Tallis DNB On His Success With ‘Blicka’ Hit, Living In NY And The Importance Of Jamaica’s Stamp Of Approval

The global music ecosystem is split into silos based on location, in an effort to establish distinct, sustainable markets. The American music industry for instance is built on music from the United States. In a similar way, the Jamaican music industry is built on music made in Jamaica. This setup is based on the assumption that people from an area consume music from said area. The internet has made that assumption untrue as we find ourselves exposed to more diverse types of music from different places. This is creating an audience that is geo-agnostic with a taste for variety. Likewise, this atmosphere is creating artists to supply the demand from this new audience. Tallis DNB is one such example as New York’s resident fusion deejay. 

Influenced by the dancehall and reggae rhythms of his native island of Jamaica, Tallis DNB (Di New Breed) crafted his sound by fusing his musical roots with the various music genres found in the melting pot that is New York City.

His recent hits EZ-PZ and Blicka have been building traction in the tristate US market. DancehallMag caught up with Tallis over the phone to hear some of his thoughts on his recent success and the plight of a Jamaican artist pursuing music abroad.

How long have you been making music?

Professionally I would say since about 2012 yeah that’s when I shot my first video so around that time. I actually started recording from like 2009 at Fort Knoxx, that’s why mi name DNB. DNB stands for Di New Breed, that’s actually where I started recording and I even did a show from that time. I used to take my lunch money and buy records, and at one point I even started dancing which is why I understand rhythm so much, the music did just inna we from dem time deh. You know with dancing you have to know rhythm and when to start, and that’s why I’m so good with the music. 

You grew up in Jamaica, at what point did you move to New York and what motivated that decision?

I was born in Clarendon, I grew up in Manchester and went to Knox College in Clarendon. When I moved I didn’t really have a choice in the matter at the time. I was just supposed to visit for a wedding but you know, life. 

What really inspired me to do the music still, one of mi dawg weh dead him name wacky. I went to link him one day and music a play, riddim a play and one of my other friends there was an artist, at the time I wasn’t. We start deejay until we deh deh a clash with people tunes for a while. Then they said freestyle time and I freestyled about everything in the room. That’s what really ignited it, I didn’t see anyone doing it and say I want to be an artist, it was a natural vibe. While I was there freestyling one a di man dem say dawg yuh bad, let mi bring you to Fort Knoxx. That’s how I met di new breed and I met a group of new youths that were doing music just like me. That was the vibe that drew me to the music and it was the right start for me.

What would you call the type of music you make? Or how would you describe it? It seems to have a hip hop fusion vibe going. 

That’s the thing now, it definitely has a fusion to it — before I could get dancehall riddims to voice on, what we had was Youtube. So that was my way to get riddims without having to stress anyone or beg anybody anything. We, Blackout and myself just worked with those and voiced some freestyles. Which is part of why the style is kind of different. When mi listen to myself mi deejay like mi a rap daddy mi nuh just deejay. I can actually rap and that style is coming too, I just have to get in before I set in the system you understand. I don’t really consider myself a dancehall artist because people are going to get different genres of music from me. I don’t really want to be just a dancehall artist, I have a great love for the genre but I love music and music is universal. I want to make even a straight one drop album one day and dedicate that to my dad because that’s the type of thing he loves. So I don’t really want no label. I would consider it the new school of music.

How often do you make music and what goes into deciding which songs you put out vs everything you make?

Mi make music often enuh bredda, right now a studio mi deh. I record as often as I would like, you know I have a personal life and my engineer Blackout as well so I can’t say it’s all the time but, often. This is the home studio so even if someone from africa wants a Tallis DNB verse, I’m not going to go and book another studio, I’m coming here. But I record often, right now mi loaded. That’s the beauty about it, when your work ethic is up and you’re humble you can just have the work to show.  In terms of what we decide to put out, right now I’m not even putting out any bad man songs, because I’m targeting the life of the party. We are targeting the people that support the music. A Lot of thought goes into what we decide to put out, we think about the people. We don’t just go with what we like, or what sounds good to us, we think about what people want. I don’t just mean what’s trendy, because the Blicka thing wasn’t in, I brought that sauce.

Do you feel it has been a challenge for you to pursue Jamaican music from another country?

It definitely is challenging. The thing with Jamaica, if you’re out of sight, you’re out of mind. So for me to be here and have traction in Jamaica, it won’t be as simple as an artist that’s in the island. Because they can be there, dem can deh inna di dance, in people’s faces, see selectors and use the systems they have. I came to Jamaica the other day and saw a whole heap of systems. Everything has their system, so you just haffi know that. If I was in that system I would thrive faster, I think.

If you could change anything about how the industry is set up right now, that would enable greater access for artists like yourself, what would it be?

What I feel like stops the music is the politics in the music bro. That’s something I don’t really like to talk about because it’s touchy. But it’s the politics that’s really killing it right now. I’ve seen it right here in Bronx too. There’s a selector here who has a song, its a great song, but a lot of people don’t support it because it’s not necessarily their friend. If the man was laughing in everybody’s face and paying people, everybody would be playing the song. I see the same thing happening in Jamaica.

How do you maintain your connection to the culture and the country? Do you visit often?

When I left I used to visit often like every other year up til 2007, when I couldn’t travel anymore. Then I went back in 2015 when my grandmother passed. I came back in 2016 for my first performance, that’s when I went into some places in Kingston to set up some links. Up to even last year when EZ-PZ was released and started to really pick up speed I was there in September. But right now with corona virus we just have to clutch and watch until it’s safe again.

Do you think it’s even necessary to get that stamp of approval from the Jamaican audience, or is that a myth?

I wouldn’t call it a myth bro because even for me personally that’s just something that I want because– mi nuh born a bronx bro, mi nuh come from bou’ yah. When I moved here I didn’t have a choice and who’s to say when I would be speaking to you now if I wasn’t here. I feel like I want that stamp of approval, someone doing dancehall. I think it’s needed because you have to dance a yard before you dance abroad.