The youthful half of the O’Neal Boyz duo, Myles O’Neal hopes to construct on his father’s affect and obtain nice heights as a budding EDM crafter.
Stream: “Work You Out” – Myles O’Neal
Myles O’Neal has an extended shadow to emerge from— a 7-foot-one, 300-lb former NBA famous person’s shadow, to be exact.
Because the stepson of basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal, his title and household ties might catch individuals’s consideration— however Myles hopes he’ll transcend that and actually preserve their consideration via the abilities as a DJ and document producer that he’s spending on daily basis constructing upon.
“I’m lastly transferring out of this mild of individuals being like, ‘Oh, that is simply Shaq’s son DJ’ing’ or no matter to really being like, ‘Oh, these songs are cool. He really cares in regards to the tradition and is keen to take his personal path’,” he explains.
That path has confirmed to be very fortuitous. Since formally getting began with music-making in 2023, O’Neal has produced a strong stash of his personal singles, together with doing remixes for different artists, as he did for Conflict’s 1972 monitor “The Cisco Child.” He’s collaborated and with and supported a number of notable musicians, together with Stanaj, Zedd, and Max Tyler. All of the whereas, he has stayed near his well-known father, who has lengthy deejayed himself beneath the alias of DJ Diesel. Collectively, they’ve shaped the duo the O’Neal Boyz and carried out at a number of well-regarded music festivals, Lollapalooza most noticeably.
Along with his newest single, “Work You Out,” having simply been launched earlier this spring, it’s a great time to test in with Myles O’Neal and see what he presently has his sights on along with his music profession now conspicuously taking off.
— —
:: join with Myles O’Neal right here ::
— —
A CONVERSATION WITH MYLES O’NEAL
Atwood Journal: What had been your early influences rising up? What had been among the experiences and exposures you had that finally impressed you to pursue DJ’ing?
Myles O’Neal: After I was rising up, there have been loads of various kinds of music round me. My grandmother sang within the choir, my uncle performed the drums, and my dad actually put me onto hip-hop music. I didn’t realize it was going to show right into a profession for me or something once I was listening to it, however I really feel like that’s the place loads of my soulful affect got here from. Even studying about Parliament Funkadelic and Kurt Franklin, or Bounce and Biggie and different hip-hop artists– all of it got here from simply being round the home. Listening to this music form of shapes you. It form of turns into the soundtrack of your life as a baby. I used to be very fortunate to have loads of musical influences and hearken to various kinds of music, so I’ve a really wide selection of music that I like.
It’s been about two years because you launched your debut monitor, “Superficial.” How would you summarize that interval? What’s it been like getting your profession launched throughout that point?
Myles O’Neal: Throughout that point, I form of was simply making an attempt to determine what the logistics had been behind releasing music. It was very nerve-wracking; I used to be very nervous simply to share one thing that I’d made with an infinite quantity of individuals. It was totally different from me performing and DJ’ing, the place it’s a fast repair– if I’m taking part in and say, “This isn’t the vibe,” I can at all times simply change it up, ? However as soon as you set that tune on the market, it’s simply out. So, that was laborious.
As soon as I bought good suggestions and stuff like that, it was much less nerve-wracking, however I might say that for any launch, you continue to get very nervous earlier than it goes out. You simply don’t know whether or not individuals are going to love it or not. If you happen to do it at a present, will there be this response or that response, or will individuals be asking for it after the present, or stuff like that? Throughout that point, I used to be very relieved simply to know that I may put music out and really feel assured with my skills to make songs and tracks.
You’ve gotten a wide range of songs which are your personal creation, in addition to some which are remixes of different artists’ works, such because the “Cisco Child” remix. What do you suppose is analogous and totally different about every type of manufacturing?
Myles O’Neal: I have a look at remixing different individuals’s stuff as bringing the music to a gaggle of people that probably haven’t already heard the tune. I felt the identical method after we did “Flashlight” by George Clinton. I might go round after we did the monitor and ask, “Hey, have you learnt Parliament/Funkadelic?” and lots of people, particularly on this area, would say “No.” And I might say, “What?”
In my head, I assumed it was a quite common factor to know funk music and Parliament/Funkadelic and stuff like that. I simply realized, “Wow, I’ve a chance to indicate these individuals and even the opposite viewers simply how essential these individuals had been to music that formed my life, or who formed the sound of hip-hop music or every other kind of style of music, and created their very own sound.” By the remix monitor that I made, even bringing individuals again to the unique monitor or doing stuff like that will permit me to pay homage to the issues that they did for me as a baby. That’s what was most essential for me about making these songs. It’s one thing of my very own creation, however I’m not making an attempt to take over the highlight of those others artists, which I very a lot pay homage to.
Let’s speak about your new single, which is “Work You Out.” How did this tune come collectively and the way does it symbolize a stride ahead for you artistically?
