24: Introduce yourself for everyone who doesn’t already know who you are.

Royal: Hey what’s happening? I’m Royal, up out that Dallas, Texas by way of Garland. Working on a couple of things for my people right now, let em’ know about it, Platinum Starz Entertainment, ya know, I’m gonna set it off for us, and we got a slate coming for ya’ll from there.

24: Before we get into your music, can you describe your history about how you got into the music, and what inspired you to start rapping?

Royal: Man, just growing up, the Hip-Hop culture, I got captivated with that basically since it started. I’ve grown up on Hip-Hop, growing up on music period, but specifically Hip-Hop. When you’re young, you listen to your parent’s type of music, the O’Jays, the Marvin Gayes, but you know when Hip-Hop came out man, it just took over everything. It was just that shock, and you wanted to be a part of it. It started with the dancing, beat boxing, and all that type of stuff, and eventually it started with putting the pen to the pad and it developed from there.

24: You mentioned the Hip-Hop scene when you were growing up. Who were your role models? You grew up in Texas, so who did you listen to on that side?

Royal: We was on it from the beginning, we were on it from the start. It was a lot of music coming from Texas; we had DJ Yella and DR. Rock, Nemesis. Even the DOC, he went out there to Cali, and wrote for the NWA artists. You know he’s from here; he’s from West Dallas, so you know we kind of already had our mark on it from that aspect and from there it’s a lot of talent in Dallas. A lot of people aren’t exposed to it, but we got people around here man, and its developing and getting bigger and I hope to be one of the ones to take it to the next level.

24: What makes you unique as an artist and different from other rappers out now?

Royal: I’m trying to bring a little sophistication to it. It’s a lot of would be’s out there right now, and I’m not saying they’re lacking it, but I feel I can bring a level of sophistication to it that’s different from everybody else. My experiences have kind of shaped and molded me, and I’ve been into a lot of different things, and the sophisticated aspect of a lot of stuff is what attracts me, and I’m hoping that’s what attracts people to come and check out my music and support it.

24: So for the fans, could you describe your style and your genre? Who would you say you’re most likely to sound like, or do you have an original sound?

Royal: I mean, I got a lot of influence, but I wouldn’t necessarily say I sound like anybody. I listen to everything, and I’m influenced by the Jay Z’s, and the Faces (Scarface), to the Ludacris’s, so according to the beat and according to the music that’s really how I’m going to go. If I get on the east coast beat, I’m gonna feel it that way, and if I get on the west coast beat, I’m gonna feel it that way. So I really don’t wanna say I sound like anybody, because I try to cater my lyrics to the music, so it’s kinda hard to mimic somebody when you kind of specific with your task.

24: On that note, I’ve talked to a lot of rappers in the past, and when they listen to the beat, they say the beat speaks to them and tells them what to write, does the same method go for you or do you have a totally different aspect when approaching writing?

Royal: Basically when that beat comes on, sometimes when the beat comes on, within the first few bars I already have a hook that can stick. Some beats you can attack them a few ways. You might be able to talk about a female in a good way, sometimes you might be able to talk about a female on the slick stuff they are on. Sometimes it starts around an idea and kind of just see what fits, what would be more appealing for the people so they’ll go check it out.

24: We already have two of your singles on the site; we have “Live It Up” and “So Beautiful.” Those are the two you’re pushing right now; can you describe those two songs for the fans so we have an in-depth idea of what the songs are about?

Royal: Yeah, I got a business partner up in Canada, and I’m down here in Texas. And his daughter actually was dating a producer from Edmonton, Canada, who was living in Toronto where his daughter lives. So, they sent me some production, I liked it, we flew him down and got to work. Naturally he’s from Toronto, so it’s something completely different from what I’m used to down here in Texas. So he put the beats down, and he gave me “Live It Up” and he basically had this type of beat that caters more to a worldwide type of audience, so kind of focus your lyrics towards that. Kind of the same thing with the other track “So Beautiful”, it’s slow, it’s grimy, it’s bumpin’, and that’s for the females at the shake joints, and the late night girls. I kinda catered that one towards them. Both of them got a universal appeal, both of them are kind of directed a certain way, but they both got universal appeal, and I feel my boys in the hood can bump “Live It UP”, and somebody with a Rolls Royce in Beverly Hills can bump “So Beautiful” just the same, but its more for the grimy clubs, and “Live it UP” is more for the uppity clubs.

