Life & Work with Alexandre Dumas

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexandre Dumas.

Hi Alexandre, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My story feels like a novel written by French author Alexandre Dumas. It is a story of betrayal, atrocity, adventure and perseverance.

Originally from Los Angeles but later transplanted to the Inland Empire due to the Rodney King Riots. During that time, we were living off West and 60th near Slauson Avenue. A lot was happening around me by the early age of five years old. I think that was my mom’s reasoning to putting me on a plane by myself to live with her family in Oklahoma but that was short-lived because my father was unaware that mom sent me away so he fought to get me back to California however he couldn’t get full custody. Knowing what I know now, I’m sure it’s because of his mental health, which I just recently figured out a couple of years ago that he has a form of schizophrenia with delusions of grandeur. I can’t explain my story without talking about him and giving some kind of background to his upbringing because he’s such an important figure in my life. He’s from the baby boomer generation, a twin and the middle child of five. Raised by southern parents from the traditionalist generation. His way of coping with his emotions is focusing his attention on drawing. I guess that’s why his artwork is so amazing because all the trauma he’s been through he learned to channel it through art. Over the past 13 years of living with my father, I didn’t know I would be playing the role of his caretaker and therapist. Regardless of his mental health, he’s still an amazing talented human being. I’m extremely grateful for the bond we have maintained throughout it all.

As a child, my grandmother was always telling me that my father is crazy but without any explanation or context as to why is he considered crazy. I’ve witnessed it firsthand of how verbally, physically and mentally abusive the family gets with each other. From my experience growing up, my grandmother has created a lot of tension in this family. At least from my point of view. She likes to play favorites with all her kids and her grandkids leading up into adulthood. I will never get the same privileges as my cousins get from her. I learned to accept it and understand that no one owns me anything. I just don’t understand why would you treat your own family like that. Our living situation is a blessing and a curse. We live on a family-owned property that my great-aunt left in her will for all her nieces and nephews. My father has always had a place to live but unfortunately, the older he’s gotten he’s been unable to financially provide for himself and take on certain obligations and responsibilities. After I graduate high school in 2007, I tried to stay in the I.E. for as long as I could but after getting fired from a job. I had nowhere else to go, so I moved in with him in on Sunday November 1st, 2008.

When I moved in with him, I brought my mom’s record collection with me because she decided to move to Georgia that same year. That’s what started me on my way to the discovery of vinyl records and wanting to get into djing. I became obsessed with buying records. I started finding out more about the crate-digging culture and the satisfaction it brings finding a record you were just thinking of or coming across a cool-looking album cover without knowing anything about the band. Getting into record collecting has been a happy accident. I’ve met so many amazing people and gotten some life-changing opportunities from it. I don’t have any regrets from dropping out of school, I am sure having a degree would have been ideal, but I’m still learning something new every day.

Despite our problems at home. I’ve been able to travel the world. Just recently, I came back from a three-week trip in Europe where I visited Barcelona, Sardegna (island off the coast of Italy), Milan, Prague, back to Barcelona and now here in LA. Throughout my travels, I’ve always taken my skateboard with me because that’s another community that is part of my life story. Growing up back and forth between the suburbs and the city. I felt like I didn’t have an identity until I found Skateboarding because no one looked like me or had the same last name as me and I am an only child, so I always felt alone. Until the more I stuck with skateboarding, the more I felt a belonging. Finding myself through skateboarding opened up a new lifeline of friends and family that I hold so dearly to my heart. I didn’t pick my family but I do pick my friends that I consider my family. I would like to thank you all for letting me into your life and sharing your love and kindness with me. Thank you to Sonny Velasquez for recommending me for this article. I would also like to say thank you to everyone for reading my story for letting me share my therapy session.

My goal is to continue to travel, possibly live aboard to dj, to get more gigs, to get traveling gigs nationwide and internationally, dj at more private events, dj at a big event/festival. Work on doing some producing, and eventually get into and learn about audio engineering.

Lastly, please go support Record Safari and Little Bear Bar.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My finances and family issues are a challenge for me. I’ve gotten myself into some financial hardship because I don’t have any support system. I accept my accountability for my financial decisions which have made it difficult for me to move out and get my own place. The cost of trying to pay for home repairs, car maintenance, bills, hobby expenses and support my father. All on one salary is a very difficult obstacle. Meanwhile to have family members living next door getting all of the financial support and help whenever they need. It is hard to process and I’ll never really understand why this family acts the way they do towards us, but my father and I will continue to keep to ourselves honing in on our talents. Until that one day I can afford to move us out or at least move myself away.

However, the struggle does drive me to reach my goals and keep striving knowing that I don’t have anyone to depend on. That makes me much more determined to not give on my dreams and ambitions.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am Dj; my niche is vinyl records. The thing that drives me most about spinning vinyl is finding the original song sample and then blending in the hip hop version into the mix. For example, I’ll start my set off with Bobby Caldwell’s “Open your eyes” and fade into Common’s “The Light”. Another example is Tom Tom Club “Genius of Love” faded into Mariah Carey’s “Fantasy” I think my most proudest moment from djing. Was back when I used to Dj at the Record Parlour in Hollywood. Shout out to Chad for letting me dj there and giving me a job when I need one at the time. A lot of well-known artists come through there and one day when I was spinning Paul Oakenfold came in the shop and was really digging my set and complimented me on my djing so that always stuck with me. I think just being myself is always going to set me apart from others. I never write down my setlist. I never play the same set of songs for gigs. My sets are always gonna be different from the last one.

We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I used to volunteer at the Brielle Institute when I was a student at LACC. I was a chaperone for a barbershop quartet. They would go to local adult daycare centers and perform. It was a great experience. I even got to have a couple of jam sessions with them during practice rehearsals.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @ol.youngster

Image Credits
Julia Gody, Chris Hubble, Ned Casual, Genevieve Johnson, Vanessa Alvarez, Julio Molina, Sam Panneflek