Meet Dylan Owen: Up-and-Coming Hip-Hop Artist

Dylan Owen is a hip-hop artist based on the East Coast who has just released his second collection of tunes entitled How To Stay Young.  On the DIY side of the spectrum, Dylan recently had the opportunity to open for Asher Roth at the Crocodile Rock Cafe in Pennsylvania.   Dylan has gained a good deal of attention on his own due to Myspace exposure and his own live performances, plus both his recordings are now available on Itunes as well as CD Baby. Here is an interview we conducted with this up-and-coming performer…

Introduce yourself, how old you are, and how long your project has been going.
My name is Dylan Owen, and I’m an independent hip-hop artist based out of Orange County, New York. I’m currently eighteen years old—a senior in high school—and have been writing raps/poetry and rap battling since the 7th grade. My current independent rap pursuits, however, have been consistently in motion for the past three and a half years (2007-present).

Where are you from and what is your local music scene like there?
I’m from Orange County, New York. It’s an upstate suburban area a little over an hour from the city. The local music scene is similar—I imagine—to most out-of-city music scenes: not too diverse and not too influential on the average teenager. However, it definitely has its perks, as there are some cool cafes and some cool songwriters from around here. Hardcore was totally in with the older crowd a couple years back. Now it seems to be a free-for-all.

How long have you been into hip-hop, and what initially got you into this style of music?
I’ve been into hip-hop since the sixth grade, when I was shunned by my older brother for listening to The Black Album and the Bad Boys II Soundtrack. After going through a half-hearted phase of 50 Cent, Ludacris, and whatever-else-was-popular, I got more into lyrical stuff like Eminem and Immortal Technique. Freshmen year of high school I found Sage Francis, then Atmosphere, and now Mac Lethal and Grieves and Eyedea.
I’d say initially I got into hip-hop through radio exposure. I got into performing and writing hip-hop, though, via a lack of singing ability and an interest in independent hip-hop’s uniqueness.

How does your EP How To Stay Young compare to your previous effort?
How To Stay Young is much more mature than A Living Inverse. It is more experienced throughout. Musically, it is catchier, more structured, and more professionally produced. Lyrically, the rhymes are more diverse and creative, it is conceptually themed, and the songs are more appealing for listeners. A Living Inverse was my first experience recording hip-hop songs, and many of them were the first finished hip-hop songs I’d ever written.

Where did you get the idea for the lyrics to the song How To Stay Young?
This is a big one. I’ve always been fascinated with the ideals of being young and with the worry of looking back on my childhood with regret. The song How To Stay Young sums up the simple glories of being young—going to a party, exploring this small town and highway 207 in front of my house with a high school girlfriend, rap battling—and poses the rhetorical question of whether or not one can make an impact on the world in his or her lifetime.

“I miss the memories I haven’t had yet.” –striving for an idealized childhood experience before it is too late.

The Kite Flyers is another highlight on the EP. Where did you get the ideas for the lyrics on that one?
I wrote The Kite Flyers on guitar, and let the uplifting melody determine the idea for the song. It’s about feeling good amidst feeling down. It originally was named Dead Poets’ Society, but that title didn’t make the final cut. I have to admit that a lot of the imagery was inspired by Conor O’Berst’s lyrics. I listened to his music religiously that year.

What was meant by the title of your previous EP A Living Inverse?
A Living Inverse meant that my life had felt disheveled in its atmosphere of depressing self-reflection and stress too intense for a middle schooler (reflective songs). It is also a pun on ‘inverse’ and ‘in verse’.

Tell me about your collaboration with Devin Arne and what his background is.
I have worked with Devin since the start of my career. He produced my first EP entirely and co-produced my second EP, and recorded/mixed/mastered both of the above. He has done countless other things to help me out as well. He is a crazy-talented professional jazz musician with a jazz guitar degree from McGill University in Montreal. He has performed/worked in New York, Montreal, Denmark (Copenhagen), and currently resides in Miami.

Of course the big news is your recent show where you opened for Asher Roth. How did that show go?
The show was fantastic. I had such a blast. It was my first regional performance, and I made so many Pennsylvania fans that I returned to Crocodile Rock Café in January to rock another show there. It was over two hours away from Orange County, but well over a hundred people from home came out to support.

Do you ever get nervous right before live performances – especially doing a big show like the one you did with Asher Roth.
Before Asher I was nervous, just because the buildup—personal and local—that preceded the show and the entirely unpredictable outcome. Otherwise, nah, I don’t get nervous. I eat it right up.

You opened a show for American Idol finalist Elliott Yamin. What was that experience like and would we ever see you wind up on American Idol one day?
I don’t think American Idol is for me. Not sure if they even have rappers? The Elliott Yamin show was a blast as well, and many PA fans that I made from performing with Asher returned to see me again.

How close are you to releasing all new material, and what will the lyrical content be like?
I am currently working on a new EP of all entirely new material. Its tentative title is The Senioritis EP. Anticipated release date: start of this summer. The songs, half of which are either started or finished, include a lot of teenage imagery and multiple rhymes. I am working with various producers, new and formerly affiliated.

Here’s my newest big announcement: on this upcoming EP, I’m doing a song with Mac Lethal (Black Clover Records). Being that he’s my favorite rapper, it’s quite the honor.

Are there any Dylan Owen groupies wandering around the streets of NY or beyond?
There are definitely some groupies. It’s a weird sensation, no further statement necessary.

If you could be a donut, what kind would you be and why?
Double forbidden chocolate. As if I was black.

Do you have any messages for people reading this who might want to check out your music for the first time?
Absolutely. It can ideally be described as “singer/songwriter indie rap” with a mix of melancholy and hopefulness. If you are an indie rap fan or not, I believe that you can enjoy my music. Check me out on myspace.com/dylanowenmusic and my new website dylanowenmusic.com. Thank you for your time, and hit me with some feedback!

(Interview by Kenneth Morton)

Dylan Owen on Myspace

Dylan Owen Official Website