chop dezol

Jennifer Salane: How did you come up with your name, "Chop Dezol?"
Chop Dezol: Chop has been the name I've carried my whole life. I was given the name Dezol because I had a lot of power for my size, plus I like to do it big!
JS: What made you want to become a rap artist?
CD: In the beginning, just my love for music, in the beginning. Now other motivations have come about, and I want to see how far I can take it and prove to everyone that anyone can come from a small area and still do big things.
JS: Did you write all the words to the song about Clemson football yourself? How did you come up with them?
CD: Yeah, it was crazy how easy the lyrics came to me. BeatBangas played the track and I just pictured myself ready to run down the hill, what would be running through my mind and how crunk I would get hearing the whole crowd doing the chant.
JS: Where are you from?
CD: I'm a native of the 864, straight from Anderson, S.C.
JS: Who is your favorite rap artist?
CD: Me! Just kidding, I like quite a few rappers out right now.
JS: Who does your group consist of?
CD: Well, I'm a solo artist, but I am also part of a group called TenMil.
JS: Would you ever do a live performance at a Clemson football game?
CD: I would love to do a live performance at a game, but only if the students and fans requested it. I love a lot of energy at a show, and if they ask for it, I know they'll have that energy I like.
JS: Who is your favorite person you've ever performed with?
CD: It's been a couple, hard to make a choice. I guess anyone from Nelly to Ludacris or the Ying Yang Twins.
- Clemson Tiger News

Self-proclaimed South Carolinas’ “underground legend,” Chop Dezol is focused on saturating the industry and adding his town to the Atlanta based down south movement. Not wanting to just be a hard-core rapper, Chop has added a neo soul flow to his music by working with Eryka Badu and has began adding his name to the roster by going into the booth with fame struck artists such as Sean Paul of the Young Bloodz. From dropping mix tapes to working on promoting his up and coming album the rapper has been running ramped from city to city aiming to bring his up bringing and life lessons out of his music to the ears of the public. And We Love Hip-Hop seeking to keep up with the evolution of Hip Hop took the opportunity to sit down with Chop Dezol for an exclusive interview.

WLHH: What about your life comes through in your music?

Chop Dezol: Everything I guess. My family loved music and growing up in the central house [of my neighborhood] we always had music playing. I took the things around me, my environment and brought it to my music.

WLHH: People tend to categorize rappers, put them in a little music genre box, and hold them to that. How and do you categorize yourself?

Chop Dezol: I’m a southern rapper but I can rap off anything.

WLHH: Who/what do you look to for inspiration?

Chop Dezol: Inspiration comes from………….. everything around me. I make up a song just about every 3 minutes.

WLHH: Describe your up and coming album, “Clubs, Cars, and Corners”

Chop Dezol: Well the title “Clubs, Cars, and Corners is a big part of southern life. You can catch me at any of these places and I have a song on the album representing each of these. For instance the song “conversations” is a real conversation I had between me and a friend, which is a true depiction of what a normal conversation would be like.

WLHH: In order to sell records 50 starts a fight between him and one of his peers, which is his gimmick. Everybody seems to have something that pushes their album to its platinum status, what is the gimmick you chose to use to push yours?

Chop Dezol: I use my performance. When people get a chance to see me, I show them some fly ****. Just me is what will push my album. - Shartyce

At a young age Chop Dezol unknowingly became a product of a culture and a movement known as Hip-Hop. Tagging alone with his older brother Chop Dezol was the baby of the bunch hanging in the streets at local hip-hop clubs and skating rink parties. As evolution would have it, rapping later followed and Chop Dezol was writing his own rhymes, more as a hobby than anything else.

Chop Dezol began taking his craft more seriously securing several tour and spot dates as an opening act with such acts as Akinyele, Ying Yang Twins, Nelly, and several other headliners.

His regional notoriety got him a spot on Akinyele’s single “Down South” on the Octopussy album and, he began showing up on mixtapes across the country. He dropped an independent album titled “Open Bar” late “03” which did well, even recording sells far outside the region with basic street promotion.

Hey Chop Dezol? For those who are new to your movement, let the readers know what’s good.

What it is folk… this ya boy Chop Dezol, South Carolina’s Underground Legend, new to some, well established to others… 4 songs deep with major radio play. A few crazy mixtapes, an album, and a couple of tours and the people just seem hungrier than ever for what I got coming.

Being from Souf Cak, and being that the south still maintains a stronghold on the hip hop game in general, how has the reception of your music been around the country?

