A forgotten skill in the industry is the ability to network. Many would think the internet making people everywhere easily accessible would encourage better social skills, but that hasn’t been the case. Artists today, most of the time, rely on their “talent” and expect things to be given to them with little work… or maybe that’s just people in general? Regardless, one artist who is not for any of that is Las Vegas rep Dezmond MF. After releasing a handful of singles late last year and an underrated EP early 2016, Dezmond got on his network game and recruited some reinforcements for his debut album, Mindless.

Enlisting Mick Jenkins and Cambatta to deliver a couple of guest verses, as well as a handful of boomin’ beats from one of the top underground producers, Ronny J, Dez created a strong debut album. Mixing in tales of enlightenment and ascension over bass heavy, futuristic trap beats, Dezmond stumbled upon a sound similar to early Underachievers music. Though the correlation can be traced to Ronny J and his production, Dezmond’s intricate rhyme schemes and aggressive style have helped him to carve out a lane of his own. The Jenkins assisted, “Decoded” will surely be a fan favorite due to the instrumentation and feature, but it’s the track, “Deception” which showcases the Miami native the most. Spitting over wavy synths that sound like they’ll be poppin’ in the year 2070, Dez and Cambatta trade off clever entendres and bars that even the most backpack of fans will have to blush at with Cambatta rapping, “Hottest ni**a on the web/ Spider-man vs. The Human Torch.”

RESPECT. had the chance to speak with the upcoming artist to chop it up about everything from his new album to police brutality. Check out the interview below.

RESPECT.: How’s it going?

DEZMOND MF: Life is good, nothing but blessings over here.

RESPECT.: How’s life been since the your project dropped? How’s the reception been?

DEZMOND MF: People have been noticing the work I’ve put in. Not too many other artist in Las Vegas are running their brand basically by themselves, & do it legitimately. Having the project on all major digital stores, it makes it easily accessible for people to cop, & the buzz is just starting.

RESPECT.: Where are you from, originally, and how did you become inspired to become an artist?

DEZMOND MF: I’m from Miami-Dade County, but I moved to Vegas when I was about 5. My pops is a musician himself. He plays Bass, Keys, Guitar, Percussion, you name it. He produced his whole album off a 1990’s Korg Keyboard on a floppy disk. With me on the cover *laughs*. We always had a home studio so I’ve always had the inspiration around me.

RESPECT.: What were you doing before rap?

DEZMOND MF: Before rap, I was just a normal kid. Riding bikes, shooting hoops, smoking weed. That’s the business in the City of Sin. But i’ve been spitting seriously since my freshman year of High School. At the functions is where people really started to notice that I spit gas. Hence my first stage name, Vdeeezel. *Laughs*

RESPECT.: What pushes you as an artist?

DEZMOND MF: To have my mom and pop be able to quit their jobs and to be able to do what I want with the freedom we call “money”. I use to say I only do this for fun, but it’s more than a game now & the sound is worth something. Sh*t can’t be free no more.

There is no such thing as good cops or bad cops. Just shi*ty people. I’ve met my fair share of Police injustices & at the same time have been given mercy by police. Yes racism is the bigger problem in this and being a country based on ’freedoms”, it seems like we got sh*t twisted backwards.

– Dezmond MF

RESPECT.: What’s your ultimate goal in this industry?

DEZMOND MF: To become an underground mogul who does his thing but at the end of the day isn’t in the drama of the limelight. A good example would be Curren$y. He’s smoking good herb and chillin’ in low riders. Homie can’t complain.

RESPECT.: Describe your style as a rapper. What topics are important to you?

DEZMOND MF: I like going hard. Other artists have different opinions on what hard is, but my definition is having the crowd moshing & not being able to speak after a set. My music is very high energy and edgy. I rap on spiritual topics such as creation, gods, religion, destruction, etc. I’m like a healthy combination of The Underachievers, mixed in with a little bit of Denzel Curry, and a smash of Immortal Technique. *Laughs*

RESPECT.: What’s your take on the state of police brutality and racial injustice in this country?

DEZMOND MF: To be honest, I don’t pick sides on this police brutality subject. There is no such thing as good cops or bad cops. Just shi*ty people. I’ve met my fair share of Police injustices & at the same time have been given mercy by police. Yes racism is the bigger problem in this and being a country based on ’freedoms”, it seems like we got sh*t twisted backwards. You feel me?

RESPECT.: Talk about connecting with Mick Jenkins.. How did that happen?

DEZMOND MF: To be real, my old manager Lil’ Stoves told me Mick was doing deals on features. With Mick being one of my biggest inspirations I had no other option but to hit him up. I banged his email and sent him some music and a beat for him to get on. He was with it & it was history from there.

RESPECT.: I loved the Cambatta feature on “Deception“, it’s probably my favorite record on the project! Talk about how that connection came about?

DEZMOND MF: One of my good homies, Dimo, put me onto his music about a year ago. I became infatuated with his wordplay and rhyme schemes. One day I tweeted, ‘I need Cambatta on a track’ and he hit me almost instantly. He is a very wise cat. He asked me to tell him about myself before we even got down to talking about the music. We chopped it up for a while and I felt like we had been homies for a millennium *laughs*. But we talk all the time. I still haven’t been able to link with him in NY. Thats a goal of mine before 2017 comes around!

RESPECT.: What’s your take on the state of Las Vegas Hip-Hop? What do you feel is the missing link?

DEZMOND MF: Vegas as a city is still developing and growing. There’s a lot of potential here, but it all just depends on how the artists want to work. As of right now, Vegas ain’t sh*t & won’t be unless the youth really come together to put the city on. Not just each of us individually. I should be on this interview talking about all the dope new music coming out from other local artists. But they won’t show love back, or return the favor if they had the opportunity. The egos and tunnel vision that some of these people have isn’t gonna get anyone anywhere. Someone has to change that though. Someone has to be the catalyst. If that person has to be me, then so be it.

RESPECT.: What was the first Hip-Hop album that you bought on your own?

DEZMOND MF: Red Light District from Ludacris!

RESPECT.: Any new projects or shows in the works for now? What can the fans expect to come?

DEZMOND MF: I’m working on a single with my man Muddman, He’s my photographer & gonna be an artist of mine once I establish Mindful Recording as an LLC. The next show is September 30th at On3trackmind in Vegas thrown by Blue Lotus Events!

Check out Mindless below or on any of the major online retailers and be sure to keep your eye on the Vegas shaker.