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 famous person’s shadow, to be exact.
Because the stepson of basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal, his identify and household ties might catch individuals’s consideration— however Myles hopes he’ll transcend that and actually preserve their consideration via the talents as a DJ and file producer that he’s spending every single day constructing upon.
“I’m lastly transferring 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 truly 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 strong stash of his personal singles, together with doing remixes for different artists, as he did for Conflict’s 1972 monitor “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 beneath the alias of DJ Diesel. Collectively, they’ve shaped the duo the O’Neal Boyz and carried out at a number of well-regarded music festivals, Lollapalooza most noticeably.
Together with his newest single, “Work You Out,” having simply been launched earlier this spring, it’s a great time to examine 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 have been your early influences rising up? What have been a few of 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 a number 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 realize 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 a number 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 toddler. I used to be very fortunate to have a number of musical influences and hearken to various kinds of music, so I’ve a really big selection of music that I like.
It’s been about two years because you launched your debut monitor, “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 have 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 completely different from me performing and DJ’ing, the place it’s a fast repair– if I’m taking part in and say, “This isn’t the vibe,” I can at all times simply change it up, you realize? However as soon as you place that music on the market, it’s simply out. So, that was exhausting.
As soon as I bought good suggestions and stuff like that, it was much less nerve-wracking, however I might say that for any launch, you continue to get very nervous earlier than it goes out. You simply don’t know whether or not persons are going to love it or not. If you happen to 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 might put music out and really feel assured with my skills to make songs and tracks.
You have got 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 suppose is comparable and completely different about every type of manufacturing?
Myles O’Neal: I take a look at remixing different individuals’s stuff as bringing the music to a bunch of people that probably haven’t already heard the music. I felt the identical method after we did “Flashlight” by George Clinton. I might go round after we did the monitor and ask, “Hey, are you aware Parliament/Funkadelic?” and lots of people, particularly on this house, would say “No.” And I might say, “What?”
In my head, I believed 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 point out these individuals and even the opposite viewers simply how essential these individuals have 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 the remix monitor that I made, even bringing individuals again to the unique monitor or doing stuff like that may enable me to pay homage to the issues that they did for me as a toddler. That’s what was most essential 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 music come collectively and the way does it characterize a stride ahead for you artistically?
Myles O’Neal: We made that music, the unique model, across the similar time that we did “Superficial.” So, we’ve had that music for a very long time. For me, I used to be comfortable to lastly put it out as a result of I’ve had that music for years now. We simply couldn’t discover a label to place the music out. I really feel like a number 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, but it surely was very natural with that music. We simply did the lyrics randomly and my homegirl Aleshia did the feminine a part of the music, and I did the male a part of the music. I simply freestyled the lyrics from the music and stated, “This truly sounds sort of cool.”
We made my voice sound deeper and Aleshia’s voice sound sexier for the monitor. On the reveals lately, we’ve gotten individuals singing the lyrics again to us– it’s normally the ladies singing the woman’s half greater than the blokes singing the man’s half, however I suppose that is sensible!
You’ve bought some excursions and festivals developing as effectively. What are your hopes for them?
Myles O’Neal: I’m simply comfortable 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] pageant circuit lastly now… appears like one other stepping stone to somewhat extra validation right here and there. I’m simply comfortable to be int his pageant 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 method as much as the headline spot. That’s simply how I take a look at it.
Shout-out to Breakaway – all the blokes over there, they’re superb. Shout-out to Insomnias; that was the primary pageant I ever performed. Lolla– the Lolla individuals, they’re all nice as effectively. I’m from California, and so Coachella is the one I’m actually prepared for. I really feel like if I maintain working exhausting and doing what I’m doing, maintain 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 by which DJ Diesel has influenced you artistically and what does it characterize so that you can be one-half of the O’Neal Boyz duo together with him?
Myles O’Neal: The primary purpose why I even bought into taking part in 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 have been doing, so all of us sort of have been there attempting to assist him. That changed into me serving to onstage and on the highway, after which that changed into me studying find out how to use Ableton and the mixer and with the ability to play. Then my dad stated, “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 stated, “Bro, you don’t must play dubstep music.” It was like a click on in my head; I stated, “I don’t must, you’re proper!” He stated, “Discover a DJ that you just like and mainly simply mannequin your self after him.”
On the time, I used to be a very huge Fisher man and would watch all his movies and discover his music. I used to be going round L.A. and taking part in 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 taking part in 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 learn to make music, and I’d want a reserving agent– it simply stored constructing and increase. All of it occurred very organically, but it surely 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 undertaking?”
Are there any extra musical initiatives that you just’re eyeing, corresponding to new singles and so forth?
Myles O’Neal: Subsequent month, I’ve a music popping out with my good homie Justin. He’s from right here as effectively; he truly lives down the road from me. We’ve a music referred to 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 certainly one of my good mates, Chase West, we’re engaged on one thing proper now. This 12 months, I need to work much more with my mates and get some tracks out and concepts began with everyone. Max Tyler, the Specialists Solely crew, Catch and Launch, individuals like that.
I really feel like I’m in a spot the place I’m lastly transferring 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 truly cares concerning the tradition and is keen to take his personal path.” I might have simply develop into a dubstep DJ and money-grabbed if I wished to, however that’s not what I used to be enthusiastic about. 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.
The rest?
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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