Indie Music Artist Spotlight - KNIGHTTRAIN DA'BRAND

1.) What elements and/or characteristics made you say to yourself that you wanted to do music for a living? Who are your influences/heroes/role models?

First of all I want to say thank you for this interview let’s start it off like this, when I was like 4 years old all the way up to my 10th grade year in high school, football was my first love I thought but my uncle was in the game and I always love music. It’s in my blood line. Everyone has a soundtrack to their life. He realize that I had a talent and told me to come by the studio. I fell in love with the entire build of the situation but he asked me did I want to play football or do music. I turned down multiple scholarships and pursued music. I’ve been at it ever since music inspired me to do music. Listening to artists like 8ball & MJG, Pimp C, UGK, Big Moe, and Rick Ross I just said I’m about to apply some muddy pressure on my boys. As far as my role model, I will say it has to be being successful. Success will always be a motivator because everyone fears failing. I have no heroes. There’s no such thing as heroes because you can be a hero today and a zero tomorrow.

2.) If you could compare yourself to an already established artist, who would that be and why? If you don’t like to compare yourself, then music-wise, what separates you from other musicians?

Very good question. Now if I had to compare myself to any establish artist I would say I’m a mixture of certain ones, let’s see, P Diddy, Jay-Z, Dame Dash, Jermaine Dupri, Ludacris, Luke, Pimp C, J Prince, 2 Chainz, Lil Wayne, Birdman, Kanye West, the CEO of TDE, Master P, Drake, Michael Jackson, Ray Charles, and Kendrick Lamar. They’re all bosses just like me. We all run shit and the difference is what separates me from all the greats is just names. I’m KNIGHTTRAIN DA’BRAND nobody can duplicate my muddyness, it’s only one me, that’s what separates me from the rest you can hear it in every record. I’ll make single after single, I make charts Billboards and all kind of Award shows, etc… that gets you endorsement deals, record deals, TV deals, etc. Those deals get you success and wealth. Success and wealth gets you happiness and stability. No one likes or wants failure musicians who have failed. Well, let’s say they are nowhere to be seen.

3.) Everyone in life goes through adversity of some sort. Is there anything in your life that has any influence on the kind of songs you write? What is the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure on your path to becoming a musician?

I was born in Dallas Texas without a silver spoon in my mouth. I worked hard all my life. No one ever gave me shit so the music I write about, it comes from times like when my kinfolk head took us across that train track that was 50 feet in the air with the bottom broke out. We damn near killed ourselves. The point is if you wasn’t born with money, you have to earn and work your ass off for money so if I’m in the mood to talk about pain, love, happiness, sadness, fear, etc., so be it. That’s how I’m going to give it to you, its all about feel and energy. A lot of artists don’t know you have to have a 9 to 5 these days in order to make it in this music business. It really is different levels to this music business a few years back I took a lot of my money and I wanted to work with this well-known promoter; long story short I got fucked out of my money. Now my inner deuce deuce Beckley came out but I took the high road and just cut it off but it made me question should I continue to do this music shit because I might have to hurt somebody over my hard-earned money. Somehow I push through it and I’m better than ever. That was one of the hardest times in my music career.

4.) How do you prepare yourself to write certain songs? What is your song-writing and recording process?

First off, the beat is coming from Brand Gang’s own in-house producers either YL Dallas or Young Shun. Once I find that track with that muddy drippy sauce that can best explain the mood I’m feeling at that time, I then put it in and kill it depending on if it’s a mixtape or some original music. If it’s a mixtape as a free range it may be all over the place. Sometimes it won’t make sense it all but it’s just fire if its original. 9 times out of 10 I write it down and that’s the whole process and as far as recording I stopped going to the big boy studios. I do everything in-house so I save a lot of money recording it by myself in-house. Also I tell artists all the time to do as much as possible in-house. If you can you will save yourself a lot of money that way. Also I freestyle my ad-libs. I’m the ad-lib king. I have murked 15 songs in one day, nothing like next one year.

5.) Unfortunately the music industry is full of talented individuals who just don’t get any recognition for their talent and/or work. What do you plan to do to make sure you stand out and get noticed?

You have to stay relevant. If you are not relevant and you’re stuck in your time, you’re not going to make it that far in this game. So relevancy is the key, staying yourself never butta jack on no one. Staying yourself and staying relevant and working with new upcoming talent. Put out banger after banger. I only can speak about everything that I’ve been through and that I want.

6.) Would you rather be on a major label or would you rather stay independent? Why or why not? In regards to the music industry itself, do you think that the traditional music industry model as we know it is dead?

Well, see this a tricky question. I’m going to put it to you like this, it all depends on where you’re at in your career as an artist. To be honest my dream scenario is for a major label to give me a 6 or 7 figure check and say do your thing, give me the same amount back in 10 years (like that shit goin happen). It’s all about who you know in this business. If you’re not plugged in with an A&R or someone from a big label or with some money, you are what we call a true independent artist. At that point you have to build a buzz to get the majors labels to even look at you let alone independent labels; dope boy labels. I will sign with a major for the right deal. Every deal isn’t the right deal for you. It’s a lot of fuck boy deals being given out. You have to know what deals is right for you but I can’t knock staying independent because all that money come to me to be. Truthfully at some point every artist will need a major to crossover, facts.

7.) How do you think the internet and social media affected the music industry and how musicians are able to market themselves? Social media is obviously an extremely important element in today’s world, especially when it comes to business, branding, marketing, etc. With that being said, do you think an artist will be able to survive in today’s music industry if they’re not social media savvy?

I think the internet and the entire social media platform have made the playing grounds for the music industry very even for majors and independent artists. I think both have pros and cons as an independent artist and a major artist. As an independent artist you can reach the masses of fans that a major label artist has but as a major artist you can gain fans without the labels even crossing you over. You can do that yourself and all that money goes to you if you don’t sign the fuck boy deal. Now I think all these hoes not using both the streets and social media platforms is no way you going to make it in the game to get the exposure that you want. So yes you have to use both platforms together or you ain’t going to get nowhere in the game. It’s all about staying relevant.

8.) Artists who try to make music for the general public and make more money are usually seen as “sell-outs.” Do you see it that way and if so, what do you plan to do to make sure your music stays true to your brand and make a good living at the same time without having to “sell out”?

I never understood that word “sell-out.” How can you be a sell-out if you making music that can potentially help someone grow in life to help them out with a situation that they dealing with. Every song that someone makes have the store. So being a sell-out I never understood that, but you have to make music for your fans who want to hear certain stuff from you. Everyone is not going to like every single record that you make, that’s just why I can’t see that happening unless you have super super super ultimate fans but you should stay true to yourself. Anyways the music you put out to come from somewhere deep inside of you is why you say I like this record. You fill in the blanks for certain projects, maybe for specific reasons so therefore you may be reaching a specific type of fan base. The term “sell-out” I never understood that. You’re either going like my music or not, so if you don’t like it, don’t buy it, just move on if you like it, stream it, buy it, love it, enjoy it, you can tag me in it and I will repost it and we will keep it pushing but I understand reality. Everybody not going to like your music but you will respect my grind in this music.

9.) Professionally, where do you see yourself 5 years from now?

Being a boss of many businesses, providing for my family enjoying life like a REAL ONE
the Brand Gang way.