We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Altodzi a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

AltoDZI, appreciate you joining us today. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

I actually had no interest in music growing up. I was born in New York and raised in Korea, moving constantly back and fourth. I always felt like I was a foreigner in either countries and spent more time trying to get used to my surroundings rather than pursuing my interests. It was not until my first year of college where I started having an interest in music. It was by complete coincidence that I started on this path. I was playing a game on a live stream when a viewer reached out to me and asked if I wanted to try making a song. I said yes and he became a sort of mentor to me. I made my first song with his help and things moved fast from there. I quickly realized that being an artist is much more than just making art, it was business. For me to be successful as an artist I figured I would have to explore the industry more. I made the very tough decision to leave the college I worked so hard to get into, and my home in New York to pursue my career in California. I actually only started music 3 years ago so I am very new to the industry. I really wish I started earlier because I still think I lack the experience needed to express myself fully. I am going to be debuting with a Kpop group in early 2025 and I wish I started much earlier to prepare for it. I think if I found my passion for music earlier in life I would be much further in my career today and would have been able to seize every opportunity I’ve been given.

AltoDZI, 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?

Hello! My name is Brian but I go by the artist name AltoDZI. I am a rapper/singer from South Korea. I initially started as an independent artist in my small apartment in New York but gradually grew into owning my own label, Klepto Records, and pursing a full time career in music. I am currently preparing for my big debut as a K-Pop idol in early 2025. I started in this industry 3 years ago and have been creating music in my bedroom since. I also own a record label that strives to help artists meet likeminded creatives and help them become financially independent. I am very proud of my work as an artist and also the artists that I have mentored. If there is one thing that I want people to know about my work it’s that I wouldn’t be here today without the help of everyone that supports me. I am a perfectionist at heart and it’s very hard for me to publish work, without my friends there to pressure me into releasing stuff I would have never even began this journey.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I think for me the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the fans. Music was one of the main ways I would cope during hard times in my life.. One of the many reasons I decided to become an artist is because I wanted to make the music that helps people push through hard times. It’s very rewarding to meet or receive dms from fans that tell me that my music helped them. One particular DM I’ve received that motivates me is someone that told me that one of my songs is their “relationship song” and that it helped them bond with their significant other.

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

When I first started out I was very picky about my work. I needed everything to be perfect, and so I spent a lot of time and energy learning everything that has to do with music production. I produced, engineered, wrote, edited, and pretty much did everything. One day I realized that I was being stretched too thin and that I should learn to work with others. I spent a very long time trying to unlearn the idea that I had to do everything myself. Now I have a team that helps me create things that I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to make.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/altodzi
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7gCjL1hRCiuzLdjTeKgBZX?si=uepvvERARwehTnvBkY9GqQ

Image Credits

Luis Morales