Interview with Croatian Hip Hop Brothers Da Commission

Da Commission

After more than a decade in the music business, Croatian hip hop duo Da Commission, comprising of twins Domagoj (Intricate D) and Mihovil (Mon$taa Mic) Gašpić. are set to release their official debut album ‘The God’s Fury’, and to kick off the campaign they shot and put out the video for the first single ‘Spaced Out’…

The single was produced by Dubravko ‘Ika’ Matančević and has a fusion of boom bap with funky synths making it an ideal soundtrack for cruising or just chilling at home. The duo deliver social commentary while keeping your head nodding with knocking production and contrasting flows that seem to get the message across without sounding too preachy.

The group decided to go for a more cinematic look and give the fans more interesting visuals which they feel are lacking in music today. The lyrics are heartfelt and truly convey the struggle between temptations and not letting your vices take control of your life in a negative way. The video was directed by Mon$taa Mic and co-directed and edited by Dominik Belančić.

We caught up with the Split-based brothers ahead of the release.

So guys when and how did you first start getting into doing music?

We started recording music professionally in Zagreb in our teens, sometime around 14-15 years of age. Mike (Mihovil) was always good at battling and free-styling so it seemed to be a natural progression to take it to the next level which was recording demos and mixtapes. At the time the region had a very active and vibrant urban music scene and we were told by many of the veterans from Target (Tram 11), Matko Šašek (Koolade) to Nered (Neki Daniels) telling us we had enough talent to do it professionally.

Domagoj (Intricate D) and Mihovil (Mon$taa Mic) Gašpić

Who did you listen to growing up?

We grew up listening to Tupac, Biggie, Big Pun, Big L ,Wu Tang Clan, DMX, Eminem, Mos Def, Busta Rhymes, Nas Jay-Z and we had a profound appreciation for hard rock, blues, jazz, soul and R&B. We believe that fans when they get to hear the material we recorded for ‘The God’s Fury’ they will see a successful fusion of these genres and a depth that has been lacking in the mainstream.

What about Croatian music? Who did you appreciate growing up and now?

The classics go without saying, Dino Dvornik, Oliver, Gibonni, Massimo, Mišo Kovač, Kičo Slabinec, Dalmatino but mostly Bolesna Braca, Tram 11, Stoka & Nered, EL Bahatee and TBF.

Have there been any other influences in your music?

We would have to say that growing up abroad did influence us as individuals and musicians, we were inspired by legends such as Toni Kukoć, Dražen Petrović, Michael Jackson, Mike Tyson, John F Kennedy, Frank Sinatra, etc. We were always inspired by underdogs that would rise to the occasion and dominate in their fields against all odds. Seeing how people overcame obstacles, maintained their integrity and mastered their craft influenced our decisions early on concerning lyrical content, character and our choice to remain independent for the beginning of our career.

Where have you played?

We have performed everywhere from Istanbul to Split but lately we have focused our efforts on the upcoming album and video to generate more awareness which has already garnered attention in Stockholm, Berlin and London. Currently we are promoting the video and The God’s Fury, setting up a few domestic shows for our local long time fans but the bigger European markets will be the priority this time around.

Da Commission’s official debut album out next month

What are your plans?

Capitalize on the interest we have gained and be the first Croatian artists to truly have an international voice and influence outside of the region. To tour intensively across Europe and if possible Canada, South Africa and Latin America as our management has been in talks with them already. In essence we want our message to be spread out globally and focus the attention of the world on how good Croatian musicians can really be, tell the world that it is not just 2Cellos people should be checking out and that we can produce vocal urban music with mass appeal.

Do you have any advice for budding artists?

Hard work, Hard work and guess what… More hard work and sacrifice. We would like to tell young artists to focus on their work, devote time and resources into making your music and products the best they can be. Remain humble when promoting your projects because nobody in the press owes you anything, be sure to thank them and show appreciation. Most of all dare to be great! We see a lot of younger artists not setting the bar high enough and as a result give up to early in the game before reaching their full potential. It all takes time and time is never wasted if you are actively pursuing your set goals and have a strong work ethic. The one thing we would have done different was attacking social media and expanding our fan base earlier online so artists today should definitely work hard in that area of promotion.

Da Commission’s official debut album ‘The God’s Fury’ will be released in mid March and will be available on all digital stores and hard copies can be pre-ordered directly through their website www.dacommission.com, and upon release through CD Baby.

Check out their new single below: