|
 Young, talented and driven....Didier Tovel is all that and more. Find out what he had to say about music, the industry and the keys to success.
Q. First off welcome to Morburn, what’s good, how you feeling?
A. Thanks for having me. I’m feeling good these days and excited to reveal some of the projects I’ve been working on for the last little while. It’s been a long time coming but I’m more motivated then ever.
Q. Let’s start with the name “C4” (I’m thinking dangerous, volatile, explosive) how did you come up with that name?
A. That name is something that stuck with me since I was 14 years old. I used to record my friends rap and my best friend Sagitair came up with the name based on the fact that my temper can be somewhat explosive. Over the years, it’s become more of a trademark for my beats. Every track you will hear from me has to hit you with impact. I work very hard to make sure you feel like you are witnessing something powerful.
Q. Reading through your resume, my first impressions where like….Damn this dude has done so much so young! Are you surprised at your level of success thus far?
A. I’m thankful for the success level I’ve been able to achieve thus far but I know I still I have a long way to go. If anything, it'll only make me work harder. Every time one obstacle is cleared, I just go for the next. It’s a sickness, but It’s probably the reason I have made it this far. I don't come from a wealthy family and I never had formal musical training. I chose to jump into music production full out and I plan on proving that this is where I belong.
Q. Can you talk a bit about the differences of working in Toronto vs. Montreal?
A. After living and working in Montreal for my whole life, moving to Toronto was a huge change. I landed here without knowing a single person so it was really a challenge. Although a few people welcomed me into the scene, I quickly saw why Toronto calls itself the screwface capital of the world. Regardless, I was able to see potential in Toronto and that’s why I’ve stayed. I feel like people are very motivated here and work hard to achieve their goals. I’m now looking forward to expanding my networks over to New York, Los Angeles and Europe.
Q. Can you tell me what you think is your biggest accomplishment to date?
A. Being able to wake up in the morning and make music. My line of work has given me the ability to find many different ways to making a living off the music industry and I remember how much time I spent trying to figure out how I was ever going to be able to make a decent living in this field. Aside from that, winning the first ever production competition,"Art of Producing" beat battle in my hometown was one of the best nights of my life. It was great to come back home and show my peers what I can do. Producers are usually in the background and this was an opportunity to feed off the crowd and I'll never forget it.
From a professional standpoint, I produced and sang on a spot for Scrabble with a British accent that got quite a bit of buzz worldwide... That job got my shortlisted in Cannes at the international advertising awards and won best of show at the Eurobest awards this year. The song was something was something nobody really expected from me and allowed me to get more jobs and an agent for voice work. Now, with over 40 ad placements, I feel like there’s no limit to what I can do as long as I channel the doubtful part of my brain. I feel fortunate and that's why I work so hard to keep it that way.
Q. What are your feelings on the state of hip hop in Montreal and in Toronto?
A. I think that the goal should be to unite Canada as a whole and do our best to participate in the global music industry. The game has changed and although that means that record sales have gone down, the advantage is that we have the ability to reach billions of people independently. Drake’s success has already opened many doors for artists and producers in Canada and I hope it’s just a start of what’s to come. People have to step their game to keep up!
Q. Do you think Montreal will ever produce an emcee capable of holding his own against anyone?
A. I can’t think of a single reason why it couldn’t. Montreal’s got talent, more people just have to give themselves a real shot at it by working at their craft, adapting to the times and learning. The problem with many mc’s is that they think they are the best right off the bat. If they humble themselves and act as a student of the game, I think they'll be able to create originality as opposed to following the masses.
Q. What projects are currently working on and when can we expect a release?
A. I'm always working on new ads and this week it’s for companies such as Bell and MTV. I'm also really excited about a project I'm doing for a young boy named Miles. The Make a wish foundation approached me and asked if I would produce a song and campaign for him. I thought it was a great opportunity to help someone early on in their career so I'm coming to Montreal this weekend to put the finishing touches on the job and record his vocals.
In the next couple of weeks, I’ll be releasing the first installment of "The C4 Experiment" hosted by none other then Christopher Walken. It's going to have tracks by most of the rappers I’ve worked with in Montreal and Toronto such as Jd Era, D-Sisive, Bless, Rich Kidd, Troy Dunnit and others. Watch out for the first single off the tape called "Real City" which will feature Montreal's best: Magnum 357, IBlast, Bad News Brown and more. There's also another "experiment" in the works that you'll be able to get this summer!
Q. Morburn Music would like to thank C4 for chatting with us. Do you have any last words for the massive?
A. All I have are words of encouragement for people working at their art. Don’t quit. Don’t do it for the money, do it because it makes you happy and the money will come. Also, brush your teeth 3 times a day and call your mom once in a while.
C4
www.imyourproducer.com
Interview by
MrHookupz
|
