Durrty Doogz

Signed, or not signed, that is the question. “I’m on my way with Polydor, but I can’t remember putting a signature on any (record company) contracts yet so I’m not going to tell people anything official…”

At least Doogz is honest. Despite reports of million pound deals, (including one recent article, which falsely speculated that the twenty two-year-old from Walthamstow had been signed to Sony for over a year), there are still no bona fide details on any business moves, official releases, or videos. And while the music industry and taste-makers the country over have got as excited about grime as America did over Janet’s maturing nipple, Doogz has made a distinctive move to align himself with the hip hop and bashment world.

More commonly associated in the past with top raves such as Sidewinder, clashing the likes of Wiley, and rolling with his crew Boyz In Da Hood, it’s all a training ground Doogz is apparently laying to rest.

“They (Boyz In Da Hood) don’t make the music I make. I’m letting Crazy Titch; my brother run that now. I put in my work last year, on the grind, on the underground. It served a purpose, I had to take a step down to step up but I shoulda been doing that at 17or 18 but then I was on the roads then. Mans going international now.”

Since been ‘off road’, Doogz has taken twists on many paths in his life. He declares himself conscious and righteous, meaning he lives his life ‘in as best way possible’, as well as naming God as his number one influence. Another thing Doogz seems to have acquired is an admirable injection of irreversible confidence.

Despite recently making outbound journeys to Miami and Jamaica where he worked with Black Shadow (Sean Paul), and hung with Buju Banton and Morgan Heritage the debut album will be a big-name-free zone.

“UK artists aren’t taken that seriously, but that’s no one else’s fault, there was no reason for them to be taken seriously. If you need to collaborate with a known artist before you come out then you’re not worth coming out…When I come out and people hear Doogz then they can feature with me. Every morning I know it’s alright cause where this is taking me it’s in his (Gods) plan.”

While he lays the final laurels of the streets to rest, completes his album with producer Flow and concludes his paperwork, Doogz is planing to shift 500 of his next release, Boom Boom, produced by himself and Fusion, out of the back of his car.

“It’s not even going to the shops for now. It’s just keeping it at the music level before it gets taken to the business level. If people are waiting on your main tune it can get too messy. Forget politics cor’ this is just another warm up.”

And like the hole in the ozone layer that heats up the English summer, you can bet your sunscreen that as hard as he is to find, it’ll be Doogz that’s scorching your sound system.

CHANTELLE FIDDY

Doogz – Boom, Boom is available from Doogz car boot now (*N.B. He's also now changed his name to Goodz)
A version of this article appeared in i-D Magazine 2004.