Originally from Copenhagen, Denmark, Dennis Gustav Levitin is a local artist who has lived in Taylor for 14 years.
Q: What is your superpower?
A: Adaptability, for good or for worse, but I think that is my strong side and a form of a superpower. I was actually talking about that with a friend today, and we both agreed that “survival of the fittest” will be outsmarted by those who can adapt the best to any given situation.
Q: If you could give your 10-year-old self advice, what would it be?
A: Nothing is forever, love hurts, but you’ll be OK — just keep being you. I really have no regrets in my choices throughout my life, and, in general, I have always been confident enough to be myself in the crowd. So, keep doing what you’re doing 10-year-old little me.
Q: Why do you do what you do (as an artist)?
A: I have a natural yearning to express myself creatively. I think, for me, the common core of it all is storytelling in some form, be it visuals, music or writing. It naturally attracts me.
Q: What makes you good at your job?
A: I think I learned to have a good work ethic from my father. No matter what job you do, always do your best. Creatively, I think the key is time management, productivity and consistency.
Q: Who or what is your biggest inspiration?
A: Philosophy and music saved me, and especially after finding rap music, which combined both. I found a safe haven as a young kid and studied the art form myself, so I could express myself in the same way. There are way too many artists that have impacted me throughout my life to name them all, but Tupac Shakur definitely changed and shaped my foundation in the rap world.
Q: What is the dumbest thing you’ve ever done?
A: Probably this time as a kid when I got lost during an annual city bike event. I didn’t know my left and right too well, and took off from my dad, little brother and friend, and made the wrong turn and ended up in another city. This was before cell phones. Apparently, I had been gone for so long the whole city, police and military were looking for me. I eventually met an old lady who saw me crying and dragging my bike. She gave me a ride back home. I acted like nothing ever happened and went and sat down to watch cartoons. Then, a friend knocked on the door screaming at me, “Everyone thought you were lost or hurt, Dennis.” So, I had to go back down to the event and show myself, and also admit I got lost because I wasn’t very good with left and right yet.
Q: What’s something people don’t know about you?
A: I held lectures in churches about Jesus and faith and was very close to studying theology.
Q: What’s the best and worst piece of advice you’ve ever received?
A: Best advice: I would say life in general has taught me how valuable and fragile we all are, and nobody is promised tomorrow. That has made me appreciate the “moment” and small things in life.
Worst advice: Not listening to my gut feelings in certain situations and taking other people’s advice over that, and later finding out you should have stuck to your gut feeling.
Q: What song is your guilty pleasure?
A: 90s Euro dance music Q: What is your claim to fame?
A: My biggest accomplishment, commercially, is probably getting a major record deal. And being lucky enough to work with people I looked up to as a kid. For me personally, I would say being able to master my skills creatively, well enough to utilize art and music for troubled youth programs and other ways to raise awareness, or whatever the case may be, on political issues.
