Hip hop has always been associated with reclaiming something intimately one’s own. Something which the world can threaten to take away or destroy but never completely, never out of existence, not at least when people like the Duenas brothers and others like them stand as the guardians of this genre and its spirit. Danny Duenas, along with his brothers Ricky and Juan, has created what is being labeled as one of the best hip hop apps in the world.
Aptly titled, My Mixtapez, it’s reminiscent of the glory that hip hop once was and of the glorious standing it proposes to have in the present times. In this exclusive interview with Danny Duenas, we got to learn a lot about what goes into preserving an idea, an art form, and why it’s important to keep history alive.
Q. Have you always been passionate about hip hop?
Danny. The answer to that is a resounding yes. Music is my life. And hip hop is the breath that keeps me going. Ever since we were children, my brothers and I felt connected to the sense of freedom hip hop yearned for and often found. It brought us closer together as brothers and helps us bring a lot of quality to the table as collaborators because all three of us wish to win as we grow.
Q. What sets My Mixtapez apart from other similar apps?
Danny. Hip hop is the number 1 genre of music. That bit of fact is widely known. But what isn’t very familiar with the masses is the extent to which hip hop can be explored. Most people are only familiar with the most popular and well-marketed names. This tends to give a rather narrow personality to the genre, when in fact, the true spirit of the music is very secular, very elaborative, and often beyond accepted definitions. My Mixtapez is the place where the under ground hip hop music can be found. Our plan with the app had always been to offer something that’s not available elsewhere, from underground to independent creations. For me, that’s our DNA, the distinction that marks us clear from other apps.
Q. What’s your process like to find the unique tracks available on your app?
Danny. It’s a lot of sweat and blood; I’ll tell you that. It’s not always easy to find something that wants to stay hidden. Unless, of course, you know why they want to remain hidden. They are afraid of their music being taken away from them or at least the freedom with which they create. As genuine lovers of the hip hop genres, we treat the music of our artists with a lot of reverence. They open up to us because they feel safe. And once that road is cleared, it’s simple from there on because every artist yearns to share what they create.
Q. How has the response been so far?
Danny. Well, we started My Mixtapez in 2011, and the fact that we are still talking about it says something. Today, brands and apps and companies rise and fall by the dozen each day. To sustain something for a decade is an achievement in itself and an ode to the artists and fans who can’t get enough of what hip hop has to offer.
The artists, being encouraged by a million listeners, are inspired to explore the world of hip hop constantly. The 80s-90s hip hop had a unique flavor of its own, it was unheard of, and its novelty was very well received. Today, the music imbues the flavor of the current generation.
Fans, on the other hand, find this new side of hip hop equally mesmerizing. Many remain loyalists for life because they see that their much-loved music genre is not being carelessly tampered with but being re-arranged in a way that’s familiar and new at the same time.
Q. What are your plans for 2021?
Danny. Well, we are one of the few companies that actually fared well during the pandemic. Music heals, and thanks to the pandemic and all the unexpectedness it came with, people found solace in hip hop, and as visits to our site increased, we knew we had done something right. So, the plan is to continue to do what we do – connect people with the music they love.
Danny Duenas’ noble outlook and his music are inspiring many youngsters to choose a path of creativity and creation. We thank Danny Duenas for his insights and wish him all the best.