24: Which one is getting more feedback and would you say, people are feeling more?

Royal: I’m getting a lot of feedback on both of them. “Live It Up” is the one were kind of pushing right now, we’re ready for radio play and we’re trying to hit more masses, so “Live It Up” is the one we kinda put more energy in. We released “So Beautiful” as a trial right now, so “So Beautiful” is about to start doing the same thing on the street. You know, on the street level, the shake joints, and our other spot where we can spark up in. And then “Live It Up” we’re about to start hitting the DJs, a lot of cats asking for it so… the movement is starting.

24: So are those two singles following an album, an EP, or a mixtape that you want to talk about?

Royal: Yeah, they’re actually remixes from my EP I was working on. I got a cat that I’m working with, shout out to Mark, M5 Music. We sent the original track to him, and he a singer named Sym, shout out to Sym, so they ended up asking for the instrumental without the lyrics on it, and Sym kinda took it in a whole different direction. Mark kinda remixed the beat, re-arranged it and put Sym on it, and from there I basically kept my lyrics the same, but he changed the hook and put his touch on it, and it did something good for it.

24: Besides the producers that you’ve already worked with, who are the producers you would like to work with in the future who are already in the industry?

Royal: Right now man, I got a cat named Jesus Bobe, shout out to Jesus, he gave me a clean track that I’m about to kill. On the real, somebody I really like to work with, Kanye on some production, and Jermaine Dupree. Not dissing anybody else, but specifically if I could get in the studio with them cats right there, I think some crazy stuff can come out of it. I like versatility, and I know Kanye is gonna bring it his way, and he’s gonna bring a whole different aspect than Jermaine can, and Jermaine got the cats that can do the hooks as far as the Jagged Edge’s and stuff like that, so I can see that going in a whole different direction as well.

24: What about features? The ones that are coming up in your city, the Texas artists, or it can be anyone else?

Royal: If anybody wants me on something with them, I feel I have the versatility to deliver. Taylor Swift wants something, I got something for her, Katy Perry or Rihanna want something, I got something for them. Tech N9ne want something, I got something for him.

24: How do you feel about the current state of the Hip-Hop scene?

Royal: I really think the Hip-Hop scene is always cool. If you get out there and look for different kinds of music, you’ll find it. You know people gripe about what’s on the radio, but it’s so much technology, and so many programs and apps out there, and you can find different kinds of genres of music that you could listen to. If you want some pop rap, you can get out there and find it, if you want streets, you can get out there and find it. All that is right here and I know that, I’ve seen that. I do shows with cats who have a whole different style than me and still killing it. I know that all different types of music are available, and if they really want to support it, they have to get out there and find it.

24: So outside of the music, what else are you working on right now?

Royal: Besides the music, I did a couple of plays last year. I was really into the acting before I got into the music. I’m gonna extend that aspect. I’m behind the scenes writing for artists, working on scripts and all that type of stuff. And then you know I got my businesses with my people that I’m working on. Actually, we got a spot on the internet radio station, and we gonna be kicking that off on February 27th. Shout out to my people, Da Beast Crew, Lyons Foundation, and Cpod Gear. So I got my foot in a bit of everything. Nowadays, with the money the way it is, you have to be dipping and dabbling in a little bit of everything to make it add up. And I think now days to be considered a successful hip hop artist, they looking for us to be involved in a lot of successful aspects, not just in music. They get it in clothing lines, they get it in the liquor companies, and they got clubs. I think they’re expecting that from us. They’re not looking for us to be walking around showing that we throwing money, they wanna know we’re getting it at the same time.

