Nyke Prince is a new face on the ASL music video scene doing things her way. Jules Dameron, a talented filmmaker whom is always looking for challenging and fascinating projects to capture collaborates with Nyke on "DRUG", her first music video effort. D-PAN loved their video "DRUG" and we are honored to interview both of them to get the inside scoop on their collaboration.

How did this collaboration come together?
Nyke Prince: Call me crazy but I do believe in past lives. I always felt like i was a musician in my last life, and now I am still stuck with that soul but happen to be in the different body. I want to express my feelings for music and want to pursue my dream, but not many deaf people write their own lyrics and make music. I decided to go for it. I happened to meet Jules a few years ago, and I was thankful that she believed in me.

Jules Dameron: Nyke and I just simply started talking online one time, and we were both talking about what we thought would be crucial in making a good music video-- and we evidently agreed on a lot of points, and I offered to make the film, since we both wanted to do it and I always like doing something-- and this was a great opportunity. It was just me, Erik Call, and Nyke for the most part.

What is your goal with this music video?
NP: My goal with this music is to help deaf people enjoy music as much as I do. For them to be able to understand where we all come from being deaf and being able to dance on the floor knowing every lyric. Love is never enough is my message.

JD: My perspective of that goal is to basically try to encourage a new kind of ASL music -- the kind where we create our own original work, not copy other songs that have already been done, although the other songs are really good. The goal also is to respect ASL's process in this film, and I think that was pulled off. As one knows-- it's always difficult to respect both English and ASL at the same time, so naturally I wanted to experiment with something where ASL came first and then the music came afterward. I hope people saw that.


What inspired you to go into music?
NP: I believe I would be a rock star if I was hearing, but my deafness isn't stopping me. I've always loved Pop and Rock music. Music just feeds me. I have been a dancer since I was three years old, so music was always around me in my life.

JD: I've always loved music. I come from a long line of musicians in my family, and I was the first one to be deaf in my family. So naturally, I was encased in that environment. :) I've always had a love for musicals, theatre music, that sort of thing. I'm still learning about music videos though.

What inspired you to want to make music videos?
NP: I don't want to be a hater, but I was getting sick of seeing hearing people doing music videos with sign language and they were not doing it right. Some of them were great, but I wanted the deaf community to have a deaf singer, like me. I've always wanted to make the music videos, but it was had to make some connections until I met Jules. I always have many ideas for the videos, and I really glad how the first video "DRUG" came out.

JD: This is actually my first professional music video. I guess I got into it because I wanted to see where this would go. Plus it's kinda cool to have that freedom of visual expression, although I've always felt that a good music video does require good planning, not just a mash up of images here and there.

Why isn't there a vocal in the song?
NP: There is no vocal because I am deaf... obviously, but eventually I want a hearing singer onstage when I sign so hearing people can enjoy that as well. I made the music for the deaf, so that's the only reason but I would always add beats because that is an art. I think my new things are going to blow your mind.

JD: I actually battled with the concept of having a vocal, but ultimately, I wanted Nyke to have the full attention as a performer, so I wanted to see if the music would become her "vocal" so to speak. I've always felt that music is the best representation of ASL. Since music is an abstract emotional sound, and ASL is very emotive, so I think if you had to translate ASL into a hearing perspective, it would be musical. That's what I've always believed.

How long did it take to produce this music video?
NP: It took about a year to do this video because we did it with a low budget. However, It was worth it.

JD: Like Nyke said, It's taken about a year. However, the pre-production was incredibly short. Essentially speaking, Nyke and I agreed to do a music video and then about like a week or two later, we just shot it. And then the editing & music came later. We actually chose a composer and editor after we shot the video.

How was the editing process for this video compared to others? In most music videos there is a vocal to follow but in this one there isn't, did that make it easier or harder?
NP: I wasn't really part of the editing process for this DRUG video but...I was asked to check all the rough drafts and be able to share my ideas with everyone. I believe it was pretty hard to edit without a vocal, which is why it took a year. We had a lot of amazing people who were willing to help, I really appreciate that so much. There are no words describing how I feel,
but I am thankful everyday. Thanks to everyone for making my dream to come true.

JD:In some ways it was more difficult, but I think it was because not of the vocals or anything, but it was a matter of figuring out the musical rhythm of trying to keep the beat going. Our editor was able to pull off a certain rhythm, so that afterwards the composer could create music to go with the video emotionally. The editing process was the longest, the music was fairly short.
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Thank you Nyke and Jules for answering our questions.

Don't forget to watch the music video "DRUG" and please comment on it.

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