Life & Work with Charles “Chuck Die$el” Wright

Today we’d like to introduce you to Charles “Chuck Die$el” Wright.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
It all started when I was just a kid, around six or seven years old, my aunt wrote a play for the children’s church during the holiday season, and I was cast in it automatically. By the time I was ten, I was landing leads in other church plays and attending bigger churches with larger congregations. It was then that I discovered my love and talent for lyricism.

I remember a summer day when I was with my older and younger cousins at my grandma’s house. My older cousin and his best friend were into music and had started freestyling. They decided to put us to work and asked us to battle. Despite the anxiety under the peer pressure, we both made it do what it do, and that’s how I started my rapping journey. I went to school with my lyrics from the freestyle that I wrote down, and I told all my friends that I was a rapper. My fame grew, and by the time I was sixteen, everyone in my high school knew that I made music.

I saved enough money from Christmas and birthday gifts to buy my laptop and started recording myself in my bedroom. I became a member of the speech and debate team and a fellow team member suggested that I join the drama club. I listened and became a proud member for the rest of my high school career. I also got my first touch of photography and videography in high school. I took elective classes just to have classes with my friends and cousins, and they became the background for what I do today. I was blessed to take a Photoshop certification class, as well as a photography class that gave us access to professional DSLR cameras. As well as a video basic class that covered setting up cameras, basic shots and basic editing programs and techniques. We also had a video announcement where us students would broadcast live to the school once a week all the need-to-know information for the upcoming week. I used these experiences and access to this equipment to record a couple of demo tracks and even attempted recording my own music videos, which are still available on YouTube.

During senior year of high school, I realized that I didn’t like school. I was good at it and always held well above a 3.0 gpa, but I had developed a knack for skipping and was only in class when I had to be there to compete in speech and debate practice and tournaments or rehearsals for the drama club. So when it was time to look forward to college, I decided to stick with something in the arts and chose acting.

After graduation, I went to Ohio University and got my BFA in performance. During this time, I quit making music in my freshman year, but I quickly realized that I couldn’t stop. In everyday conversation, people started pointing out I was talking in rhythm and rhyme so I started writing all the time, and every day after doing my homework, I would write for at least an hour.

I know how hard it can be to balance school and music. After joining a fraternity in the end of my freshman year, I realized that I couldn’t go out every weekend if I wanted to focus on my music. I stayed in many nights to work on my music, borrowed my roommate’s MacBook to record rough drafts of freestyles and songs, listened to beats, and worked on my lyricism and penmanship. It wasn’t until I mastered a few of my favorite rappers’ flows through freestyle techniques that I started writing my own songs again. I also recorded in our fraternity’s party house and performed at a couple of parties. It was actually from those parties that I chose my nickname, Die$el as my stage name. Until this time, I was going by Cdot.

By my junior year, I was able to buy my own MacBook and started working on my first EP. I was lucky enough to work with producers and engineers who have credits with big names like Lil Wayne, MGK, Future, and Young Thug. But I didn’t let that go to my head. I knew I still had a lot to learn and grow, so I worked hard and learned as much as I could.

After spending over $5000 on my first EP, partially from my financial aid and rent money, I realized I was still having to pay for marketing and promotion, I knew I had to find a better way. So, I borrowed $800 total from anyone willing to loan me anything, $20 $50 anything. I asked my mom, cousins, ex-girlfriends, anybody. After getting the money, my own home studio was built.

It took me about three months to have a solid recording and another month or two before I had a song that I actually liked. From there, I just watched more and more YouTube videos and took online webinars to get better over time. By the end of my senior year, I submitted my single “Sleazy” for radio promotion to a PR company. The company liked my music so much they offered me a distribution deal and helped me get my release in stores like Best Buy, Walmart and Amazon.

Luckily I understood the lingo and was able to keep my licensing and master of my music, which saved me from signing a terrible contract. Initially, they wanted to license and register all my work as well as lock me into a perpetuity clause for all future releases. I was able to negotiate down to two years and unfortunately it just me back. I had to take down my EP, get it re-distributed, and wait for my contract to expire.

During that time, I didn’t let my skills go to waste. The same cousin who made me rap asked me to model, and I ended up falling in love with the camera. I packed a bag and we hopped in the car and drove around downtown Columbus taking pics. After seeing them, I knew I wanted a camera. That very same night, he shot a music video for me and I started editing the next day. From there, I was hooked. I started editing videos and posting my modeling pictures on websites, and soon I was booking modeling gigs left and right. My cousin’s friend, who was a creative director and worked with brands like T-Mobile, Nike, and Dove, also noticed my talent and work ethic and asked me to come to learn from her.

