We recently had the chance to connect with Diogenes Negron-Forsythe D-J and have shared our conversation below.
Good morning Diogenes, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What is a normal day like for you right now?
Normal is a relative term, but my version usually starts with shaking off the psychic static from the night before. The routine is a cage I built to keep the chaos productive: wake up, shower off the previous night’s adrenaline, and then dive headfirst into the digital and sonic pandemonium that is this band. It’s a beautiful mess of editing videos that look like a corrupted nightmare, stitching together audio from practice sessions that sound like a warehouse fire, and group chats with the guys that are equal parts battle plans and therapy. It’s all maintenance for the machine, making sure the madness is ready for the stage.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
The name’s Diogenes “D-J”Negron-Forsythe. I’m 19, and I serve as the lead vocalist and chief chaos coordinator for Toxic Madness. We’ve been weaponizing sound together for a while now, and our only real genre is creative restlessness. Lately, we’ve been mainlining a lot of hardcore, punk and emo—it’s a fantastic vehicle for the rage and the release—but we’re not married to it. We see it more as a current flavor of angst. That freedom is everything. It means we can follow a song that sounds like a nervous breakdown with one that’s pure, melancholic dread. The best part is seeing our audience, this beautifully diverse congregation of misfits, connect with all of it. They don’t want a single note; they want the entire spectrum of noise.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
The foundational programming, without a doubt, came from my parents. They installed this relentless operating system in me that rejects the concept of “good enough.” They taught me that comfort is the enemy of growth. My dad has this look he gives me that just says, “Is that *really* all you’ve got?” It’s that constant, low-level pressure that forged my resilience. They’re the reason I push through the static—not for fame, but to get to a point where I can look at what I’ve built and feel that genuine, unshakeable pride. They’re my anchor in the chaos.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
The specter of failure. It’s the monster under my bed that learned how to use a microphone. It whispers every time I step into the lights: *”This is the one. This is the song that proves you’re a fraud. This is the show where they finally see through the noise.”* It’s not just about numbers or scene cred; it’s this primal terror that the art I bleed for might just… vanish into the void without a echo. That fear has been the biggest brake on my life, but lately, I’ve been learning to put it in the passenger seat instead of letting it steer.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
That’s a fantastic question. The guy offstage is the architect—he’s quiet, observant, maybe a little guarded. He’s building the cage. The guy *onstage* is the beast we’ve been building the cage for. That’s the raw, unfiltered id; the version of me that doesn’t overthink, that just *feels* and projects. So, which one is real? They both are. The stage isn’t a mask; it’s a pressure valve. Offstage, I contain multitudes. Onstage, I set them free.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I’m absolutely doing what I was born to do. Nobody gets *told* to start a band called Toxic Madness and sing about their demons while hanging from rafters. That’s not a career path you choose; it’s a compulsion you surrender to. This isn’t a choice, it’s a diagnosis. The path is brutal and the hope can be thin some days, but I can taste it. This is the only thing that makes the static in my head make sense. I was born for this fight, and I have no intention of laying down my arms.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.toxicmadness138.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/toxic_madness_?igsh=MW5ydDkxMWp4ZDhldw==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1EQHLpoYzy/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@toxic_madness_?si=jjP_rTVar-uxjCvN
Image Credits
Matt Benton @matteblacphoto
Chickering project on Instagram