Myles O’Neal: We made that tune, the unique model, across the similar time that we did “Superficial.” So, we’ve had that tune for a very long time. For me, I used to be joyful to lastly put it out as a result of I’ve had that tune for years now. We simply couldn’t discover a label to place the tune out. I really feel like loads of the songs that I made some time in the past are actually beginning to get extra listeners. Perhaps I’ll make a couple of tweaks right here or there simply to get it extra updated, however it was very natural with that tune. We simply did the lyrics randomly and my homegirl Aleshia did the feminine a part of the tune, and I did the male a part of the tune. I simply freestyled the lyrics from the tune and stated, “This really sounds form of cool.”
We made my voice sound deeper and Aleshia’s voice sound sexier for the monitor. On the exhibits not too long ago, we’ve gotten individuals singing the lyrics again to us– it’s normally the women singing the lady’s half greater than the fellows singing the man’s half, however I assume that is smart!
You’ve bought some excursions and festivals developing as nicely. What are your hopes for them?
Myles O’Neal: I’m simply joyful to lastly be on this place. Final yr, I did a couple of units at EDC Las Vegas and I did Lollapalooza, however to be thought of [a part of the] pageant circuit lastly now… appears like one other stepping stone to a bit of extra validation right here and there. I’m simply joyful to be int his pageant circuit. I don’t care if I play within the opening slot– put me within the lineup and I’ll begin off on the backside once more and work my method as much as the headline spot. That’s simply how I have a look at it.
Shout-out to Breakaway – all the fellows over there, they’re wonderful. Shout-out to Insomnias; that was the primary pageant I ever performed. Lolla– the Lolla individuals, they’re all nice as nicely. I’m from California, and so Coachella is the one I’m actually prepared for. I really feel like if I hold working laborious and doing what I’m doing, hold making an attempt to develop and develop, I’ll attain that time.
Let’s speak about your loved ones ties with the person of many nicknames – however right here, we’ll name him DJ Diesel. What are some methods during which DJ Diesel has influenced you artistically and what does it symbolize so that you can be one-half of the O’Neal Boyz duo together with him?
Myles O’Neal: The principle motive why I even bought into taking part in and producing and stuff like that’s as a result of my dad began DJ Diesel. He requested me to return on tour with him. None of us actually knew what we had been doing, so all of us form of had been there making an attempt to assist him. That was me serving to onstage and on the highway, after which that was me studying the right way to use Ableton and the mixer and with the ability to play. Then my dad stated, “Yo, it is best to play for enjoyable or go round and see what occurs.” I informed him, “Effectively, I don’t wish to play dubstep music,” and he stated, “Bro, you don’t should play dubstep music.” It was like a click on in my head; I stated, “I don’t should, you’re proper!” He stated, “Discover a DJ that you simply like and principally simply mannequin your self after him.”
On the time, I used to be a very large Fisher man and would watch all his movies and discover his music. I used to be going round L.A. and taking part in music at my homies’ spots. I do know lots of people out right here that personal golf equipment and bars and stuff, and I used to be simply taking part in for enjoyable. Then, individuals began asking me to return carry out out of city and I spotted that I would want to have a supervisor, and I’d must learn to make music, and I’d want a reserving agent– it simply stored constructing and increase. All of it occurred very organically, however it all simply stemmed from my dad calling me and asking for assistance on the highway and saying, “Hey, are you able to assist me to determine this DJ Diesel undertaking?”
Are there any extra musical initiatives that you simply’re eyeing, comparable to new singles and so forth?
Myles O’Neal: Subsequent month, I’ve a tune popping out with my good homie Justin. He’s from right here as nicely; he really lives down the road from me. Now we have a tune known as “Make You Wait” popping out subsequent month. Proper now, I’m in a spot the place I’m making an attempt to do extra collabs. I simply did one with Proppa and considered one of my good pals, Chase West, we’re engaged on one thing proper now. This yr, I wish to work much more with my pals and get some tracks out and concepts began with all people. Max Tyler, the Consultants Solely crew, Catch and Launch, individuals like that.
I really feel like I’m in a spot the place I’m lastly transferring out of this mild of individuals being like, “Oh, that is simply Shaq’s son DJ’ing” or no matter to really being like, “Oh, these songs are cool. He really cares in regards to the tradition and is keen to take his personal path.” I may have simply develop into a dubstep DJ and money-grabbed if I needed to, however that’s not what I used to be enthusiastic about. I really feel prefer it’s lastly paying off and I can get a few of these collabs going, ship them over, and really have individuals take pleasure in them.
The rest?
Myles O’Neal: Be careful for Myle O’Neal popping out this yr, subsequent yr, and the yr after. Try my music on Spotify and if you happen to see me on the street, by no means hesitate to say “What’s up?” I’m a very pleasant man.
— —
:: join with Myles O’Neal right here ::
— —
— — — —
Connect with Myles O’Neal on
Fb, 𝕏, TikTok, Instagram
Uncover new music on Atwood Journal
© courtesy of the artist
:: Stream Myles O’Neal ::