D-flow and his partner Party Arty together form The Ghetto Dwellaz. The duo has worked with legends of hip-hop including the old-school group Showbiz and AG, Jay-Z, Method Man, and Fat Joe.
D-Flow is also a producer; in 1995, he founded Get Dirty productions, which consists mainly of Bronx hip-hop artists as well as rappers from the West Coast and other parts of the country.
D-Flow previously lived in Highbridge across from Nelson Park and currently lives on Willis Avenue.
D-Flow and Party Arty stopped by the Get and Give afterschool program at 1248 Nelson Avenue to talk to high-school students--Manuel Herrera, Joshua Garcia, Jeancarlos Suarez, Isata Kamara, and Favio Ildefonfo-- about their music career and their upbringing, and to answer questions from the young reporters.
“Nobody can teach you how to do it,” D-Flow, a former basketball star at Harlem’s Rice High School, said of launching a career in hip-hop. “You gotta have it in you. You gotta work hard at it.”
Get and Give: How did it feel living across the street from Nelson Park?
D-Flow: It was all good. I love being around the soul of hip-hop. I’m from the streets. Everyone knows hip-hop is from the streets.
Get and Give: Where do you hang out, and where do you eat in the neighborhood?
D-Flow: My hangout spot right now is the studio. I like to eat what everyone else likes to eat- junk food, Chinese food, McDonald’s.
Get and Give: What was it like working with Jay-Z before the fame?
Party Arty: It was cool. He made the verse right there, same as now. He laid it down.
Get and Give: What school did you go to, and what was your experience like?
Party Arty: I went to Walton High School in Kingsbridge, and they had me feeling like a star there.
Get and Give: What clothing lines do you wear?
D-Flow: As long as it looks nice, I don’t care how much it costs. This right here is called Guardbody denim. Doo rags. Boots.
Get and Give: Has anyone you know ever been arrested or harassed for rapping?
D-Flow: Yeah. We were opening for Cash Money and Ruff Ryders. DMX got arrested for speeding. One of the shows, they didn’t think he was going to make it. They rushed him in like he was the president.
Tony Richards: When did you decide to make the shift from music to basketball?
D-Flow: I had my son when I was about 17 years old. That’s when I started switching over.
Get and Give: When will you retire?
D-Flow: Never.
Get and Give: How long have you two known each other?
D-Flow: Since kindergarten. I’ve been longer with Party Arty than with some of my blood relatives.
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