The youthful half of the O’Neal Boyz duo, Myles O’Neal hopes to construct on his father’s affect and obtain nice heights as a budding EDM crafter.
Stream: “Work You Out” – Myles O’Neal
Myles O’Neal has an extended shadow to emerge from— a 7-foot-one, 300-lb former NBA celebrity’s shadow, to be exact.
Because the stepson of basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal, his title and household ties might catch individuals’s consideration— however Myles hopes he’ll transcend that and actually preserve their consideration by means of the abilities as a DJ and document producer that he’s spending day by day constructing upon.
“I’m lastly shifting out of this mild of individuals being like, ‘Oh, that is simply Shaq’s son DJ’ing’ or no matter to really being like, ‘Oh, these songs are cool. He really cares concerning the tradition and is keen to take his personal path’,” he explains.
That path has confirmed to be very fortuitous. Since formally getting began with music-making in 2023, O’Neal has produced a stable stash of his personal singles, together with doing remixes for different artists, as he did for Battle’s 1972 observe “The Cisco Child.” He’s collaborated and with and supported a number of notable musicians, together with Stanaj, Zedd, and Max Tyler. All of the whereas, he has stayed near his well-known father, who has lengthy deejayed himself underneath the alias of DJ Diesel. Collectively, they’ve fashioned the duo the O’Neal Boyz and carried out at a number of well-regarded music festivals, Lollapalooza most noticeably.
Along with his newest single, “Work You Out,” having simply been launched earlier this spring, it’s a great time to verify in with Myles O’Neal and see what he presently has his sights on along with his music profession now conspicuously taking off.
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A CONVERSATION WITH MYLES O’NEAL
Atwood Journal: What had been your early influences rising up? What had been among the experiences and exposures you had that finally impressed you to pursue DJ’ing?
Myles O’Neal: Once I was rising up, there have been lots of various kinds of music round me. My grandmother sang within the choir, my uncle performed the drums, and my dad actually put me onto hip-hop music. I didn’t understand it was going to show right into a profession for me or something once I was listening to it, however I really feel like that’s the place lots of my soulful affect got here from. Even studying about Parliament Funkadelic and Kurt Franklin, or Bounce and Biggie and different hip-hop artists– all of it got here from simply being round the home. Listening to this music sort of shapes you. It sort of turns into the soundtrack of your life as a baby. I used to be very fortunate to have lots of musical influences and hearken to various kinds of music, so I’ve a really wide selection of music that I like.
It’s been about two years because you launched your debut observe, “Superficial.” How would you summarize that interval? What’s it been like getting your profession launched throughout that point?
Myles O’Neal: Throughout that point, I sort of was simply attempting to determine what the logistics had been behind releasing music. It was very nerve-wracking; I used to be very nervous simply to share one thing that I’d made with an infinite quantity of individuals. It was totally different from me performing and DJ’ing, the place it’s a fast repair– if I’m enjoying and say, “This isn’t the vibe,” I can at all times simply swap it up, you recognize? However as soon as you place that track on the market, it’s simply out. So, that was arduous.
As soon as I received good suggestions and stuff like that, it was much less nerve-wracking, however I’d say that for any launch, you continue to get very nervous earlier than it goes out. You simply don’t know whether or not individuals are going to love it or not. For those who do it at a present, will there be this response or that response, or will individuals be asking for it after the present, or stuff like that? Throughout that point, I used to be very relieved simply to know that I may put music out and really feel assured with my talents to make songs and tracks.
You’ve gotten quite a lot of songs which might be your individual creation, in addition to some which might be remixes of different artists’ works, such because the “Cisco Child” remix. What do you assume is comparable and totally different about every type of manufacturing?
Myles O’Neal: I have a look at remixing different individuals’s stuff as bringing the music to a gaggle of people that probably haven’t already heard the track. I felt the identical means after we did “Flashlight” by George Clinton. I’d go round after we did the observe and ask, “Hey, have you learnt Parliament/Funkadelic?” and lots of people, particularly on this area, would say “No.” And I’d say, “What?”
In my head, I assumed it was a quite common factor to know funk music and Parliament/Funkadelic and stuff like that. I simply realized, “Wow, I’ve a chance to indicate these individuals and even the opposite viewers simply how vital these individuals had been to music that formed my life, or who formed the sound of hip-hop music or some other sort of style of music, and created their very own sound.” By way of the remix observe that I made, even bringing individuals again to the unique observe or doing stuff like that might permit me to pay homage to the issues that they did for me as a baby. That’s what was most vital for me about making these songs. It’s one thing of my very own creation, however I’m not attempting to take over the highlight of those others artists, which I very a lot pay homage to.
Let’s discuss your new single, which is “Work You Out.” How did this track come collectively and the way does it signify a stride ahead for you artistically?
