Today we’d like to introduce you to Daryl Douglas and Robert Doty.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Daryl and Robert. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
The two of us grew up together as kids and dealt with a ton of racial controversy because of the entertainment choices that were made. I, Daryl Douglas, was an African American kid who gravitated towards a rock an roll sound that focused on live instruments. I could play anything that holds notes and what naturally came out was compared to “white people music”. Robert Doty, being a white artist gravitated towards rap and hip hop, naturally. Because of these barriers to entry, we had to work even harder to gain respect in the industry.
I began playing in many different bands over the years that all eventually broke up over creative differences, until one day, I just decided to create a “band” where I write all the music and maintain creative control over the project. That was so my success would not be bound to anyone. If I was unsuccessful, it was because I wasn’t hungry enough to get out there and get it. This led to my band called “I Come Alive”. I record all the music and then hire and use musicians to play it live. I have released to albums so far world-wide. My freshman album is called “Lunar Love”. This is a collection of 15 songs that were put out in 2014. My Sophomore album that released this year in June was titled “Shattered Teeth” and dealt with depression and anxiety and doing beautify things with those emotions.
On the flip side of this coin, there is Robert Doty (Cooli Booli). He began his musical career at a very young age and has had to overcome adversity in the rap industry. He began by creating beats, rapping, and making mixtapes at a very young age out of his garage. He began to make a name for himself in high school under the name “Chatter Box”. This gave way to him gaining traction as an artist, and he rebranded under the name “Country Boy”. Hit music because very hardcore rap and the lifestyle that came along with this persona was not a positive one. He then decided to rebrand and change the tone and ideal of his music, which brings us to the current brand of “Cooli Booli”. He decided that he wanted to create positive music that could be enjoyed across many different age groups, and also bring the fun in “funk”.
Eventually, after 20 years of friendship, multiple international/national tours, and years of establishing each brand in the music industry, we reconnected. Even though our musical styles were distinct and in completely different genres, we maintained high respect for quality music. “Great music is great music, no matter what the genre is.” We then decided to put together a band and album that focused on capturing the time when music actually had a positive message and quality music production. This gave birth to TypeKast and the debut album “UncAnny”. This was a joint venture to combine our natural sounds of hip hop, jazz, funk, and rock in a way that is positive musically and lyrically.
TypeKast is a play on the fact that we have been typecast from day one in the music industry, but never conformed to the expectations of others. Cooli Booli handles the beats and soulful vocal stylings, while I handle the live instruments and smooth vocal stylings throughout this album. The music is motivational with tracks like “Number One”, an anthem to our drive and determination to continue to pursue our individual brands as well as this brand. “Sooper Heroes” is a testament to the fact that you can actually be the hero that you are looking for, and that we are all able to save ourselves as individuals. “Now That’s Gangsta” is a song that catalogues the fact that being a true gangster is not what your year in violent music or movies, but actually being a productive part of society. Paying your bills, being responsible, not cyberbullying, and being respectful to others is what is truly “Gangster”. The final track on the album called “Barnyard Boogie” is our attempt at creating a country song, that is intended to break down the barrier of music. We can all get together and have a good time no matter your race, age, or religion.
TypeKast has already accomplished so much in the brief amount of time that is has existed. We were able to release this album with a self-published music video, created by Fire Images. (Robert Doty’s film and multimedia company.) We have already appeared on a national TV show called the Art of Dispute and will be performing at a charity event to benefit the children of Aldine and Greenspoint since this was the area and district that we went to school in.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The largest struggle along the way has been overcoming the racial barriers that each of us has chosen from the music that naturally comes out. Robert Doty has dealt with overcoming the adversity of being a “White Boy”, as a rapper. The comparisons and critique of being an Eminem or Bubba Sparxx wannabe were always there until he allowed his natural talent to outshine the haters while creating a name for himself. Daryl always deals with being labeled as an “Oreo”. (Black on the outside and white in the middle). This challenge was overcome through time and patience with participating with different bands and eventually being compared to a Hendrix of our time. The respect for good music and perseverance overshadowed the judgemental critiques.
Please tell us about TypeKast.
Our band is called TypeKast and its main message is to spread good music and good vibes to every listener, regardless of their age, race, or belief. We are focused on demonstrating that you never have to stick to the narrative that society has written for you. You are in control of your own destiny and can be the hero that you seek. What makes us unique is the fact that the music industry today has gravitated to mumble rap, and just making music to make a buck, instead of following through with the responsibility to truly give great content lyrically. Our music has a positive message that is motivational. This is important when you image the younger generations that soak up music like a sponge, as well as the older generation that clings to music of their day. We attempt to cross all those thresholds with our product.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
As kids, we had a mutual friend that would pick us both up for school in the morning. This friend was very dear to us and is no longer with us. The best memories would be the fact that we were such a hodgepodge group of kids that visually looked so diverse, but were the best of friends. Robert would be the last kid to be picked up every morning because he was never up and ready for school on time. We knew that we would have to give him the most time, so we would always ensure that we called his house prior to leaving our own.
Pricing:
- UncAnny by TypeKast is available for $7.99 on every major outlet to purchase
Contact Info:
- Email: typekastmusic@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/typekastmusic
- Facebook: facebook.com/typekastmusic
- Twitter: twitter.com/typekastmusic
Image Credit:
Fire Images
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