So, I packed my bags and took a bus to Washington, where I learned how to develop my website and artwork for my EPs. I also started working behind the camera and developed my videography skills. All in all, it was a long and challenging journey, but it was worth it. I’m proud of where I am today and am excited to continue growing and learning in the music industry.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I must say that my journey to success has been far from smooth. I encountered challenges that are common in the industry, such as financial constraints, poor planning, bad teamwork, and bad decisions. Initially, my biggest obstacle was my lack of confidence in my abilities to achieve my goals. As I gained more experience and knowledge, my challenges shifted towards finding like-minded individuals and consistently booking studio time to create music. I later realized that being focused and having peace of mind were essential to achieving my goals. Surrounding myself with people who shared my vision for my music and my life was essential.

When I was first starting I had everyone else’s vision in my head because I did not have a clear understanding of my purpose. Once I identified my vision, I had to overcome financial and knowledge-related obstacles to get where I wanted to be. Studio time was a consistent issue for me, which is a struggle that many artists face. To address this problem, I learned to become an engineer and make my music, which required either taking classes or teaching myself. Through diligence and persistence, it was an obstacle I overcame. Luckily, I found free classes to help me learn the skills I needed and earned my way into internships that taught me as well.

However, my biggest struggle has been putting my hope and belief in other people to care about my projects and products as much as I do. In the music industry, it’s easy to fall into the trap of believing that everyone has your best interests at heart. That was the problem with a distribution deal I signed, I was too hopeful and naive that everyone involved had the same end goal and desires as me. As a result, I learned the hard way that it’s essential to be cautious and to have a clear understanding of your vision and goals before signing any deals.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I bring a unique skill set to the table that sets me apart from my peers. With my extensive experience as a photographer, I have captured musical events, business events, weddings, engagements, and much more. Additionally, I have shot music videos, video recaps, and short films, and have a knack for concert videography and performance videos. This diverse skill set allows me to approach creative projects from multiple angles, which is an asset in a constantly evolving industry.

As a rapper, I specialize in songwriting and vocal recording. I have a wealth of experience making music, and my knowledge of different genres and artists allows me to be a versatile songwriter. I am comfortable critiquing songs, rewriting them, coming up with lyrics, or rearranging melodies and beats. My background in audio engineering and audio production also enables me to communicate effectively with producers and artists, ensuring that we are all on the same page when it comes to the sound we want to achieve.

As a model and photographer, I have a unique perspective on both sides of the camera. I can anticipate what the photographer is looking for as a model, and I can anticipate the challenges that models face when working on a set. This insight allows me to capture more authentic and dynamic shots, and I can communicate more effectively with models and other creatives on set.

Overall, my ability to wear many hats and excel in diverse creative fields is a true superpower. I can easily navigate different spaces and roles, from audio engineer to rapper to photographer and beyond, making me an invaluable asset to any creative project.

If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I loved anything Pokémon-related as well as basketball. Oh and climbing trees. Though I’m scared of heights now. I also loved running, I wrote a poem about it. I would just take off down the street and feel the wind in my hair. I compared it to flying and I thought it was the closest I would ever get to it. Superman was also my favorite hero. But Id says Pokémon cards were my big obsession until I turned 12 and then I got a boom box for my birthday. After that, all I wanted to do was listen to the radio and then when I was 13, I got an MP3 player and all I ever wanted to do after that was read books and listen to music.

My interpersonal skills have been instrumental in forging meaningful relationships with colleagues and collaborators. Growing up, I was known for being sociable and talkative, often being reprimanded for excessive chatter in class. This was due in part to my innate ability to comprehend concepts quickly and complete tasks with ease, leaving me with ample time to engage in conversation and socialize with my peers.

On the other hand, I have always been introspective and reserved, sometimes preferring to withdraw into silence. This aspect of my personality has allowed me to reflect on my experiences and gain insights that inform my work as a music industry professional and scholar. When I was young, I’d often ignore my own wants and opinions for the group harmony.

As I progressed in my career, I realized that while teamwork is essential, groupthink can be counterproductive. Thus, I have learned to balance my desire for group harmony with critical thinking and constructive criticism to achieve the best possible outcome.

Pricing:

• Music VideoPackage 1 $500-$800 Music Video Package 2 $1200 Music Video Package 3 $2k+
• Mixing and Mastering Staring at $75
• Graphics and Cover Art Starting at $50
• Recording Session $40/hr
• Photohoots $150/hr

Contact Info:

• Website: www.theChuckDiesel.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/chuckdieseltlw
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/ChuckDieselTLW
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/mwlite/in/charles-wright-09a241a9
• Twitter: Twitter.com/chuckdieseltlw
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@ChuckDieselTLW
• Yelp: https://m.yelp.com/biz/lone-wolf-media-irvine
• SoundCloud: https://m.soundcloud.com/chuckxdiesel
• Other: https://linktr.ee/CreateRealityProduction 

Image Credits
Troy Michael Photography LandoWsits