Myles O’Neal: We made that track, the unique model, across the similar time that we did “Superficial.” So, we’ve had that track for a very long time. For me, I used to be joyful to lastly put it out as a result of I’ve had that track for years now. We simply couldn’t discover a label to place the track out. I really feel like lots of the songs that I made some time in the past at the moment are beginning to get extra listeners. Perhaps I’ll make a couple of tweaks right here or there simply to get it extra updated, however it was very natural with that track. We simply did the lyrics randomly and my homegirl Aleshia did the feminine a part of the track, and I did the male a part of the track. I simply freestyled the lyrics from the track and mentioned, “This really sounds sort of cool.”
We made my voice sound deeper and Aleshia’s voice sound sexier for the observe. On the reveals not too long ago, we’ve gotten individuals singing the lyrics again to us– it’s often the ladies singing the lady’s half greater than the blokes singing the man’s half, however I assume that is smart!
You’ve received some excursions and festivals arising as properly. What are your hopes for them?
Myles O’Neal: I’m simply joyful to lastly be on this place. Final 12 months, I did a couple of units at EDC Las Vegas and I did Lollapalooza, however to be thought-about [a part of the] competition circuit lastly now… appears like one other stepping stone to a little bit extra validation right here and there. I’m simply joyful to be int his competition circuit. I don’t care if I play within the opening slot– put me within the lineup and I’ll begin off on the backside once more and work my means as much as the headline spot. That’s simply how I have a look at it.
Shout-out to Breakaway – all the blokes over there, they’re superb. Shout-out to Insomnias; that was the primary competition I ever performed. Lolla– the Lolla individuals, they’re all nice as properly. I’m from California, and so Coachella is the one I’m actually prepared for. I really feel like if I preserve working arduous and doing what I’m doing, preserve attempting to develop and develop, I’ll attain that time.
Let’s discuss your loved ones ties with the person of many nicknames – however right here, we’ll name him DJ Diesel. What are some methods through which DJ Diesel has influenced you artistically and what does it signify so that you can be one-half of the O’Neal Boyz duo together with him?
Myles O’Neal: The primary cause why I even received into enjoying and producing and stuff like that’s as a result of my dad began DJ Diesel. He requested me to return on tour with him. None of us actually knew what we had been doing, so all of us sort of had been there attempting to assist him. That changed into me serving to onstage and on the highway, after which that changed into me studying tips on how to use Ableton and the mixer and with the ability to play. Then my dad mentioned, “Yo, it is best to play for enjoyable or go round and see what occurs.” I instructed him, “Nicely, I don’t need to play dubstep music,” and he mentioned, “Bro, you don’t should play dubstep music.” It was like a click on in my head; I mentioned, “I don’t should, you’re proper!” He mentioned, “Discover a DJ that you simply like and principally simply mannequin your self after him.”
On the time, I used to be a very large Fisher man and would watch all his movies and discover his music. I used to be going round L.A. and enjoying music at my homies’ spots. I do know lots of people out right here that personal golf equipment and bars and stuff, and I used to be simply enjoying for enjoyable. Then, individuals began asking me to return carry out out of city and I spotted that I would want to have a supervisor, and I’d have to discover ways to make music, and I’d want a reserving agent– it simply saved constructing and build up. All of it occurred very organically, however it all simply stemmed from my dad calling me and asking for assistance on the highway and saying, “Hey, are you able to assist me to determine this DJ Diesel mission?”
Are there any extra musical initiatives that you simply’re eyeing, reminiscent of new singles and so forth?
Myles O’Neal: Subsequent month, I’ve a track popping out with my good homie Justin. He’s from right here as properly; he really lives down the road from me. We have now a track known as “Make You Wait” popping out subsequent month. Proper now, I’m in a spot the place I’m attempting to do extra collabs. I simply did one with Proppa and one in every of my good pals, Chase West, we’re engaged on one thing proper now. This 12 months, I need to work much more with my pals and get some tracks out and concepts began with everyone. Max Tyler, the Consultants Solely crew, Catch and Launch, individuals like that.
I really feel like I’m in a spot the place I’m lastly shifting out of this mild of individuals being like, “Oh, that is simply Shaq’s son DJ’ing” or no matter to really being like, “Oh, these songs are cool. He really cares concerning the tradition and is keen to take his personal path.” I may have simply turn out to be a dubstep DJ and money-grabbed if I wished to, however that’s not what I used to be obsessed with. I really feel prefer it’s lastly paying off and I can get a few of these collabs going, ship them over, and really have individuals take pleasure in them.
Anything?
Myles O’Neal: Be careful for Myle O’Neal popping out this 12 months, subsequent 12 months, and the 12 months after. Try my music on Spotify and for those who see me on the street, by no means hesitate to say “What’s up?” I’m a very pleasant man.
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