BAPARI - Drummer, DJ, Producer From Los Angeles

Hi Bapari, where are you from? Both of my parents are from Haiti, but I was born and raised in LA. 

When did you join Fuckupayus? I joined Fuck U Pay Us earlier this year, I believe around March 2019.

For how long have you been Djing and playing drums? I started DJing and drumming about 3 years ago. While I was at USC I joined the student radio station (KXSC) during my senior year and thats when I really started to realize my interest in music. I started learning how to DJ shortly after joining staff and getting my first radio show and that ultimately is what lead me to pursue taking classes in the music school, such as drumming. 

As a woman of color and an artist, what do you think is lacking in nowadays music industry and what positive progress have been made lately?

Overall the industry is lacking representation. In this male dominated industry, it is so rare to see a lineup entirely made up femmes of color and often times we are the token name on the flyer for diversities sake. You can feel like you're little more than a checkmark used in an underground culture to prove inclusivity. When events/music riff on a culture but fail to take the necessary steps to include members of that culture, than they are crossing that line of exploitation and exclusion. If you had to choose 6 songs to listen for the rest of your life, which songs would you pick and why? The six I would pick: Alfa Mist - Mulago DJ Stingray - The Strategy of Tension  Underworld - Low Burn Jon Bap - Workin' Orbital - Halycoln  Kelela - Bluff (Santa Muerte Remix) Each of these songs has influenced the way I think about music and about how I want to create music.  Listen to Bapari Mixtape here