Boyd: Talking about your project HIKE, why did you decide to name it that, and what’s the deal with the artwork?
DKIRK: So that’s not the actual artwork—it’s more so a teaser! It’s the world I’m trying to build. I have a lot of themes around the wilderness, like camping, fire, smoke, etc. Those are the different elements that I am trying to portray sonically. For those that are unfamiliar with the hiking theme—when I did the rap video about my job, that was a catalyst to me moving to New York City. New York was always one of the places I wanted to live, but I never had any motivation to get out of my comfort zone. The whole Vayner situation was something I couldn’t pass up, and it motivated me to take that leap of faith. That’s what HIKE is about. It’s also me trying everything I like and going on a journey. That's how nature is—it’s unpredictable.
Boyd: You’re more than just a rapper. You make videos, assets, and micro-content. How do you view yourself coming into the game right now?
DKIRK: I definitely think it’s going to set me apart because on a visual scale, I think I’m going to be able to put out a lot of stuff that looks more put together than other artists are capable of because it gives me full control to capture exactly what is in my head. Also, in terms of speed—I can put out content at scale rapidly because I have the luxury of not having to wait or pay anyone. It almost makes me think of music differently. I think about how the songs will translate on socials, and I’m able to look through the lenses of different content platforms.