Exclusive interview with Manchesters rising star: Deed0t.

Manchester superstar Deed0t has been making a lot of noise over the last year, gaining popularity with his song ‘Won’t stop calling’, his unique sound and intriguing music videos where he’s seen walking through Old Trafford, shirtless and covered in blood.

Dee often has deep lyrics that many can relate to that discuss topics of heartbreak, betrayal, and love. Alongside his music he has also mentioned mentoring young artists that might be too scared to start making music or simply do not know where to even start.

I joined Deed0t in a studio session, and watched what went into his creative process when it came to making music, and it intrigued me even more into knowing about who the star behind the music is. In this exclusive interview Deed0t tells us about how being from Manchester shaped him, his deep lyrics, and his musical inspirations.

So, Dee, what got you into music, and when did you start taking it seriously?

I started as a DJ, and I think the wind just blew me in the direction of song writing one day. I haven’t looked back since — that was in 2019. I started taking it seriously after my first song. As soon as I got into music, I got the feeling and the goosebumps from being in the studio, recording, and releasing songs. Even though I haven’t made any major strides yet, I couldn’t stop. I felt like I had started something, so I had to go for it.

To be fair though, I don’t know if I would say I was taking it completely seriously at first — it always felt fun. But maybe a year in, I started seeing comments from people who genuinely liked it, and that’s when I began taking it more seriously.

Who were your biggest musical inspirations growing up?

Growing up, I went to a lot of family functions — obviously, I’m Jamaican — and most of the music we listened to, I couldn’t even tell you the names of, because I was so young. But I did listen to a lot of American music when I was younger — a lot of Drake, just the usual stuff. Chief Keef too.

In high school, I started listening to Kodak Black. That’s when I realised — this guy is breaking barriers. Kodak was just being himself. That’s when I realised, even beyond song writing, that you should just be yourself in whatever you do.

How has your Jamaican heritage and Manny upbringing shaped your sound?

It’s ingrained in me; you know what I mean? Being from Manchester, it’s never been easy to break into music, but I’ve always said I’d make my accent a strength. I don’t care if people from here or there don’t like what they’re hearing — I am me. You either like it or you don’t. I like it, and I’m not going to start rapping in a London or American accent just to make someone else happy.

So yeah, I started owning it. And obviously, the Jamaican stuff — that’s just part of who I am. It’s fun to step outside the bubble and try different things, but it’s still me. I’m not pretending.

Your music often has deep lyrics. Do you approach song writing as a form of therapy?

I wouldn’t say I approach it that way, but it has been healing. Especially when I wrote ‘Do You Buy Your Girl Flowers?’ — I was going through it at the time. I didn’t realise how much better I’d feel after writing it. I got goosebumps, and that gave me one kind of happiness. Then seeing how it helped others — how it lifted them out of their own situations — that gave me another kind of happiness.

So no, I don’t write for therapy, but it helps me heal. I just write what I feel to express myself, and 9 times out of 10, I end up feeling better.

You collaborate closely with your brother on production. What’s that like?

He’s a G, shoutout Quayne. He’s like me, but 100 times quieter, and I’m already quiet, so imagine that. But when we get in the booth, it’s special. We weren’t always like this musically. We’ve always been close, especially with gaming and stuff, like all my brothers, but now we’ve found a new level of

connection through music.

We used to send each other funny meme beats on Instagram. Then one day it turned into “Rah, I actually like this beat,” and he’d send me something and I’d be like, “Quayne, this is sick!” It just took off from there. Now we work together whenever we can. Honestly, I know it’s good for him too — it helps him figure out what he wants to do in life. He’s got an outlet now, and I can help him with that.

‘Won’t Stop Calling’ gained a lot of traction recently. Did you expect it to blow up — especially three years after its release?

Yeah, I didn’t expect it to blow up like that — but I know the kind of artist I am. I’ve had “All about timing” in my bio since I started the page. I always knew it was just a matter of time.

‘Won’t Stop Calling’ was one of the first tracks I produced myself. It was raw — not polished like a seasoned producer would make it. A skilled producer probably wouldn’t have released it. But when it took off, I knew — because I believed in my sound. I’ve been saying that for ages.

The trend helped. One thing I noticed is, once I started putting my face to the name and dropping videos saying, “Yeah, it’s me,” those videos started gaining traction. Then people started making their own videos saying how good the song is

How do you navigate the UK rap scene, especially being from Manny?

That’s a good question. Manchester isn’t as busy as London, so it’s hard. But I find it easier when I’m in London, it’s work mode. You’re around like-minded people who just want to get straight to it.

In Manny, there’s only a handful of people making music, and not all of them have the work ethic. The people you want to collaborate with are usually from London. As much as I want to work with artists from my city, there are only a select few really doing it properly.

You’ve spoken about mentoring young artists. Why is that important to you?

Because nowadays, it’s easier than ever to do something with music if you do it right and have the right mindset. I feel like I’m living proof you can take any sound where you want and go far. I’ve come a long way from where I started.

There’s someone out there, sitting at home, afraid to release their first song, I’ve been there. That’s why I tell people: if you want to do something, the last thing you want is to look back in 10 years and think, “What if?” I’d rather fail now and know I tried than not try at all.

If someone was listening to your music for the first time, what message would you want them to take away?

Just be yourself. When you hear me, I’m not trying to impress the UK or whoever. If I don’t get goosebumps from the song, I’m not releasing it. And if I do get goosebumps, and you don’t…I’m still putting it out.

Honestly, I don’t ask for a lot of opinions on my music because I don’t want the energy of others to water it down before it even drops. This is my sound, and I own it. That’s not to say don’t take advice, just trust your own ear. Listen to music you love, and if you can say, “This is hard,” then trust someone else out there will feel the same way.