24: You mentioned that you were acting. You want to plug the movies you’ve been in or are about to be in or can you not talk about that?

Royal: Right now, I’m around getting in plays and getting an understanding of the craft. You know in plays, there are no cut or redo this, so you really have to be on your stuff when that curtain opens. So I’ve been around, training on that. If bigger roles come along, I feel like I’m at the stage now, where I feel I can accept it and I won’t mess myself off. Cuz it’s a lot of cats that get in movies and you can tell they’re not ready. They go right on the big screen and you just wasn’t ready for it yet, and it might have hurt your chances future wise to get bigger and better parts. So I’m just trying to get the craft down, and once I feel like I can really present it and stick with it and start getting some sufficient stuff around as far as roles, I’m gonna step it up.

24: Basically you started with the play aspect and you’re doing theatre before you get into motion pictures?

Royal: Yeah, like I said, there’s no “stop,” “cut,” “redo that scene,” if you mess up, you mess up. You better be on point. I think it should go a long way eventually for me.

24: You stated that you also write scripts and songs, and I respect that. I write also, so I know where you’re coming from.

Royal: Yeah, that’s my stuff there man, I developed that at an early age with my mom. Our birthdays we’re real close together and our point of views often clashed for some reason, so we had to develop a system where we used to write letters to each other and slide them under the door. And that was the way we would get out and discuss what we were disagreeing or had a problem with. And from there it went to writing rhymes. You know, I’m a lyricist, I try to say something in it, besides just this and that, so that’s where it developed for me being able to really express myself.

24: So where do you see yourself going in 2012?

Royal: 2012, I see the masses, trying to learn about Royal daily. I see the masses open their eyes to what I can bring to the game. And once I’m in, I’m in. I got the team around me. Shout out to Wynstar Marketing. My boy Ray, I got Mark at M5 Music, my partner Bone with Platinum Starz Ent./Royalty Records up in Canada. I feel I got everything around me to where once I’m in the door, I’m gonna stay in there and make some bigger and better moves.

24: So when will the world get to see a Royal debut album?

Royal: I’m looking at mid March, right around spring break, I’m planning to drop that mix tape. Then as far as the album, we looking at late May, memorial day weekend sometime around there or early June.

24: What’s the name the of the mixtape, that way the people will have an idea and they’ll look for it as soon as it is released?

Royal: Man, I’m gonna get back at 24HourHipHop.com as soon as I figure it out. We got a couple of titles and a couple of drawings and stuff for album covers, so we just kind of going through it and seeing what’s the best thing to give the people. Soon as I got all that figured out, I’ll get back with 24HourHipHop and I’ll let the people know that so they can be checking for it.

24: All right, so how do the fans get in contact with Royal?

Royal: One way is we got the website, PlatinumStarzEnt.com. On twitter at @RoyalDayleon, Dayleon is spelled the black way, you know how niggas do. Facebook.com/RoyalDayleon. And that’s it; I got a few avenues for ya’ll to get with me. Go to the website, got videos, got the free downloads, updates, and whatever I’m doing on twitter is right there on that page so you can keep up with that right there, reply and whatnot. I’m going down to sunny South Florida shortly, doing some more work down there. In the meantime, be around here in Dallas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas, getting my people on the team.

24: Thank you for providing 24HourHipHop with this exclusive interview. Do you have any last words for your present and future fans?

Royal: Get on the team, stay on the team. Bigger moves, bigger things are coming soon. Stay in touch with me, get at me. You follow me, I’m gonna follow you back. Keep you posted on everything that’s going on with Royal Dayleon, Platinum Starz Entertainment.

24: Shout outs?

Royal: Shout out, Bone, shout out my dawg WZZD. He locked down now, but we working on getting him a parole lawyer, getting him out a little early. Shout out my dawg Ginori, Da Beast, Cpod Gear, shout out to my dawg Bone, he in Vancouver right now. Shout out to Don Dada, Ray, Mark, Sym, EKP Pictures and everybody that supporting the music by downloading it, and got it in their rides bumping it.

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