Sitting down with Dehko for a hugely revealing interview, we found out more about this massively talented artist who seems to have that entrenched self-motivated attitude needed to succeed. Telling us about his vision and the rise of Detroit music, we find a grounded visionary who is doing things his own way.
We thank you for sitting down with us Dehko. How are you today and how did you first start in this game?
Dehko: I’m doing great! I first started DJing at 12 years old. Started producing competently at 20 years old. I’m currently 24. It took me many years of studying the industry / big players to determine what my sound and style would be. I never wanted to be anyone else. Just me. My upbringing was Hip-hop in Detroit. I was exposed to dance music at 15 years old. I started playing a lot of Hiphop Dance mashups in my local city that nobody ever heard of or thought was possible. That eventually grew into me merging both genres together with my original mixes.
Please explain to us the process around your new album Tektroit.
Dehko: Detroit rap is very popular right now. It was my goal to create a new sound in dance music. I decided to try combining the local Detroit rap sound with my club dance original tracks. The first track ‘Infinity’ set the tone for the project. It wasn’t easy getting these rappers out of their comfort zones. Let alone getting them to agree to do a dance joint. The ones that agreed went all in. I was the director / DJ Khalid of the room. I had to manage these rappers to ensure they were timing right. All 11 rappers had a different process that I had to adjust to. After a few sessions, we got the hang of it. I recorded the entire album at Royal House Recording. Big thanks to Julian S. My engineer there who held it down with me the entire time.
Who inspires you most in the world?
Dehko: God & My father. I’m nothing without GOD. And nothing without my family who has had my back throughout this entire journey.
How did you get rappers to rap on dance tracks?
Dehko: Negotiating with killers…. The rappers on Tektroit are not a joke. They are big names with a long history. Snap Dogg, GT, GMO Stax, YBN LIL BRO, Ghetto Baby Boom, Baby Para, LIL GAZ, Forever Meech, WholeHunnid Los. All these guys earned their names. Some for their notorious hustling days. Some from their sound.
Growing up I was always in Detroit. Being chaldean my moms side had a liquor store in Detroit and my dad had a collision shop on 8 mile. I was always around the hood and when I grew up I was more connected than I ever thought because of my family and our history working in the D. I made some phone calls and the rappers were not far away. The hard part was explaining the Tektroit vision to them. Most of them have never even heard a dance record before. So it was a big challenge to overtake.
Please tell us more about your tour dates and where readers may find you next?
Dehko: March 24th.My Chicago Debut at Electric Hotel. Catch me in 2024 playing Movement Detroit. More tour dates are currently in the works.
What do you feel is next in your career?
Dehko: Tektroit Vol. 2 with bigger names. I want the T Grizzley, Peezy, Big Sean, Icewear Vezzo, Veeze, and 42 Duggs next. Vol. 1 is just a stepping stone. I want to build an empire off of both genres and bring them together. I also will be releasing remixes in 2023 based on the top 50 rap songs.
Last, how would you describe your music vision to someone who has never heard your music?
Dehko: A cross combination of Rap on top of House music. No dead spots. Always entertaining. Always hype. Something you can bop your head to and fist pump to in the same song.
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Listen up on SoundCloud.
Interview by Llewelyn Screen
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