When you hear my music it instantly bleeds the south from the tracks to the lingo, but as an artist I bleed hip-hop and I feel that’s one of the main reasons I’ve earned fans in different states, and countries.

The ‘ Pump it’ Record is CRAZY!! How did you and Sean Paul (Formerly Of The Youngbloodz) link and make that happen?

That came about from us having mutual friends in the game that thought we could make a hit, but also from me respecting what he does on a track like “Pump it”.

Being a new artist in the game yet receiving so much notoriety, what have you done to set yourself aside from some of these rappers with a catchy hook and funny dance?

I think the simplest thing is that people seem to actually understand I love the music. I feel I can make a hit record without listening to the radio or studying videos everyday. I can give you the club, the streets, comedy, and knowledge on any track.

Let’s talk straight hip-hop, who you playing in the whip driving through the hood?

Chop Dezol, My team TenMil, new beats, and some old skool playa shit

Top 5 emcee’s, Dead or Alive?

2pac, Andre3000, Biggie, Jay Z, and the boy Scarface

Most influential moment in hip-hop that affected you as an artist?

Getting off a plane in New York City hearing down south music banging hard on the airwaves.

Ok, let’s get back to Chop Dezol now- the single is poppin, what’s the stage show like?

A Chop Dezol show is so crunk, full of energy… damn near a party on stage.

You’ve headlines many local shows and have opened for stars like Nelly, Luda and have been tearing stages down in amsterdam like its a second home, how have these opportunities exposed your music?

Well those cats are platinum artist so you know the crowds they attract, and Amsterdam does feel like home to me now after several visits… my thing is to rock every show harder than anyone else that touches the stage.

What’s the next step on the ladder for Chop Dezol?

Next step is to take “Pump It” to the status of a major hit record, then after that its simple… more Chop Dezol, TenMil, MCS, and 10 ent.

How can your fans or ones that may need convincing check you out?

www.myspace.com/chopdezol, chopdezol.com, and when I’m in your area definitely come to the show….PEACE! - Hoodgrownonline.com

The south is dominating hip-hop as you hear over and over again. Texas is in the game with the all stars in Houston & Dallas, Georgia’s making noise especially in ATL, North Carolina has dope lyricist with Little Brother, Florida is shining brighter each day, but what about South Carolina. These states below the Mason-Dixon line is on the map as each previously mentioned state you can easily name a hip-hop superstar from there with no problem. South Carolina on the other hand, who can you think of that has the state on smash? Nobody really, but they do say in life it’s a first time for everything and its the Palmetto State will earn it’s place thanks to Chop Dezol.

Coming from the streets of Anderson, South Carolina Chop Dezol shows why S.C. is more than just a bunch of country boys running wild. They say the streets are all the same no matter where your from and will make that statement recognized in his musical grind while making a movement. Growing up in a musical family was an advantage for Chop Dezol in which he blends everything he experienced into one sound. Now with the state on his back we will see what Chop has to say and why South Carolina’s got next!



Chop Dezol Quote Nobodysmiling.com : Chop Dezol first off explain the name where does that come from?

Chop Dezol : Well Chop has pretty much been my name forever, that’s what everybody in the streets call me from family to friends period. Everybody calls me Chop, the Dezol came from when cats get the tussling and all that stuff. I ain’t all that big and I wasn’t all that tall, but they started calling me Chop Dezol. Then when I started spitting it came from every time I had to rap I tried to do it big so that’s Chop Dezol.

Nobodysmiling.com : Some people will say South Carolina is very country, so talk about some of the other things that go on?

Chop Dezol : It’s a southern state, I traveled a lot of places man once you get to a level of “Have Nots� that shit is pretty much gonna feel the same to you man. The same stuff that pretty much goes on everywhere down here is all the same man. South Carolina is no different than any other place man especially when it comes to the hoods. We got a lot of Black people so you already know we live in a struggle down here. That’s all I can say about South Carolina, that’s why our music is a little different too because it’s still going down.

Nobodysmiling.com : So what part of South Carolina you from?

Chop Dezol : Anderson man, Anderson, Greeneville, Spartanburg upstate Metro that’s where I’m from.

Nobodysmiling.com : So tell me about your life growing up in Anderson?

Chop Dezol : You know it’s pretty much down pack living. Anderson is 85 South so you already know what it is with the D-game. It’s a struggle especially with the Black people man everybody is staying in situations they are not even aware of. Sometimes you can be in a situation and don’t even know it, because everybody you surrounded with is just like you. When I moved to Atlanta I seen Black people with two stories houses I said “I never seen Black people with two stories houses� they think I’m tripping. It’s different sometimes, but it’s all the same once you get in the hood.

