The Alt Black

Friday, March 7th, I had the privilege of seeing The Taylor Bennett Show, a tour that had  one of the most high energy lineups that I have seen since The Wonder Years, letlive.,Tiny Moving Parts, and Microwave all toured together. The lineup for the show consisted of Malik Stewart of D.O.P.E, which is an acronym for Definition of Percussion Entertainment, Morocco Brown, and Brian Fresco. All three of these opening acts were great, but the one that really got my energy high was Malik Stewart. With his snare drum, that he refers to as his “porta-snare, a hoverboard, and two pairs of drum he sticks he set the show off in an explosive fashion. In addition, much to my surprise he invited crowd memebers to join him on stage.

I am thankful that he took the time out of his day to let me ask him a few questions about himself and D.O.P.E the worldwide movement that he has pioneered.

 

Q & A

 

The first thing we discussed is what is D.O.P.E and how D.O.P.E came to be.

Q: What is D.O.P.E?

 

A: D.O.P.E is a legacy of artistic excellence of percussion that anyone can be a part of. It is a lifestyle movement it is vibrations and syncopations its growth its continuing communication the patterns through rhythms anything is D.O.P.E.

 

Q: So am I a part of D.O.P.E?

 

A: Yes, your initiation was the night when you came on stage. 

 

Q:  When did you begin drumming?

 

A:  I have been drumming for 12 years now.

 

Q:  How did D.O.P.E come to be?

 

A:   While walking down the street from Georgia Ave from Howard University’s marching band practice. I was talking to my friend Jay Sean about how I wanted to start a movement. Similar to that of Harvey Thompson and Ralph Nader of BYOS (Bring. Your. Own. Style) I had come up with the definition of percussion and then my friend Jay Sean added the entertainment.

http://byos1191.com/about.html

“Sometimes you can’t define yourself as one word you have to put yourself in multiple words.”- Malik Stewart

 

Q: What ways did you promote yourself early on?

 

A: I expressed myself with street performances and on the campuses of universities.The more I began to perform on the street, the more that I grew.

[“Sometimes I come out with my mans it’s good to promote yourself and

You don’t have a show at Echostage and you go to gallery place that’s 200-300  a place

Have a sign and real live! do what you do!”]

Q: On self-expression the necklace that you wear around your neck?

A: I wanted to be different, it all started with a wire, and from that point, I began to add crystals.

Q: What was the evolution of your street performing?

A: I started with a snare, that I call my porta snare and a low-quality speaker. I worked my way up and I got a speaker with better quality and begin playing my music through the speakers from an iPhone 4. I got known more because of I played music that appealed to Washington D.C culture.

 

Q: On being known, how did you get on the Taylor Bennett Tour?

A: Taylor’s manager JCabby and I have been in contact for over a year and the timing was right for us to meet and collaborate.

 

Q: Was your set for the show planned?

A: No, it was all improvised

 

Q: What is the end goal?

A: The end goal for Malik my end move is an agency of talent for start-up artists. “Start dealing D.O.P.E. (such a cool concept)

 

“D.O.P.E a legacy of art excellence percussion is a lifestyle movement it is vibrations and syncopations its growth its continuing communication the patterns through rhythms anything is D.O.P.E”- Malik Stewart

 

I want to thank Malik for the time that he took to share with me his vibe, vision, and energy. Follow him on all of his social media

 

IG: MalikDopeDrummer

https://www.instagram.com/malikdopedrummer/

Facebook: Malik Stewart

https://www.facebook.com/malik.t.stewart

Twitter: @MalikDOPEDrummr

Youtube: MalikStewart

https://www.youtube.com/user/drummerassnikka