me was trusting the process and self doubt. I would always try to come up with the most clever lines, rap super fast, and aim to be the artists who influenced me the most ( Outkast, Eminem, J Cole, Wale, Papoose, Lil Wayne, I could go on and on). I wouldn’t enjoy the creation process because I didn’t feel like I was enough.

Dope Chris , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I feel like I’m a normal person that’s betting on his self and his dreams. That’s all.

I was always surrounded by music growing up. My mom’s favorite rap artist was Biggie. She would say catchy rhymes growing up (Ex – Know what I mean, Jellybean?). I had different family members who also were music artists. Even being exposed to all of those elements, I didn’t have the confidence to actively pursue it. I ended up playing percussion in the band. I kept up with percussion with different drum corps for over 5 years after High Schools. After I started working a professional career, one of my coworkers wanted to make music with me. While I was reluctant at first, I finally took him up on his offer. We made a beat, which nothing came out of it. But that was the catalyst to start me on my rap career.

The one thing I take pride in is in my work ethic to get to this level. I failed multiple times in songwriting, performing, practicing, everything. I didn’t let that detour me from respecting and trusting the process for growth. So for any event, I give my undivided attention to prepare for the event.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to unlearn that I can do everything on my own. That’s some I genuinely struggle with struggle. For my first project, I started off doing everything for myself. Writing, Producing, Recording, Designing Cover Art, etc. I didn’t lean towards any help. Fortunately I was able to set my pride aside and seek out help from my friends who are were able to do tasks better than me or link me to someone who can perform the task better me.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I’m a firm believer of beginner’s luck. When I first made the first version of “Lovedrug” (My first song created), my perception was that everyone loved it and was instantly fans of my music. In reality, everyone was supportive of the journey and wanted to see how I grow. When I started releasing more and more content, I was getting less and less interaction. That hurt me. I was questioning where was the love. I had to ask myself would I continue to work, grow, and grind if no one noticed. I stepped away and started working on my craft. I’ll pop out to show off the progress for a little bit and go back to the lab to continue to learn and grow.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.dopechristaylor.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dopechristaylor/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DopeChrisTaylor/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/DopeChrisTaylor
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPBkAA0I3wf30JBCn1oAT8g/featured

Image Credits
The Kodak K Wes Kevin Stacey Frazer