Nobodysmiling.com : Speaking on the South Carolina hip-hop scene is it any different from the other states in the South?

Chop Dezol : The scene is different be...(continued below)


cause were right next to Georgia so a lot of cats want to sound outside of Georgia. A lot of cats like the sound out of Georgia, but when you get down to the actual streets in South Carolina they love South Carolina music. You got a lot of cats doing the music thing and tryna get the state recognized for it. The radio is checking for it now, the streets already accepted it so it’s meant to be like a big push coming through right now.

Nobodysmiling.com : Alright, so being a up-comer who were some of your influences growing up?

Chop Dezol : All the ol’ school cats man from LL Cool J to N.W.A., Uncle Luke, and of course Outkast when they started holding it down in the A. When they came in doing they thing I was very inspired. I always try to tell people I grew up in a musical family, I just have a real love for music. I never really played anything, but if I got a hold of it I can make it do something. I can make my voice do something, I can do something with music, because that’s just me I love music. I’m influenced by all music man.

Nobodysmiling.com : So tell me what makes Chop Dezol a hot artist?

Chop Dezol : What makes me an hot artist first of all for one thing is that I know music. Second I know the streets, third I can rap, fourth I ain’t scared to speak on a certain topic that needs to be spoke on especially as far as my people coming up. What makes me an hot artist is just my swag and I just try to keep within my parameters. I like a lot of music so I might just do a lot of different stuff cause that’s me. I can do club music, I can ride around and let that shit bump in the trunk then I can do corner music. That’s me I’m versatile and that’s what make me hot.

Nobodysmiling.com : Chop Dezol you just mentioned what makes you an hot artist is that you know about the streets. Tell me what do you know about the streets?

Chop Dezol : [Laughs], I know everything about the streets. I know the good shit, the bullshit, I know it all from the good to the bad man.

Nobodysmiling.com : How would you describe your style in hip-hop?

Chop Dezol : My style is definitely southern, it’s southern music man and it’s still hip-hop. It’s southern music, soul music, and street music.

Nobodysmiling.com : Did you ever feel hip-hop was dead?

Chop Dezol : Man I don’t think it’s dieing, but it can go wrong just like every other gang. Hip-hop is bigger than the people doing it and it’s so much money involved it’s starting to get real ugly.

Nobodysmiling.com : What you think is the big difference between the music industry today compared to ten years ago?

Chop Dezol : The money, it’s the money and the product. The product today it’s hard to say, but nobody is taking much focus to make it now, people lack it. That’s the way they giving it to them they kind of want it now. I call it “Microwave Music�, they want it hot now they don’t want that Sunday dinner cooked by they momma no more. Another thing is that it’s controlled by outsiders.

Nobodysmiling.com : Now as far as your music grind what you been working on lately?

Chop Dezol : Right now we got this single out right now we pushing called “Pump It� with my man Sean P of the YoungBloodz produced by Collipark music. Right now we hitting the airwaves real hard, we hitting all the clubs, it was banging in the clubs last night. We just making moves with that right now, we got the ringtone, and we getting out here man.

Nobodysmiling.com : Speaking on that what is next up for Chop Dezol?

Chop Dezol : Next up is making the song number one on 106 & Park, we putting this video together. We gonna take this song real big and after that we gonna do it real big with the album. At the same time we gonna do it real big with the movement and we gonna do the thing for South Carolina. Sometimes it’s not even about me we tryna get the state on and have another way of income for cats coming out of here. It’s a real movement man, it’s bigger than me and it’s hard to make it sound simple. I’m not on that “I’m about to come in the game and kill this shit�. I’m about to do this shit and hopefully a lot more people can eat off of me on what’s being built right now with what we doing.

Nobodysmiling.com : So what will keep you in the game to get you to that top status?

Chop Dezol : If I can do whatever I want to do in the studio, if I can get in the lab and work with whoever I want to work with. It’s nothing to call other cats in the game that you want to do songs with. Like that “I’m So Hood� how all them boys in Florida got together on that song. It’s nothing when ya’ll get together for a song like that. I’m a be doing this everyday whether I’m in the studio writing, producing I want to do it everyday.

Nobodysmiling.com : Do you believe South Carolina is the next state to hold it down out of the south?

Chop Dezol : I definitely believe that man. South Carolina is gonna hold it down, because we make good music. Cats out here is making good music and speaking that real talk. We out here still living out life like everybody else is. Get ready for your boy Chop Dezol, get ready for South Carolina and shout out to that 864. - Quinton Hatfield