MUTE WON

COREA

The-Inner-View
On the Philosophy of D-O-H

U: So tell us about the concept. What is D-0-H? 

Z: It's an acronym for "Dashez-Of-H.e.r". All my family calls me Z, so I just wanted to get my fingerprint in there like that. The album was originally going to be called 'Dashez'. I love to run, on my feet, & on beats. So it was about athleticism or physical, spiritual, mental, & lyrical fitness. Then, what is it’s creative process, and why do I, or anyone else, think that this fitness is a beautiful thing? Why is this even important for Hip-Hop? It all came back to being purposefully in tune. What needs to fit, is you into your purpose of your soul. What are we here to do? That introspection is how the Dashez-Of-H.e.r concept hit me. Dashez became, not only the songs, but the soul's rhythm, & the intuitive energy that starts the paint strokes. The dashing light beams, or stars that we are, which is true in the realm of physics as well as metaphor. Then I noticed the acronym spelled DOH. I was like, that's Hip-Hop. So I fell in love with that concept & just dashed with it. It really helped gather the whole essence of the project, which is realizing, then cultivating the intrinsic abundance within us all. It rhymed better.

U: And Who is H.e.r?

Z: Hearing-Everything-Rhyme, a most definite homage to Common's “I Used To Love H.e.r”. I also thought of Cudi's song, “Make Her Say”, in which I think He, Common and Kanye were rappin’ about who could please Her, who is Hip-hop, the most. I wanted to build with the vibe of that concept. So, Hearing-Every-Rhyme became, Hearing-Everything-Rhyme. Now we're talking about rhythm & intuitive understanding in all aspects of life. Rhythm symptomatic of Hip-Hop, God, & ultimately, Love. I think the designer who made everything rhyme, must hear everything rhyme. & Didn't Hip-Hop evolve our language? We rhyme, on top of the sounds, the meanings of words, ideas & the whole frequency of language. We rhyme our clothing & our body's language, through tats, hair, sports, dance & sensuality. Pretty much everything. We found the rhythm of youth & we livin' it through. That's Hip-hop to me.

U: H.e.r is essentially, the rhythm, or vibration of God? 

Z: Exactly. The album cover illustration tells this story as well. I like to see God as a painter. The ultimate Artist. H.e.r is like paint strokes, or waves from an infinite source of light & dark, love, or music. DOH is my contemplative approach to the most high, a very spiritually involved painting for me. Jay Electronica's, “Better In Tune With The Infinite”, best resonates with the vibe I was feeling while working on this album. & I wanted the narrative to be seen through the eyes of Hip-Hop itself, and it's people, then my personal relationship with H.e.r. I think that's why it vibes like a love story, about being reunited with love, God and Hip-Hop. I mean, isn't that what Hip-Hop, and music in general, is all about. Love? About bringing all cultures together, especially disenfranchised ones, to the light, out of some darkness, everybody rhyming together.

U: Last Poets, Public Enemy, KRS One. 

Z: Lupe, Black Star, & Erykah Badu are among my favorites. As EzelI-Dazh, I’m declaring my contribution to bringing that love to the forefront of our relationship with Hip-Hop, & with each other. Like, I love the competitive spirit, Daylyt is my favorite battle rapper, but when I'm seeing, hearing or feeling’ too much war, pain & hate from us, I start thinking about Willie Lynch. & I'm so resistant to that control system, that this story had to be about love. That's just where my heart is. Are we chasing the rhythms of Health, Wealth, Light, Love? Are we in tune with our soul's purpose. That question was the most convicting, because I knew my heart's desire was in music. Then my mom simplified it all for me one day. She came to me with a quote from this book by Serena & Wayne Dyer. She said, “Don't die with your music still inside you”. Those words came right on time.