Two Sides of the Same Coin

interview by micah hughey

Daunte “Donii” Bright is a skateboarder, performer, and founder of Kickback Magazine. Reckless Creative Micah Hughey talks to Daunte about how skateboarding is his life, everything Kickback Mag, and his alter ego, Fish Face.

Houston, USA

How’d you get started with skating?

“There were actually many ways because I was always around a skateboard. But never really took an interest in it until I just wanted to get groceries for my mom faster. Then, when I was in Fourth grade, I had to do a book report. But everyone picked all the other books and the only book that was left was Tony Hawk skateboarding and how to olie and all that. And in order for us to do a book report, we also had to go buy a demonstration of our book so I went and bought a skateboard. But it was like a scooter board, it had the handles and it would fold down, it was so sick. Then after that, I would have homies who would let me ride their boards but would never give me their boards, so then finally ended up getting one for christmas.”

What keeps you skating?

“If I don’t, I will fucking die. My heart will stop and I will cease to exist. “

Yes, that’s how I feel about photography.

“It’s so weird right? To be attached to that medium. Essentially you’re in love with just capturing a moment you know what I mean. That’s so wild. Like how do objects have such control over someone’s emotions. I love my board more than my friends and any girlfriend I've ever had. But I do think the only thing I love more than my board is my grandma.”

How did you start Kickback Magazine?

“Really it was just that I just started taking photos myself and I started getting good at it. I didn’t want to show anybody because it was kinda at that time when it was the huge photography boom and everyone was picking up a camera. So I just didn’t think anyone would take it seriously and basically judge it. I didn’t want them to be judged but I also didn’t want to sit in secret. I made an original project where it was like a slideshow essentially and people really liked that shit. So it made me want to start a magazine. I didn’t think people would support it but they really did. And it was so fucking crazy. It still blows me away.”

How’d you come up with the name Kickback?

“I want everyone to feel welcomed, I want everyone to not feel like a customer, to not feel like just a money sign to me. but that you’re a part of something bigger. You’re welcomed to whatever event, whatever place I’m at. And the only way I could really think of it was like hanging out with your friends, doing fun shit and you know that’s really just a Kickback. And I also just want you to read you know while you’re just kicking back in your lawn chair type shit. It’s a double meaning. And my motto is ‘We all suck,’ cause like in togetherness nobody is better than anybody.”

Yes, we’re all not special. We’re all just in the same boat.

“One hundred percent bro, and i just want everyone to remember that. And that’s why I like telling the stories, that’s why I like doing the summer mags. That really just helps people get to know me and everybody I hang out with. We’re not just some rapper douchebags, we’re really complex, we’re deep and caring you know. Like with my depression and skateboarding article, i was worried about putting that out because I didn’t wanna come off as crazy or suicidal. But people really drove to that shit, and were like ‘I really felt that.’ And then when i talked about living in my car, people who read the mags just liked that vulnerability and willingness to talk about certain things.”

Speaking of rapping, Fish Face. I feel like that’s an alter ego of you.

“Yess, yes, yes. That’s exactly like why I wear the mask. I wanted it to be a different person but still have the same elements in each side. Two sides of the same coin. That’s what the mask is for, it gives me those powers, those quote one quote superpowers. So essentially, everyone knows Donnii doesn’t have guns and Donnii doesn’t beat up people but I want to. I want to cause people be pissing me off, but obviously I don't. Fish Face is the other side that we all have. I’m so glad i have Andy though, he helped me guide that in a certain way so it wasn’t just necessarily me rapping and just saying dumb shit. My evil villains are actually real things in my life, and it gives me a way to talk about them in a different way too also while being able to play a different character. I get the best of both worlds.”

Photographs by Jose Martinez

Let’s talk about the recent Fish Face album.

“Yess, I dropped that after August 31st, and honestly there were some dudes who wanted to work with us and do a show. I didn’t want to do it alone so I asked my roommate Colt if he wanted to split the set, and he said, ’fuck yeah bro.’ Turns out they were gonna give him his own set, so basically it was just us. Just so many things went into it, and it almost didn’t happen. But it was so wild dude. It just became ‘our’ show even when we weren’t involved with the decorating. I was doing the photography and yelling. I was trying to keep everyone hyped, doing the photography and yelling and shit. I didn’t wanna do too much yelling, because I didn't wanna lose my voice. But! That’s exactly what happened. It wasn’t a bad set at all. People were still jamming. I was rapping, standing on the speaker, lights are off though, there’s laser lights and I'm going off. I felt like I was James Bond in that one laser room, dancing. The vibes were so right. Then I don’t know what happened, but on The Birth of Lord Fish, my favorite song on the whole album. I don’t know what happened. But I just looked up and grabbed the roof and I was upside down hanging, rapping. Shit was insane. And because of the way I jumped up, I'm not even looking at the crowd. I was actually facing a wall. But I just saw everyone’s hands. Then I got down, everyone gave me kudos and my homie showed me my favorite photo of me and it was so crisp. That was actually my second show too.

How’d the recent trip to California happen?

“It was basically a spur of the moment type thing. My homie Moses was like, ‘hey man, you tryna go to California?’ I was like, ‘hell yeah.’ Only problem was that I didn't have enough money to live off of but he was like, ‘that’s not a problem.’ So, I just bought my ticket which was 75 bucks. It was my first plane ride, it was so sick. It’s essentially like a slingshot. Our first day there, we actually skated from one side of LA to the other side. For like 8 hours, I spent the majority of the time fixing my wheel because it kept falling off. Like I literally bombed a hill and my wheel fell off midhill, and it was the most terrifying thing!! But that shit was so sick, it was just beautiful as fuck.”

What’s next for you?

“Whats next for me? Just going harder and trynna travel more. I wanna meet new people, meet more people in power in the areas I wanna succeed in, get to know the ins and outs, I wanna be on a team going on trips. essentially I wanna get the fuck out of Houston, and be able to afford living in France.”