Urban Vault caught up with Walnut, California based emcee David May to ask him some question about his music, inspirations and more…

California rapper David May recently dropped ‘Black Box’, his latest single produced by Lake Indigo. In 2012 Black Cloud released David’s debut album ‘The Lifestyle Of A Dream Chaser’ and performed alongside Pac Div, Curren$y and joined ‘The Road To Paid Dues’ Tour with Murs and Fashawn before following up with 2014’s ‘Video 94’ EP (‘Store Runs‘).

Since then David has released tracks with Fashawn and Trizz as well as several collaborations with California producer Huss (‘That’s Crazy‘), alongside his work as a member of the One Step Ahead collective.

“I wrote this song after coming back from a writer’s block,” says David about his new single. “I had a child, my relationship crashed and burned. My whole life was in pieces. I had to sift through the mess and find what was me. In airplane crashes, they call the last recordings a ‘black box’. This song is a metaphor for those recordings. It’s a look at where I was prior to my life taking a turn. And in turn, familiarizing myself with that part of me again. It’s go time, baby”.

Describe a day in the life of David May?

My day starts at 10:30 PM. I’m up and working by 1 AM or earlier. I work in logistics and shit can get stressful sometimes. I have my bad days and my not as bad days… Ha. I’m off by 10 AM most days. Soon as I’m home I’m rolling up… I’m listening to beats while I get in some 2K action. I definitely use the Xbox to relax and unwind after that corporate shit. As soon as I catch a vibe from a beat that grabs my attention I drop everything and start coming up with those lines that will hook you in. I’m really a fan of those lines that stick with you… it’s not always just about the best “bar” or metaphor you know? Besides songwriting, I brainstorm a lot these days. I get an idea and I get really caught up in it. I’m thinking of all different kinds of way to grow my money and invest that shit right back into this musical journey. I try not to limit my opportunities or box myself into a category. Sometimes it’s not something I can do… but I take some stuff from that thought process and apply it to something else. Add in some Netflix action and you got a feel for an average day. The only difference is the weekends… and days with my little girl. She’s 4. I got her 4 days during the week and I love every minute of it. I just want to make her proud you know? She finally saw one of my music videos and she thinks I’m cool. Who knows how long that lasts, but I’m owning that shit for now. The weekends are my time to shine, I get a chance to catch up on everything. Sleep, fun, sex, and music. Honestly, sometimes I don’t even get sleep I have too much to catch up on. I try to make my trips out to LA and Inglewood to see the rest of the homies over that way. There are so many talented individuals hanging out together and just always creating something…that energy is fucking dope to be around.

Tell us about Walnut?

Walnut is something else man. It’s a mostly quiet town… lots of stoners among the youth cause there ain’t shit to do there. I don’t even think we have a downtown area. Definitely led to me going elsewhere to get into trouble. Spent most of my time in Pomona, West Covina, and La Puente. I used to not even really claim Walnut because most people don’t even know where it is. But fuck that you know… I’m from here and everywhere around here, they all played a part. But there are some other cats in the area outside of OSA (my squad) that are trying to help build up the local community. If I can help bring attention to the area and help establish a more supportive community that’d be fucking awesome. The best way I can see to do that is put on for the area and stay open and reach out to the others doing the damn thing out here too. Shouts out to all of them!

Artists gain inspiration from unlikely sources sometimes. What are who is one source of inspiration for you that we might not expect?

Not to sound corny but it’s definitely my daughter. Everything I do is for her. My life has changed and I’ve had to become the best version of myself for her. I want to show her if you work hard and invest time and even money into your dreams anything is possible. I want her to grow up knowing it’s ok to chase after things that are outside the norm. If it weren’t for her I would not be capable of what I am today. I don’t fear failure anymore, I fear quitting. I have been knocked down so many times the last few years, that little girl was the reason I got back up every time. I’m trying to stay up now and keep this shit in motion!

What track of yours do you think you should go down in history for and why?

Woah. That’s heavy. I don’t know if I’ve made any history-book-worthy music. If I had to choose I’d roll with “That’s Crazy”. The best reception of any song I’ve done… I also think the hook is iconic for me. “That boy reminds me of the ‘99 slim shady. Ballin’ like Vince Carter when he was playin’ with McGrady” Definitely brings back memories of a certain era. If you grew up around the time I did, you instantly get that fucking hook.

What do you predict for the year in Hip Hop?

I think hip hop is in another transitional stage. I think we see its reach continue to grow. It feels like the culture is going to shift and you’re going to have a lot of these up-and-comers take center stage. It’s a great time to be a part of hip hop. I think it’s crazy how much streaming has changed the game. I love how vinyl has made a comeback for the real audiophiles. By the end of the year, you may see fewer albums and more “playlists” a la Drake. My prediction.

Thank you for your time and may you carry on making dope, fresh music…

David May – Black Box Prod. by Lake Indigo – Black Box via Spotify

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