Today we’d like to introduce you to DirtyBlakRat aka James Bargeman.
DirtyBlakRat, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
The start of my love for movies and acting was when I first watched the 1940s Disney Pinocchio. I must have watched this movie hundreds of times, begging my parents to watch it over and over again. I used to act in the famous whale scene under an arch in our house. That movie made me to want to be in the arts. My acting as a child didn’t stop there, I used to dance like Michael Jackson, and the thriller dance scene was my specialty as a child. This kept as a theme; with the great movies and scenes, I’d act out to myself and in front of family and friends, perfecting every facial movement and inflection of voices. My love of music started young, with me and my friends freestyling for hours.
I finally realized I could make this a career, and started out in acting classes. This brought together what I had been teaching myself and created the foundation of acting for me. When I wasn’t in classes, I’d study black and white films, really any movie and my favorite was to print scripts and practice lines. The goal is to get ready and stay ready. My first project was a play called Edward Albee “The Zoo Story”. Even though this was an independent production, it was an important learning experience at the start of the stage performance.
After acting school, I went on to the movies, becoming a SAG actor. This was an important milestone that gave me the possibility of becoming a working actor. I did end up being an orderly on the soap opera, “General Hospital”, for just over three years. This wasn’t enough for my creative mind, I became restless, and I started to further explore music. I loved music but never thought it was something that I could do.
That’s when DirtyBlakRat was created. Music started to become a safe place. A place where I could escape and be as creative as I want. Creating music was my own content, unlike acting where you have to rely on someone else content and so many other factors just to get a role. The music started to become a merge of what I always wanted to do, entertain others, and bring them into my imagination. The world I create is music with a twist of fantasy helping others escape the day-to-day and expand their world.
I have released singles, holiday theme songs, and two albums. 2022 “Run” and 2023 “UFO at the Disco”. All written and produced by me.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I’ve always known I was a creative. I identified with acting and started my pursuit as most do hoping to become a SAG member, only to quickly find out that the union is not here to find you work. I was exposed to scam after scam in this industry that preys on those desperate to get in the business. Struggling to manage a day job, auditions was difficult. I tried to stay in a creative and hopeful mindset while coping with a high level of rejection. At one point, realizing that I could no longer just send out headshots anymore, I decided to create my own content. I started with videos that morphed into music, and before I knew it, I was creating my own music. The struggle is still real, but I remain hopeful that my music and content is relatable to others.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a creative that makes hip Hop music that includes writing, musical arrangements, and performance. I’ve released seven singles and two albums over the last several years. I’m a LA native, but my imagination stretches to Mars. My first album I’ve released is “Run” which gives you the feeling of adrenaline. I wrote this during covid because of the feeling of being locked down and the need to run. My second album, “UFO at the DISCO” was released this June. This album is a different kind of adrenaline fast beats, and will take you places out of this world. All of my music videos are produced featuring me. Each video captures the theatrical version of the song. I’m known for bringing content filled with imagination in a genre of music where the artist themselves are promoting sex, drugs, and violence outside of their art.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
The Covid 19 crisis taught me that you can’t take anything for granted, especially time. I learned to make every minute count. The time that you spend doing a job, or anything with effort, should be something you want to do. The downtime and isolation allowed me to focus and hone in on my craft, and music was what I woke up and went to bed, creating in my dreams.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dirtyblakrat.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dirtyblakrat
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dirtyblakrat
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/DirtyBlakRat
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@dirtyblakrat
