By: La'Toyur Tisdale

YM: I was really digging your cd "The Temple", I hear you have a new cd coming out, tell me a little bit about it? And when is it scheduled to be released?

Dubber: The CD "In the Temple of... was my first. It had an acoustic feel. I did it this way for performance sake. Up to now, I've performed with just my guitar. The new CD "Global Warning" has more of a band sound. There's rock, soul, reggae with a little bit of the acoustic thing I'm known for. Lyrically, it speak on issues of today as well as the future. The first single will be "Late Night Ride" where I'm bringing back da' FUNK !!! It's a revolutionary time. This album is a voice for black men. There are a lot of things happening in this country and Black men in America are not being heard. I am not blaming any one, everyone is at fault including the black male.

YM: What is you favorite single from your upcoming cd "Global Warming?

Dubber: Late Night Ride is my favorite. This song is 2 years old. I submitted it for the Maximum Impact album, it didn't make the final cut but it stuck with me. I asked the engineer to hold on it and I later picked it up. This song has several meanings. I begain writing this song thinking about life in Columbia SC. My brother and I were talking one night after leaving the club, I began writing this piece and it took a life of it’s own. It gives hope.

The last cd was recorded at a friend’s house. The first cd had the sound of a solo artist, the 2nd cd sounds like a band, great engineering. The producer for this cd is J&B he worked with Erykah Badu on her lastest release ( New Amerykah). He contacted me, I told him I didn’t want to be pigeon holed in a certain genre of music and we made it happen. I did all of the instrumental for this cd.

YM: Were there any collaborations on this album?

Dubber: Mostly me, but there is a hip hop track that I did with other people and I have a straight instrumental piece featuring Fela Kunte (King of Afro beat) called little Africa.

YM: How long have you been singing and playing instruments?

Dubber: I started playing guitar around 9 years old. As for singing, I had no desire to sing early on. But in 1999, a coworker of mine got wind that I was a musician and asked if I would help her with a few songs that she was writing. I've been a songwriter with several bands in the past, so I agreed. When we finished the songs, an opportunity for us to perform came up. Well, she didn't seem to want to do it, but I did. I told her if she would perform the songs we wrote, I would do a couple of mine. There were a few songs I wrote about what I was going through in life at the time. So being the artist, there was a strong urge to express this. We decided to do it and here's how I began singing.I started playing the electric guitar first, I grew into the acoustic guitar.

YM: What does Dubber mean?

Dubber: The word "dub" means to redo or reword. It's also a musical style started in Reggae music where you reproduce or remixes a song into a new version. I took the name THE Dubber because I want to rework today music into something new.

YM: What was the moment that made you decide to be an artist?

Dubber: I came into this world as a musician. My mother will testify to this. lol

YM: What was your most memorable moment?

Dubber: As an artist... "it hasn't happen yet" !!!

YM: What are your role models or people who inspire you?

Dubber: My family

YM: What or where is you favorite place to perform?

Dubber: The World

YM: A lot of people say that the arts are losing focus of the message and that it is watered down compared to the previous generation, do you still see activism in the arts ( music, poetry, visual arts)?

Dubber : Back in the day, people strive to be artist for the sake of the art. Take Louis Armstrong's, by the time he was a household name, he had probably put in over 20 years on his craft. There was no mass media like today, no information highway. The most you had on him was maybe a record or photographic. And to see him live was definitely a leisure. But today, if an artist who haven't reached the main stream in five years, they're almost considered a failure!!! This often times force the artist to compromise. Which also takes away from the art. There are a lot of ups and downs in 20 years. A baptism by fire if you will, which give an artist true ownership. It gives them a voice and message all their own. This is what's I feel is missing in most of today's art. I also believe that artist can not support artists. We should be supported. People are being spoon feed. Main stream is spoon feeding the masses, most of the music have no real substance. Back in the day artists were responsible for the arts. Artist today see fame but a great artist has great material and have paid dues. The only thing you can bank on is your work ethic. If you put 20 years into something, it will take that long to tear you down. I have been playing music for 20 years. I know what it takes to build and strengthen you gift. I never ends but some people think you put in minimum work and maximum results and it doesn't happen like that. If I go on stage and I can’t hold the attention of my audience …that’s my fault. I feel confident enough that when I go on stage I will get and keep my audience's attention. I feel like this is my time, I am finally getting noticed. There is a time for everything and this is my time.

Upcoming dates Providence RI, July 9th with the Word Warriors. September 14th Eddie Attic, right now really working hard to promote the album, currently there is release date. But Stay Tuned. This album is one that I enjoy listening to.