Today we’d like to introduce you to Rodney Alford.
Rodney, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
909dig From Pomona CA LA county, some say San Bernardino county. My grandma was big on music and I spent a lot of time with her growing up due to the fact that my mom was the youngest and also was a trouble maker to keep it short. My biological dad was in and out of jail. My mom was ALWAYS there but just couldn’t do it on her own so Grandma’s house was really home to me. Same story different tune. Me and my older siblings spent a lot of time with grandma before my FATHER came into our life. One weekend me and my older two siblings. Got up after staying the night at my grandma’s in Inglewood between Manchester and Florence. My grandma took us to a record store. One early morning something she had known was coming because right after breakfast, we left. She was the first music lover to me any cassette or vinyl records that was hot at the time she had. As soon as we walked in she told us to get what we wanted. I got “MC Hammer Greatest hits”. I loved the energy that was in there. If you been to a record store, you know how it feels and if you haven’t I think It’s like a music lover library.
I started to see how music was important to a lot of people around me. And notice 90% of the time when music is playing someone is having a good time if not everyone. It’s not much I don’t like about music. The sound of a lot of tracks can change a mood. Music is an energy to me. Music helped me in a lot of ways and venting is one of them I have seen a lot. I have done a lot and been through a lot. And at that time, I just thought I was the only one so I started to write stuff down. It helped me get over stuff and helped me with my grammar. I was writing what I called “feel good music” to any record I heard my grandma play from the 60s-90s. Feel good music is to make you feel good through any situation. Not really knowing I was writing what they call haiku poems after picking up my oldest brother’s notepad to find out he wrote raps and wrote stories in different ways to write. It’s a difference and I always like the storytelling part it help me find me in the writing area. Gangsta Rap taught me how to rap. The feeling the passion and the hurt is what I heard. And I started to like gangsta rap more and more and then started to make myself available to that part of life.
My cousin DJ and brother Barry and cousin Johnny and I thought we was bone thugs. Every time we got together. And I used to think they were just so much better than me with performing and they never forgot their lines. But for some reason, I always did so I start to perform in the mirror by myself. Just so I would be prepared for the next time. But it was preparing me for these times. My sister was the first person I notice listened to every genre of music, and that’s where I find love for different sounds and beats. I heard everything from house music to Gospel music come out of her room; the want to make beats was a challenge and that’s when I started To tell myself if I can make my own beats, I can make a lot of music. A lot of people I grew up with was about that music life. We rap, play sports, got in trouble, and chased girls. I grew up in Pomona, CA. The same city Delanie Walker, Suga Free, Jessica Alba, Mark McGwire, Kokane. My mom and pops kept us away from Pomona so we always moved out of Pomona then back, I lived on the North of Pomona South of Pomona and on the East of Pomona.
I have lived everywhere in the 909 area code. Even if it’s sleeping in a park. I use to record with any of my friends who was doing music who had the equipment or the time, and if I couldn’t record a song, I was there learning and taking notes on what I feel I will need and won’t need. I recorded my first song with B pond “My Love” J Burns who now goes by JB the Great, the song was never finished and it wasn’t my best verse. After that, I looked to try and buy me a laptop and mic and make beats, I never looked back I made a lot of music just never put it out me and my cousin C wade and use to record at my sister’s house she always welcomed me in like her whole house was a studio Number 1 fan her and her husband which is my BRO RD. Every day looking for that hit but we was never satisfied the next day. But then learned about the importance in quality in your music and because I didn’t have that, I got a little discouraged so I pressed down and started to write more record less but and did not let anyone listen to it because I was afraid they wouldn’t had heard what I had to say because of the quality giving my all to have someone not even give it a try isn’t what I wanted.
So I figure I grind and work to make the money to invest in me, I then started to notice the more time I spent writing the more songs I came up with. The stuff you hear now from a lot of these artists I made in 2008-2013 just didn’t want to put it out. I’m sure I’m not the only one. I then started to apply for different company’s that was looking for a writer or someone to write jingles, just a little side hustle that made me better. The love for Music was always there just not the one to show it at all times. Music have been around me my whole life. I have never tried to make it be part of my life it’s been there for me and I was taught to do what you love and when you start to do that everything comes easy, especially if you’re doing it for the right reasons. First project ever made was called Green light (Not stopping) I came up with a hit single to bring me out called “off the wall” (like my vans). My family and friends loved it. First song I performed by myself and was confident about. Then started to be free to share my music and my bro cried for me to put it all out.
Projects like “Mix me in” and “Grateful”. I just thought the sound wasn’t good enough, I took a chance and put it on YouTube and SoundCloud, not too many views but started to learn that I had different fans had different people who enjoyed my music. Learned my fans are different from any other fans. I just try to become a better producer, writer, artist in general and not just for me but then too. 2020 first project to be on all platforms called “Doin Me” it explains it all. Thereafter I dropped “Hurdles the EP” and “Early days Late Nights”. While “WTSD freestyle” is one of the most like songs. Songs like TTP 2 off the Hurdles explain how I’m here, more confident and loyal to the music part of my life. During the pandemic, I thought of a few things: “what is it that makes me successful?”, “Am I doing what I actually love” and what will be my excuse on why I’m not doing what I love. Nowadays people don’t operate in their gifts for plenty of reasons but; “If you don’t use it you lose it.” For inspiration, you need a why. My family and my past is my why. Everything I’ve been through, I know someone else is going through or are going to go through or been through. That’s why I do it.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Not smooth at all. You run into family problems. Financial problems, friends problems, work problems and any problem you can think of. As an artist, you will always go through something just depend on how much you can take. Mindset is everything.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a music artist not just stuck in one genre; I try to touch all genres I can relate with. It’s a feeling so what makes me different is knowing I’m different.
I was created in God’s image.
I’m proud of everything I have done so far as an upcoming artist, not perfect but I’m “doing it” most can’t say that. I just know I’m not going to quit so that’s what makes me different, I know what I have to say is what “I” have to say and some people care on what I have to say and they love that 909 sound!
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
You cannot do this by yourself, it takes patience faith and a good attitude. Don’t be afraid.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @909dig
- Facebook: @909dig
- Twitter: @909dig
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCvo8IYmMNh5dv1iF4qQXN4A
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.app.goo.gl/j3iRHD6CpAue8TGi8
Image Credits:
Jordan Michale Taylor Brother photographer
