Frequency blog: Music news and reviews from Bend and Central Oregon, by Ben Salmon | The Bulletin

A little over a month ago, I told you that local rapper The Dirtball had officially joined the popular SoCal rap-rock group Kottonmouth Kings.

Tonight, as the Kings prepare to take the stage somewhere in Osaka, Japan, I’ve got the details behind that union, straight from David Alexander, the man behind the Dirtball persona.

When he’s not on tour – either as a solo artist or, now, with the Kings – Alexander lives on Bend’s east side, where he lives a decidedly non-rapper lifestyle, searching for mushrooms and splitting firewood.

Professionally, though, he’s becoming more and more well-known for his prodigious rhyme skills. The name of Alexander’s game is speed; his rapping style is wordy and super-fast, but also tight and tidy, not unlike Eminem. He’s also an accomplished drummer, and he produces his own records, for the most part, in his home studio. His three most recent albums were released on the Kings’ own label, Suburban Noize, which will also release his fourth solo effort, “Nervous System.”

Last week, after five full minutes of chatting about woodcutting, chainsaws and pickup trucks, Alexander told me he was “blindsided” by a phone call a few months ago from Kings principal Daddy X inviting him to join the crew.

(more…)

Their professional relationship has been lock-tight for years, but this video — posted earlier this week on Kottonmouth Kings’ Web site — confirms that Bend-based rapper The Dirtball (known to friends as David Alexander) has become an official member of the popular California rap-rock crew.

Alexander’s three most recent albums were released by Kottonmouth Kings’ Suburban Noize record label, and he’s criss-crossed the country several times in the past few years on SubNoize tours. But, as you saw if you watched the video, things are much more serious now; Alexander is the proud owner of a new Kottonmouth Kings tattoo. That’s commitment!

The statement posted with the video touts Dirtball’s induction into the Kings as “the dawning of a new age” for the group. I’m trying to get Alexander on the phone to find out how this went down, but for now, we’ll have to let the statement speak:

“This is most definitely a huge step for me in the rap path,” commented Dirtball about joining the group. “I am honored to be joining such a strong force as the Kottonmouth Kings, and I’m proud to have found a band of brothers who not only have an endless array of talent, but they smoke just as much weed as I do.”

OK, then! The statement goes on to quote Kings founder Daddy X:

“Dirtball is really one of the sickest rappers in the game right now. To have him join us on this musical journey is going to be amazing. The guy parties harder than Motley Crüe in their heyday and he manages to bring a mind-blowing velocity to everything he does.”

That’s true. Alexander is one of the fastest rappers I’ve heard, but he spits his rapid-fire rhymes with alarming clarity. He’s like a walking, talking “No Syllable Left Behind.” And while he’s The Dirtball on the road, he’s also in love with the Central Oregon lifestyle when he’s at home. Check his Twitter account to catch him dreaming about cutting firewood.

There’s much more about Alexander in this feature that I wrote on him almost two years ago. (Go ahead and click it. It’s available to non-subscribers.)

Last, but not least: From the outside, this looks like a pretty big deal for Alexander’s career, so congratulations are in order. Congrats, David!