Meet Drew Dapps | Music Producer & DJ

We had the good fortune of connecting with Drew Dapps and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Drew, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?

“The most important thing about art is to work. Nothing else matters but sitting down every day and trying.”

– Steven Pressfield.

This quote means so much to me that I have it hanging in my studio so it constantly reminds me to stop playin’ and get to the work.

I initially heard this quote from a mentor of mine who taught me the importance of consistency and how becoming prolific with your craft will truly make or break your career.

After discovering that the man behind this quote had published a number of books on creativity, I had to dive into his catalog. I couldn’t be happier that I discovered his pièce de résistance, “The War of Art”. This book features many deep inspirational takeaways and kept the flame lit for me when I needed it most.

I got nothing but love for Steven Pressfield and the authenticity of his voice. He clearly reminds us that nobody is perpetually inspired. If an artist keeps TRYING and working on their craft daily, then they are  moving along the right path.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

If you truly know me, then you know that I am a skater turned musician. Skateboarding makes up the essence of my being just as much as music does and I look to showcase this in my persona. My vision is to bridge the gap between house music and skateboarding culture, introducing these equally vibrant lifestyles to one another.

I am proud to blend these two cultures showcasing skate clips on my “Spotify Canvases” and dropping carefully crafted skate montages online featuring my favorite tracks from my peers. It brings me immense joy to see heads messaging me saying they discovered minimal house through my content or that seeing my skate videos is a fun way for them to discover new music!

Getting to where I am today definitely was no walk in the (skate) park. The most prevalent impediment for a musician is separating yourself from the pack and convincing people to give you a shot. I eventually realized that you have to show them and not just tell them what you can do. It’s of the utmost importance to find the determination to get things poppin on your own.

My passion was through the roof, but I didn’t gain attention from industry heads until I started applying that energy to consistently putting out music, creating fresh content and developing crispy merch. I learned that you’re going to be a whole lot more enticing if you catch the eye of a potential collaborator or a potential fan organically.

The most important thing of all is to keep grinding and to never get too comfortable. Even if you see some success and start seeing things go your way, that doesn’t mean it’s time to kick back. It’s crucial to realize that, “If you always do what you always did, then you’ll always get what you got”.

The thing about me is that I’m moving beyond the status quo. I am quite literally obsessed with the music and my movement is to show the world that the underground is capable of filling venues and touching lives. I am here to prove that there’s a place for unique sounds and eccentric personalities in this community.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

Yooo you’re going to be in town for a week!? Say less!

There’s so many fun and quirky things to do here in SD, not to mention the assortment of world class skateparks. We’re gonna be hitting up a ton of dope spots that I’ve discovered in my few short years of living in the area.

First things first, after scooping you from the airport, we are heading to “Spoiled Vegans” for breakfast. Then we’ll slide to Balboa park for the culture – showing you what’s up with the museums, sculptures, churros, and all that! Be sure to bring your skateboard though, because we’ll be trekking to the secret DIY skate spot nearby for a quick sesh in the shade.

Next day we’ll be cruising through Encinitas and seeing what’s good with North County San Diego. One of my favorite skate parks of all time, “Poods” is skating distance from the beach so we’ll be riding up and down the 101 getting a glimpse of the life in this laid back beach town I am lucky enough to call home.

Of course, no trip around Enci would be complete without a visit to “Rose Street” skate shop to say what’s up to the fam and maybe scoop some new threads. Although there are lots of tasty food options in the area, I would insist we slide down to Solana Beach to hit “Pizza Port” for some unmatched pizza and brew vibes.

To keep the moves coming, we’ll be centering the next day around visiting City Heights, one of my favorite neighborhoods in San Diego. This area is brimming with culture as it’s located right next to SDSU and China Town so there’s no shortage of interesting places to check out.

For sure, I would have to stop and visit “Five Space” my favorite record shop in town, trade in some goodies, play the arcade, or just chop it up with the legend Eric who founded this iconic storefront and has a seemingly omnipotent knowledge of old school hip-hop.

After we got our music fix, we can stop by “Scrimshaw”  the sweet little coffee shop up the street, so we can reenergize and take in the soundtrack selected by the coolest employees. Might just have to get some iced tea to take on our next adventure… Linda Vista skatepark – the centerpiece of San Diego skateparks.

I personally love this place not just because it’s one of the most quality skateparks in the country, but I love to see the neighborhood thriving and enjoying the outdoors as a community. With skate features for everyone and even ice cream carts going around – Linda Vista is one my favorite places to spend an afternoon!

