Share

Dixson might just be the music industry’s best-kept secret, but now stepping into the limelight as his own recording artist. His impressive resume includes 

The singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist hails from Atlanta, Georgia, describing himself as someone who’s “just trying to take over the world.” His impressive resume includes producing and arranging almost half of Chance The Rapper’s The Big Day album, vocal arranging for Justin Bieber on the acoustic version of “Holy,” and even being nominated for an Oscar and Golden Globe nominee for his contributions to Beyonce’s “Be Alive” on the King Richard soundtrack.

But that’s definitely not the only record he’s worked on with Queen Bey. Most recently, Dixson wrote “Pure/Honey” and “Virgos Groove” on Bey’s RENAISSANCE project, solidifying himself as a not only an acclaimed songwriter but someone whose true love for music shines in his craft, regardless if he’s working with the world’s biggest artist or simply creating for himself.

This leads us into “CHERRY SORBET,” the newest single and visual from Dixson featuring the beautiful Sevyn Streeter.

Sheen spoke with Dixson moments after his live performance at the Roc Nation offices in beautiful Los Angeles, inside the same “Blueprint” media room where he picked his final tracklist for his forthcoming album, 004 Daisy.

What does it mean to be here at Roc Nation today, playing your new music?

Man, it means so much. I signed back in 2019 in some uncertain times. Literally right before, like weeks before shit shut down. I wasn’t sure that I’d be on project #2 this soon because the world was shut down, but I’m very lucky. I’m very grateful that the label has given me so much freedom to make shit. It means the world to me that I’m here today playing with people, projects…

“Cherry Sorbet” out now, featuring my girl Sevyn.

She’s my equal, creatively. She’s just as wild and crazy as I am, she is not afraid to try shit. She’s not afraid to make a different sound. I was just in the studio with her for 2 days working on her new project, so I’m excited. Everyone told me, “Yo, you’re gonna work with Sevyn. You’re gonna fall in love. Y’all are creative equals.” They were totally right, everybody in the industry that conspired to get us together. 

And now we have a record that’s #17 on the radio, so I’m very happy. She also helped write this record that’s going crazy with Tinashe called “Heat,” it’s out now. It’s actually a part of the pre-order package for 004 Daisy. There are 4 songs that’s out, a lot of people don’t know that. I feel like I didn’t do a great job of explaining that to people. [laughs]

It’s never too late!

It’s “Day-Off,” “Heat,” “Barely,” and “Cherry Sorbet.” Sevyn helped me write the record with Tinashe. Then Tinashe… I’m so lucky that she said yes. She’s an incredible artist. I’ve always looked up to Tinashe. I’ve been following her for years. Her ability to cross over from urban to pop is so cool, I’m so inspired by her. We have this record that’s going crazy right now on the DSPs.

Do you love cherry sorbet?

It was all Sevyn’s fault! I actually made a beat for another artist. Sevyn calls me, and I’m sure she won’t mind me saying this: she was turning up with her girls. She was out. 

She turns up, I respect it.

Yeah, I respect it too. She’s turning up, she FaceTimes me. I’m in the studio working on my album, she’s like, “D, I’m on the way to you in the studio. I’m out and about, is it okay if we are a little sauced?” I said “We a little sauced too! What the fuck?” She pulled up and I played her the beat. She told my engineer: “Yo, I just gotta get in and record.” She goes and records this melody, then she ends it with “Cherry Sorbet.” 

I’m like, did anybody else just hear this? She sang beautifully but casually threw that shit in there. Oh no, we have to build around this. I also love sorbet. I’ve never really been an ice cream guy. I love ice cream, but dairy is not great for my voice. As you know, I’m a little disciplined about my voice. So my mom found an alternative for me very early and it was sorbet. So I’m a sorbet and gelato connoisseur, but the fruit ones, not the dairy ones. It made sense. Now, there’s a Veuve Clicquot cherry sorbet that I’m trying to have around in the house all the time.

When you go on dates, you have to…

I’m pulling that shit out! Mmm, I’m thinking about my girl right now.

Aw, is she here?

She’s here.

The video is so fire! What inspired that?

I told Sevyn, “Yo Sev, I want to get in our little acting bag.” I was very inspired by Madmen and a lot of Wes Anderson shit. Very on the nose, I want to put you in our world. I love film, I’m a film guy. My grandfather was a filmmaker, he worked for Paramount Pictures for a long time as a DP. 

I’m obsessed with visuals. My background is art direction, I love visuals. I told Sevyn, “Yo, let’s just make a movie.” We try, we’re 2 characters falling in love. She’s the first time we get to see a physical representation of Daisy, this character that I’m building. So Sevyn was first, hopefully Tinashe is next. I’m so excited about it.

What is the meaning behind 004 Daisy?

004 Daisy, so it’s a project for Daisy. You know how when you have these top secret projects, you want to name them some secret code? But it’s a project for Daisy. Daisy is an operating system. She’s a piece of software that changes my life, changes my sound. She’s running the show.

She’s the one pressing play, flipping the beat and all that shit. It’s her world, I’m just living in it. We fall in love, she fucks my world up. This is the prequel to it. You’re seeing bits and pieces of what she’s doing. Hopefully for this next project, she’ll have a real character representation. I’m excited about Daisy. I’m excited for the world to meet her and talk to her. She’s a little saucy.

Real quick, what instrument don’t you play?

What instrument DON’T I play? I don’t play upright bass. Yo, I’m obsessed with it now because I just saw Adam Blackstone. I just did a gig with Adam Blackstone and he whips out this fucking upright bass. You motherfucker, of course you can play upright bass. Now you’re the coolest dude in the room! Now I want to buy one for the house, and annoy everyone. 

I feel like if you wanted to learn, you’d learn in a heartbeat.

I will. I will learn it, then I’m gonna pull up to Adam’s show with my own bass and we’re gonna battle.

Obviously, you work with Beyonce. I know, you probably get asked this in every interview…

Yes, I don’t tire away from talking about it. For every artist that gets to work with her, I’m sure we all have the same response. It’s a game-changing experience, not only for our brands, obviously, but just as creatives. If you really love this shit, then you have to have respect for the best in it. And she is by far the best at doing it. 

It inspired me to really go deeper in my own music, and try to achieve some heights and depths that I haven’t before. I’m so thankful every time. Every time somebody asks me about it, I’m in the same posture. I’m so thankful for that experience and what it taught me, and what it’s teaching me daily. She’s incredible. She’s the GOAT, for sure.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Where I see myself in 10 years…. disappearing.

I want to disappear too!

Yeah no, that’s the goal. It’s the real goal. I want to disappear. I want to have put enough out into the world that I can duck off and watch the things that I’ve built. I always tell my team too: if you can’t go forward and look behind you and see what you built, then we’re doing this shit wrong. In 10 years, I hope that I can look behind me and say yo, I really built something that’s operating on its own. And I can chill and hopefully have a family. Some new fans, some new babies.

Anything else you wanna let us know?

004 Daisy is coming out September 16th. If you’re in Vegas on September 24th, I’m playing Delilah in Vegas which I’m very excited about.

Didn’t know they had a Delilah out there. 

Oh that shit is bussin’. I’m very excited about that. It’s got this old Vegas, Rat Pack kind of feel. I might put on a suit for this one and sing a song.