DOTmp3

James: DOTmp3 podcast, newest and hottest Hip-hop music podcast to come out of Vancouver. We expose and uncover the music industry and everything that happens behind the scenes. 

In this episode, we will be interviewing an upcoming Vancouver rapper, his name is Castro. We are your hosts⁠—

Von: Von.

Sushane: Sushane,

James : and James. We are the DOTmp3 crew.

Sushane: So Castro, introduce yourself.

Castro: What’s up, my name is Castro, I’m a second year UBC student, I’m studying business. I’ve been making music for like, just about a year. 

I released my first song in September. I have three songs out right now, just been doing shows in Vancouver and it’s picking up, it’s moving, it’s going good.

Sushane: Ok.

Von: So what first got you into music?

Castro: To be honest, it was like a year ago, and I was hanging out with a lot of YouTube rappers or like artists, my boy Knucky and my boy Milan.

And, I don’t know, I just go to studio sessions and see them make music and I was like yo, I can do this. 

And like, I always love making music too, and actually I started kinda as like a coping mechanism to be honest.

Like it was like an outlet for me cus I was going through like, a lot of sh*t. 

I just had to get it off my chest and then start making music, putting it into songs, and then, I don’t know I fell in love with it and then now here I am, y’know?

Sushane: So who or what inspired you to make music?

Castro: Well, kinda like I said, it was an outlet at first, like I was just like, speaking my mind in my music originally. 

It’s all in the vault, and like it’s not in any of my released music, but like that’s how it started, it was kinda, it was just like me venting.

Von: So what genre of music do you wanna make?

Castro: Honestly I tell my friends this like, I’m not even trynna be a rapper and like I’m not trynna be like some pop artist like I just really like making music. 

And like to be honest, I don’t wanna limit myself to a genre, I think. I think it’s better just to make music and like, let it come freely y’know?

Von: Yea.

Sushane: So how will you differentiate yourself from other artists of this genre?

Castro: I think it comes from not trying to make a certain genre of music, like I’m not trynna make like this new wave rap of music,

I’m not trynna make like old rap like, like I don’t know, 

I just try to put myself into my music, and if I’m able to do that, like inevitably it will be unique and it will be my own lane cus no one else is me, y’know?

Sushane: Yup.

Von: So do you see yourself pursuing music as a living?

Castro: Oh 100%, so like right now I’m in sauder, at UBC. And I’m gonna specialize in marketing and then right after school, 

I’m gonna go into the music industry using my marketing knowledge to just go ham, y’know?

Von: So where do you see your career five years from now?

Castro: I wanna be on a world tour bro. In five years, I wanna be on a world tour.

Five years is a lot of time and if i put my mind to it, i don’t see any reason why I can’t, honestly just gotta keep going.

Von: So there aren’t any mainstream rappers from Vancouver, do you think you could change this?

Castro: Y’know, I don’t know. Like I’ve actually thought about that, and to be honest

I don’t really care about being mainstream or not. I think it’s more about like being able to do what I love for a living. 

I don’t know, I just need to like go with the flow and see where it takes me. I would love to be mainstream, I would love to see like, like a niche rapper, like I don’t know.

Sushane: If you could collaborate with any music artist, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

Castro: Okay probably, right now DaBaby. DaBaby would be crazy because like I wanna make a video with him because his music videos are dope y’know? 

So like, we would make a super crazy music video together and make a dope song, and go crazy. 

Castro: Or Tory Lanez bro, Tory Lanez is crazy. Big inspiration of mine cus like, he can rap and sing and that guy is just nuts.

Von: So your song, Life Is Crazy, was released a month ago after the song, Impala. Can we expect future songs to follow this pattern?

Castro: Haha, okay. Yeah I’ll give you like some, insider information I guess, like the way like I’m treating it.

So like right now I’m trynna drop a song every three weeks and keep that consistent throughout the year. 

And in summer, I might drop a project but I’m not sure yet, I’m just gonna see how it goes, but ideally, every three weeks I’m gonna have a song out. 

But this next song is gonna take a little bit more time cus like I just got bogged down with midterms, I fell behind schedule.

But like, that’s okay, I gotta do my school stuff, y’know? 

But like yeah, I’m aiming for a song every three weeks and if it’s longer than that, then I’ll make up for the time and make it even better y’know?

Drop something crazy.

Von: Currently which song of yours do you think is your best and why?

Castro: Okay well by like the stats, by the numbers, Impala is doing the best by far, like by far that song is going crazy right now. 

But to be honest like, my best songs are in my vault right now, like I actually have some crazy songs bro where I’m like singing, rapping, there’s like crazy bars and like

I’m really excited to drop it but, that’s all gonna be dropping in the summer, 

I’m saving all my best music for the summer cus that’s when music goes crazy and stuff, that’s when it all comes up.

Sushane: What are your thoughts on signing to a record label or staying independent?

Castro: You know, y’know that saying where it’s like, wish for the best, prepare for the worst?

Like that’s kinda how I’m treating it like a record label would be dope, but I’m fully prepared to go independent the full way y’know? 

I already know if I get an offer or when I get an offer, I’m not gonna sign the first one because that’s foolish like you gotta know your value in this game  y’know? 

So I don’t know, it’s a business at the end of the day, you gotta be strategic

whatever is the most profitable, whatever is the most lucrative, whatever makes the most sense, you gotta go with. 

I think both options are great but it just depends what you’re looking for and what you’re offered.

Von: So lastly, what impact do you wanna make on people listening to your music?

Castro: Bruh one of the main reasons I make music bruh is not even for me, like it’s for everyone else bro. 

Like I wanna inspire people to do what they love and to chase their dreams bro because like, at the end of the day were blessed living this generation,

we can do so many things with the internet there’s so much knowledge out there. 

Like we’re capable of doing anything and I wanna be able to see that, see me chasing my dreams and hopefully get them to do the same cus why not we got one life y’know, do what you love.

Von: Alright, so that was it. Yo thanks for coming on man.

Castro: No worries bro, I appreciate you guys following me. Yo, I would love to hear the final copy too, if you can send me a copy, that’d be dope.

Von: Yeah, we’ll send it when it’s done.

Castro: Sounds good. Yo also, you guys go to Churchill or what? Churchill? Right?

Von: Oh, Churchill? Yeah we go to Churchill, yeah.

Castro: Bruh, let me know if you can like find a way for me to like perform on your prom bro. I’ll turn that b*tch up we’ll get lit, [laughter]

Von: Alright, alright, we’ll see, we’ll see

Castro: Alright cool, alright keep in touch bro, take it easy man.

Von: Yeah, you too. Thank you.

Castro: Yeah no worries.