Double Trouble Boyz

For one thing, while many rap stars are making headlines for drugs, sex and other vices, the boys’ connection to these issues is one that makes them proud.

And – if you’re a teenage girl - these are two hip-hop stars you can actually bring home to dinner.

Oh, one more thing. When they’re done laying down a track of their latest song, they’d better make sure to take out the garbage - unless they want to be grounded from playing their favorite video game or going out.

The “senior’ member of the team is Duane Moore Jr.. At a ripe old age of 15,  Duane – stage name “D.M.J.” -  writes, sings and produces his own music. As does his partner, 10-year-old brother, Dion, known as Dmac.

That’s right. While many musical stars only begin to hit their stride in their mid-twenties, you’d have to combine both brothers together to reach that many years.

And yet, they’ve already got several TV appearances, concerts with major musical stars and cross-country tours under their kid-sized belts.

What’s it like being kid rap stars?

Picture their tours - Partridge family meets New Edition.

The boys pack up their “working” clothes - hip stage outfits purchased on a trek to LA’s garment district. They often need custom made outfits – especially Dion. It’s not easy finding a pinstriped three-piece suit for an 11-year-old.

Sometimes it can be hard to write songs. Dwayne always has a pen and paper on hand to jot down ideas. He’s  even be known to scrawl an entire song while waiting in the dentist’s office – and to think, you waste your time snoozing or reading a Reader’s Digest from 1976.

But, mostly, songwriting just “comes naturally” says Dwayne. “You feel it, and it’s just there.” 

  They load up  “DTB-5” (their  very own customized 36 foot Southwind TM motorhome)  and head to all corners of the U.S., often appearing in schools as part of their “Stop the Violence” programs or, at other times being featured live "In Concert" performing their more commercial material.

During their 45-minute presentations, the boys – along with fellow Presentation team member James Downs - speak to students about the dangers of drugs and violence. A message that probably carries more weight with kids, coming from role models their own age.

But along with educating, the boys also entertain their student audiences with some of the scores of songs they write and perform themselves.

  These Detroit-born, Southern-California-based kids could be the poster boys for modern fresh, young, vibrant R&B/hip hop groups. The boys are known to mesmerize audiences with their cutting-edge production, musical skills, and the dedication and effort they put into live performances.

Not surprising, since it is. Their mother, Pam, was a professional singer, while father Richard was an independent producer. The boys’ 22-year-old sister has two children who’ve already shown musical potential of their own.

In fact, from the start there was no denying Dion’s musical interests, even when the boy was barely a toddler.

He literally began rapping before he could talk.

Mom would take a break from practicing her songs, and the parents would later return and find the microphone knocked down on the ground, covered with incriminating peanut butter and jelly smears.

“So we knew that Dion had been at it again,” Richard laughs.

Dad's first attempts to record young Dion resulted in an entire track – although most was in baby talk, except for sporadic  sprinkles of Dion’s favorite phrase,  “Yeah, Boy!” a line borrowed from a Public Enemy song.

Soon Dad began teaching his young sons music theory. He’d put the instructional audio tapes on as Dion lay down for his naps. The boy seemed to learn it literally while he slept.

“I wanted to show them a discipline similar to what they’d get, say, with karate or athletics.”

As Dad trained them, he later added acting and dance lessons.

He showed them scales on the piano, and was amazed at how quickly they picked up the musical skills, even though Dion often needed to use both hands just to reach some of the key combinations which could normally be done by an adult one-handed.

  The melodic boys and their parents knew from the start they wanted their music to focus on a positive message. Their first single –composed about the same time songwriter Dion entered kindergarten -was entitled “Stop the Violence.”

  The family has, since then, logged hundreds of thousands of miles on the road, touring the country. It’s a little easier now that the boys can appreciate the various landmarks and attractions.

  No more having to lug coloring books and stuffed animals to keep Dion entertained.

  The boys are homeschooled, which makes it easier for them to tour the country. Not that they get to slack off on lessons.

  “Sometimes we’ll finish a show and go back and do our schoolwork at the hotel,” Duane says.

  But their parents want them to experience real-life teachings. “World lessons,” as their dad puts it.

  “Instead of reading about historical places, our kids have seen them in person.”

  The boys hang around with a mix of fellow “industry” people and “normal” kids.

  “We’re just friends with everybody,” Duane says. “It doesn’t matter to us if they’re performers or not.”

  Although non-performing kids usually think the boys’ work is “cool”, Duane is careful not to seem boastful.

  “I don’t want them to think we have this attitude where we’re better than anybody, so I usually don’t talk about my job unless they do. I don’t want to stick it in their face.”

  And, in some ways, the pair isn’t so different from their non-musical pals. Dion likes video games, especially skating ones like the Tony Hawk game.

  And despite their rising stardom, the boys are, in many ways, no different from their teenage peers.

  “We still have chores around the house. Still have to take out the trash.”

  Still, they’re the only ones in their circle of friends who can talk of doing a few shows as the warm-up act for Coolio. “He was really cool,” Duane reports.

  The young performers are also veterans of appearances on the Jenny Jones Show, (BET) Black Entertainment Television and New York’s Showtime at the Apollo.

And things seem destined only to get better for the young musicians.

They have just signed 3 year deal with San Francisco based Lankin Productions & Management Co.,  a move that, within one week landed them an introductory meeting with Grammy Award winning producers Denny Foster and Thomas McElroy. Lankin Productions is headed by Lance Johnson and Kenneth Hall a team of talented  manager and artist developers that have been known to catapult the careers of many risings stars. Foster and McElroy are renown known for producing  “Gold” and “Platinum” hits for artists like En Vogue, Club Nouveau, Toni-Tony-Tone,  various “major” movie soundtracks and even Elmo from Sesame Street.

As for the  “Boyz”, their own musical tastes included just about everything you can listen to on a CD player. Duane listens to everything from Stevie Wonder and Dr. Dre to alternative and “some country.”

Dion likes every kind of music. “As long as it’s music, and it’s good, I’ll listen to it.”

Even for natural musicians like these boys, sometimes it can be hard to write songs. Duane always has a pen and paper on hand to jot down ideas. He’s even been known to scrawl an entire song while waiting in the dentist’s office – and to think, you waste your time snoozing or reading a Reader’s Digest from 1976.

But, mostly, songwriting just “comes naturally” says Duane. “You feel it, and it’s just there.”

Because of their young ages, most of the boys’ performances take place at schools and outdoor concerts, rather than bars or clubs.

It is frustrating, the boys admit, that the whole genre of rap music gets a bad reputation because of the headline-grabbing acts of a few stars.

“At first, they didn’t even want us in schools, and they didn’t know anything about us,” Duane said. “It was just because they heard the word “rap.”

“We want to show there are alternatives to the negative music out there, even in rap.”

As for the plans for their future –say, once they have a driver’s license - Duane would love to be on the Grammys’ or anything on MTV. He wants to be a producer and expand with his own label so he can help other artists. “I definitely want to go platinum,” he states, “but mostly I just want to let people enjoy our music.” Dion adds, “We like knowing they feel good about it and it makes them move”.

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Last modified: October 06, 2000