Loco Dice classes himself as an entertainer, so he is choosing to not add to the fear and panic of the Coronavirus pandemic by removing the word from his vocabulary when posting online. But he confesses that “it’s a disaster, bro! Everything is cancelled. I have basically no more income. That’s what it is – I’m surviving somehow, I’m a warrior!
"But I grew up with no money, so it’s not a new thing for me. It’s like going back to the roots. I’m trying to avoid all the memes, the news, and talking about it too much. I’m a realistic guy."
Talking to me from lockdown in Dusseldorf, Loco Dice is something of a legendary German DJ, fashion designer and ‘Desolat' label founder. Born in the Western German city to Tunisian parents, he’s had a blistering career since 1998, releasing three albums and too many singles to count.
Collaborations include one of British rap’s best, Giggs. He’s friends with Louis Vutton’s artistic director, Virgil Abloh, and his respected place in the world of fashion saw him headlining A$AP Rocky’s Miami party last year.
This global lockdown has seen many musicians increase their musical output, but Dice is taking this opportunity to work on his buisnesses, including his record label and his work in fashion. He tells me he isn’t as creatively inspired by the global situation as others.
“The good thing is, I made a lot of new music before,” Dice says. “I was working non-stop in the studio like a maniac, which I always do before the summer because I know I’ll have no time. It is what it is — let me clean up my back office and do all the other creative things I want to do. I’ll build up my DJ booth here, and start to go through my old records, and then I’ll get inspired for sure.”