Hip Hop Hundred Interview With Dallas Atoms

Dallas Atoms is the talented up and coming hip hop duo from NYC. They sent me some music and I was drawn in right away by the beat, the street visual , and easy flow lyrics. The submission was very mellow with a laid back, stress free vibe. The video is all movement, and pairing perfectly with the song. It flows quick like the beat, and smooth like the lyrics with little pause. These two show great potential in their music, and they are interesting to watch as well. I see a lot of growth in their future together. So,  I reached out to them for an interview and we got things rolling. Be sure to check out their new video “Grand Concourse” and be on the lookout for their upcoming project 38^th & 8^th dropping soon.

1. Who are the members of Dallas Atoms and where are you from?

The two members of DA are NeCo && Garcia Vega. Vega is from uptown Gunhill, and NeCo’s from the Westside of the Bronx.

2. How did the group form?

Well the two of us are actually from a larger, four man group, SICC Music aka The Peak, and we (NeCo && Vega) would work on group music and solo shit then go out and chill. We started The Peak back in like 2008 so we all been cool for a while now and even before the music as little kids. But as me and Vega chilled more, and built chemistry in the studio we were like yo we should do our own shit, just us two and see how that sounds. So in the beginning we started the Elevator Music series, and were real focused on expanding our song writing skills. Just focused on trying to build big hooks, bridges, and just cohesiveness throughout the song. We wanted to get away from my verse sounding like my own 16 and his verse sound like his own 16 and then the hook be about something totally fuckin different lol. So we really wanted to make it all sound as one and focus on extracting anything that didnt go with the topic at hand. As time passed, everything began falling in place and the moniker, “Dallas Atoms” came into fruition and from there we made sure the music, visuals, and artwork fell into place.

3. Where do you get your inspiration from?

We really get inspiration from anyone and everywhere. From the dude on the train beggin for scraps, to the dude with a cardboard box on the Ave outsmarting muhfuggas on the street with card tricks. We could find inspiration in other artists; musicians, painters, directors, anything that was developed and nurtured with thought and ideas. You can’t time inspiration, you just have to always be ready for it and when it hits you, you must take advantage of it. The smallest idea could turn into the most fire shit ever, you never know.

4. What is it like growing up in NY.

niggas get shot everyday b! lol nah its good man. Like anywhere else its really what you make of it. You could either be just another person swamped in your environment, runnin round with the fuckboys, or you could observe, analyze and critique your environment and then find ways to build up and change your surroundings. Theres hoods everywhere, theres pain everywhere, theres rough situations all over the world, feel me? But there aint motivation and people with the drive to complete their goals and realize their dreams. That shit is rare and far. NY could be the best place in the world, and the darkest, deepest abyss you could imagine. Its really what you make it and what you choose to get involved with.

5. Could you tell us about your new project 38th && 8th ?

Well for starters, “38th && 8th” is the location in manhattan where we record and shit. So it initially just started off as the way we would say we at the stu or going to the stu. Muhfuggas would jus be like “yea im at 38th & 8th you know”. Then once Apollo Brown’s “Clouds” beat tape came into play, it just had the sound and feel of the memories and experiences in the studio. One thing led to another and it became more than just the studio to us, the tape became the manifestation of dreams and goals. The tape symbolizes the completion and following through of your dreams and work. We feel like its a strong compilation that gives a look into what we deal with on a daily basis as young New York artists. Its music for everybody, it doesnt just single out and speak to one type of person or category of people in a specific area. But at the same time this project is something people all over can fugg with and can sing a long too, and people from New York, people who roam the streets we mention and been in the scenarios we speak about, those people can have a connection and deeper understanding of what we put together. Its a smooth, great listen and will be dropping, Late December, Early January.

6. What was it like working with Apollo Brown?

Unfortunately, we never worked directly with him. His production was already done and he’s produced more beats and tapes since then. We just so happen to stumble on the production and just wanted to continue building off of the stellar work hes already put in. But we reached out to his people and gave them the heads up on what we’re doing and they gave us the okay and the thumbs up. They’re really cool guys over there and they wanted to make sure we separated the two works and making sure we’re doing that. But yea they fugg with it, and hopefully this opens up some opportunities to work with Apollo in the future.

7. Could you explain Sicc Music?

SICC Music is the four man group, that was the original, and thats where it started. Its Garcia Vega, NeCo, Red Cash, && Raii Suave. Us four started out as SICC Music, dropping mixtapes, battle rapping, doing videos, making little studio videos and over time just progressed. We now go by The Peak, and the focus has broadened to not just The Peak, but also Dallas Atoms, and solo work from NeCo, Garcia Vega, and Raii Suave. But SICC Music now is just like the standard, its the constant reminder of why we started and those goals we laid out when we were 17 and to never stray away from the path we started on. We recently dropped our group tape, This Way To Eternity, and garnered some great praise with our track, Bottles & Bud. But we’re always working, dropping videos, and working on new tapes. Once Dallas Atoms, drops 38th && 8th, we def plan on dropping the group compilation, “P.E.A.K.” and then maybe follow up with some solo projects. All our work can be found at www.siccmusic.com all our old ass work and recently dropped shit can be found there.

8. What do you want to accomplish with your music?

We just want to show a different side of the coin. Talk about a different side of the spectrum. Everyone has a voice and an opinion, and theres a big part of the world that isnt being spoken for. We’re not out here campaigning for fans, or trying to speak to a specific audience. Naw, we’re out here speaking on what we feel needs to be spoken about and if you feel that reflects you and is something you care about, then we’re going to continue to do what we feel is correct and represent you and speak for you to the best of our ability. But overall, the main goal is progression. Progression in our craft, life, and in anything we choose to believe in and follow.