Game Culture Creators is a new interview series on Gaming Media that spotlights those in the Gaming Culture who have taken what they love about videogames and turned it into a career, be it in music, game commentary, parody videos, etc.
In our first interview for Game Culture Creators, we have British rapper Dan Bull, who for the last few years has gained a following on the internet for his videogame raps that cover the plots of games such as Skyrim to his latest with Valve's classic Half-Life.
Due to his current medical condition, we chose to conduct this interview via Skype messaging.
GM: What was your first introduction to video games?
DB:i got a game boy for Christmas or my birthday in the early 90s, and Tetris was the only game I had to begin with. I played a lot of Tetris.
GM: What do videogames mean to you?
DB:To me, video games are a way of exploring new worlds and being able to enter and interact with an alternative reality.
GM: What's the difference between the British game scene versus the American side?
DB: I'm not sure if there's a huge cultural difference between the UK and the States except perhaps the prevalence of football games like FIFA over here. I understand Madden is big in the US.
GM: Do you think your profile on the internet rose more when you appeared as a guest on Epic Rap Battles of history? How did that come about? Would you define yourself as a Nerdcore rapper? (M.C. Chris, M.C. Frontalot)
DB: I got a bunch of new fans from the ERB appearance, yes. It came about when I went to see Nice Peter perform a gig near me. I got to speak to him afterwards and he invited me to appear in an episode. Nerdcore? I guess so, there aren't many rappers more nerdy than me!
GM: When making a new track, do you think it'll be a viral hit from day one?
DB: I am usually always wrong when it comes to predicting things like that. If I think something will be a hit, it goes by relatively unnoticed. It's always the unexpected ones that seem to blow up.
GM: Any updates on your medical condition?
DB: I got lots of messages of support and advice after my latest vlog - I am still waiting for my next medical consultation though. These things seem to take a lot of time.
GM: It's terrible and darkly ironic that a musician gets a condition that causes him pain to listen to music or even sing without discomfort.
DB: Yep :) I just keep thinking of how worse it could be. Life is good for the most part.
GM: From your video game raps, what's been the highest praise your've recieved and the lowest insult you've been given?
DB: I can't think of particular instances - I stopped reading the YouTube comments for the most part because it's such a cesspit. It's also a sad fact that you can receive 99 compliments and 1 insult and you'll remember the insult.
GM: Any particular praise from notable people in the game industry?
DB: I'm still waiting for Gabe Newell to ask me out on a date
GM: What games this year are you interested in?
DB: I'm looking forward to replaying GTAV on PC this time. I can't wait to see what the modding community does when they get their hands on that game. I'm also really hoping that a new Fallout game will be announced.
GM: What advice would you give to someone starting their online career in a similar fashion as you're doing?
DB: You can't really expect a career to happen, a lot of it is luck. But you can maximize your chances by having fun, being yourself, picking a topic or activity that you love, and collaborating with similar minded people.
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