DieLayt (pronounced “dilate”) is a 25 year old rapper from New Zealand. His first name is Joe, and he writes, produces, and records all of his music independently. He is of Māori and European descent. DieLayt was raised by his mother and has never met his father. When he was 15, he dropped out of high school after a run-in with the law and he has always struggled with mental health. This is showcased in his music, which includes topics on politics, religion, mental health and relationships. DieLayt’s musical influences include Eminem, Kid Cudi, Pouya, $uicideboy$, Maynard James Keenan and Chino Moreno.
DieLayt has a brand new single called “Fracture”. This intense rap song features vocals that will make your hairs stand on end with its crisp and articulate raps. The verses are rapid, with the lyrics coming through with a rhythmic intensity. The rhyming schemes will make your head spin and the lyrical content combined with the quality of the vocals give this song a haunting texture. With this new single, we are excited to hear what this young rising star has to offer in the future.
Give a listen to DieLayt's "Fracture" here, and check below for the artists personalized interview where he lets us in on creative process for the track!
Hi DieLayt, great to chat with you! Can you briefly describe your background and how you got into music and writing?
I grew up pretty poor, without a father, I moved around a lot and was never in one place for long. I've been in and out of the mental health system since around eight years old. Left school after being involved with the law and entered the workforce.
The first cassette tape I had as a kid was "The Eminem show", I memorized "Cleanin' Out My Closet" and would go to school and rap the lyrics as fast as I could in a circle of my friends, seeing who could rap the fastest. Rap always spoke to me, I could relate to the lyrics, and the wordplay and intricacies in lyrical rap inspired me. I've been writing lyrics since I was twelve, and making music for three years or so, though I only bought a microphone last year once I grew the courage to put myself on a track.
Would you be able to describe your creative process when creating and recording your music?
My creative process usually starts with a melody I get from experimenting with sounds, then I'll add a beat to it and play it looped until a flow comes to me, then I'll go over the flow with gibberish until a topic comes to mind and the the words just pour out, then I write an entire verse with what comes out, then ill go through it and change each line if I need to, so it fits and flows perfectly, Once I have around four verses and a chorus I switch on the mic and record it all, mix and master it, and play it back until I'm satisfied.
You released a new single called “Fracture”. Is there a particular message you had in mind when making this song?
The message in that track relates to being bi-polar, waking up feeling like a completely different person some days, and the medication I take to stabilize my moods. I missed a dose once and had a manic episode, I was up for fifty hours or so, and I saw myself in the mirror, and that's where the chorus came from.
You’re open about your past and struggles with mental health. Would you say this plays a large part in the way you create music?
Mental health has always been a major factor in my life, being in and out of the system means I have always been conscious of it. Mental health is a big part of the way I make music now, but I don't think it would have been so prominent if it weren't for artists like Kid Cudi, XXXTentacion, Lil Peep and $uicideboy$.
What can we look forward to seeing from you in the future?
I like to experiment and I make tracks every day, so you can expect a unique sound, lots of new music, lyrics speaking on everything from relationships to politics, and hopefully a music video sometime soon.
Connect with DieLayt via the artists socials: