Demrick’s recently released Collect Call album is his most personal work yet. He shares stories about his mother and father and even shares memories of when he ran away from home in Spokane, Washington and had some mischievous adventures in The Bronx. The California rapper says that his career has grown with each move he’s made in the music industry and now was the right time to give his fans his story.
“I felt like if I really gave people the reason why I did certain things,” he says, “the reason why I am there and I gave them a little background, it would give people more of a reason to rally behind me because my story is unique. The way that I grew up, the way that I came out to the West Coast and my music career in general over time. A lot of people see me in situations and in their mind, it doesn’t fit. They’re like, ‘How did that happen?’ Or ‘Why did that happen?’ Certain things, and it happened because my life is taylor-fitted for this I feel like. I’ve given my life to music and just so many experiences that I’ve gotten to see I wanted to share with people.”
Throughout his journey, Demrick says one of the most important lessons he’s learned was from his uncle in North Carolina who bought his bus ticket home after the escapades in New York.
“He sent me and he gave me a loaf of bread, peanut butter and jelly in the same jar, and a box of Sunkist,” the rapper recalls. “‘Go live your life, man, but if you get back to the other side, do it right.’ I took that as a sign that it just wasn’t really worth it to go about shit sometimes the wrong way.”
Demrick continues by saying this situation humbled him and gave him an appreciation for those who had more life experience than he did. The 35-year-old is a part of The Serial Killers with Xzibit and B-Real and lists both of them as mentors.
“We’re hardheaded especially when we’re growing up and we think we got all the answers,” he says. “We still even feel that way nowadays, but that’s what made me respect people’s opinions more and people who knew more. I started valuing somebody who actually went through something and want to sit and listen to them. I still make my own decisions anyway, but I have always been somebody who worked well from that point in a group situation and worked well listening.”