Denzil: I was always writing for artists and projects mainly in the US.  This allowed me to gain a catalog of diverse material that was either written specifically for artists or sometimes just ideas for something new that I just wanted to write about.  While working in New York with my friend and super-talented producer Reefa (The Game, Notorious BIG, Fabulous), he introduced me to Ryan Jhun from Marcan Ent. They were already working on the Super Junior album “Bonamana” and before we knew it, we were writing on the hit song “No Other” along with a few more songs for the album.  Forming a good, tight relationship with Reefa, 12keyz (my production and writing partner), Ryan Jhun and the rest of the Marcan team is how I basically started writing and producing for Kpop artists.

I couldn’t choose just one group or artist.  I already had the opportunity to tour world-wide with several artists over my career and it’s because of those amazing experiences that I know I couldn’t pick just one group.  That’s because I had a special experience with everyone I went on tour with and all the artists brought me a different experience.  I think being on tour with any of the artists I have written and produced for would be a lot of fun because I was involved in the creation of the album.  In Kpop the energy and work that goes into these records and the shows are really intense.  They require a lot of work from the artists and musicians and people don’t always see the hard work.  While I think it would be a lot of fun to tour again, there’s also a part of me that is more dedicated to being in the studio writing and producing right now. But, I’ll always have the urge to tour and travel again.

I would encourage new songwriters to develop their craft.  While you should be open to criticism from others about your work, you should choose who you take advice from.  The better professional advice you get the better, but keep in mind that even professionals sometimes look at your work objectively and may overlook a good song, or sometimes it’s just not right for their particular project but it would be perfect for someone else.  A big factor I always try to encourage a new songwriter to figure out is whether they are writing as a hobby [for themselves] or whether they are trying to write for an audience/to sell, because deciding between the two is the most important decision when it comes to the music business.  You wouldn’t open a beef burger shop in a area full of vegetarians, right?  In the same way you need to study your audience and write for them.  They are the consumer.  If you’re not making them happy and they’re not interested in your songs you have to change your writing and style until you can adapt to your audience. Legally speaking it’s always a good idea to track and keep records of what you’ve created and who you created it with.  It’s a good idea to discuss the splits, publishing and shares of all songs soon after it’s been created so there’s no confussion if your work ever takes off, but there is a fine line between being overly obsessive about contracts and paperwork and just being creative and letting music and ideas flow before interrupting it with legalities and splits.  Having an entertainment lawyer in your corner is a great idea for advice and help in these matters.

Wow, well there’s probably a few of guilty pleasures I could tell you about.  But I’ll mention 2.  One is definitely shoes!  Love shoes.  Boots, sneakers, dressy, casual, whatever, just love my shoes!  There are definitely a few that I’ve bought that I never even wore.  One more guitly pleasure would be that I’m a techy and instrument geek!  I love the latest and greatest in new gadgets and toys.  Whether it’s the latest phone, the latest keyboard or software or laptop or headphones, I’m all over it!

Stay Tuned for Part Two NEXT WEEK! Denzil will discuss the pros and cons of songwriting/producing, the music producing process, his interest in international music genres and his current dating status.

Image Source: All rights to the photo belong to DR