While you’re here we will definitely have to see what’s up on Resident Advisor and pop out to one of the functions. There’s usually some awesome nightlife happening curated by, The Afternoon Umbrella Friends, Home Grown, Elicit Music, and more great event brands partnering with the unique venues that San Diego boasts.

However,  there will undoubtedly be something poppin’ in Pacific Beach at “Avenue.” So with that said, maybe we can hit the “rock spot” in PB, a famous skate spot that is right on the beach. We can catch the sunset on the ocean as we sesh one of the most scenic skate spots on the west coast! Before heading to Avenue for a night of Groovers we can stop for a bite to eat at “Firehouse”, which is conveniently located right next to the rock spot.

Another gem that we’ll definitely have to peep is Chicano Skatepark, and with that spot being located in Barrio Logan that gives us the perfect opportunity to explore some culture and embrace what the community has to offer i.e. delicious tacos from “¡Salud!” and maybe even a Michelada?! But while we’re downtown, we will have to cruise a bit around the cityscape on our skateboards and explore the oceanfront.

For our next excursion, I’m thinking that we do something a little on the wild side… What if we sent it to “Potato Chip Rock” first thing in the morning ? I’m thinking we get up early, grab coffee for the road, and hike all the way to the top of Mount Woodson, have a little picnic and get some fun flicks together of this unreal view!

While we’re out east, I’m thinking the best way that we could round out our adventure for the day is to traverse down to visit Lakeside, and see what we can do at their unique skatepark setup along the waterfront. Not to mention that this drive is super scenic and we might just have to indulge in a roadside fruit stand.

For our final outing, I’m thinking that we will spend another day in the heart of the city taking in what the streets of San Diego have to offer. Namely, paying a visit to the “Park De La Cruz” and its sibling park “Central Ave” mini park. Only in SD can you skate between two awesome skate parks conveniently located adjacent to one another.

After we get our skate fix in I believe it would be in our best interest to do some cruising around the city and stopping by “The Quartyard” for some day party fun. This spot has the best music and most refreshing drinks. No matter what time of the year, they do the daygers right!

As dusk approaches, I am sure that the next location will be the ideal place to spend our final evening together. Let’s slide to Ocean Beach where we can continue to cruise around on our boards and see what fun spots we can find. However, I will be dead set on taking you to dinner at “Plant Power” my favorite fast food place in the whole city.

We can take advantage of the beautiful scenery that SD has to offer and we’ll take our meal to Sunset Cliffs to take in the breathtaking scenery that this special place has to offer.

I hope that this itinerary sounds fun to you, I can’t wait to get it poppin’ to the fullest extent while you’re here in town!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?

I would like to dedicate this shoutout to all my Camp Dappington Fam; the ones who really love my music and encourage me daily to keep going and remind me that I have a duty to share these slappers with the world. Whether it be my family, close friends, or house heads thousands of miles away who I am lucky enough to connect with – I owe it all to you!

To get specific though, I would really like to thank my parents, my grandparents and also my brother for their unwavering support and always being the first to download my new releases. Plus, I can always count on a laugh from them when they request the post tour slideshow presentation [laughs].

I am grateful to all the inspiring authors I read, but I want to provide proper credit to the book that showcases my favorite quote, “The War of Art” by Steven Pressfield. He encourages me to keep slugging it out no matter what. Another piece I have come to swear by is “Work Hard Playlist Hard,” which is written by none other than local legend Mike Warner. This book is like the DIY musicians’ bible, trust me!

Additionally, I want to spread some love to the iconic event brand “The Afternoon Umbrella Friends” who are based here in San Diego and have been changing the game with their community event series. I can’t give enough thanks to Milad and the crew for giving me the chance to create my very own Theme Camp based on my “Camp Dappington” lifestyle brand. I super appreciate the creative freedom and mutual respect that AUF grants to their collaborators. Their legendary festival “Umbrella Weekend” was nothing short of magical and I’m so proud to have been a part of the vision.

Website: www.drewdapps.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drewdapps/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/intent/user?screen_name=drewdapps

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drewdappsdj

Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5kcqXQxZPqcik7fC8ihAzn?si=cAPLrsmhSPe8Qz8FWd-DCQ https://soundcloud.com/drewdapps https://www.beatport.com/artist/drew-dapps/708341

Image Credits
Harmony Skye , Dino Jagger, Endvrs Media