PROFILES
STATESBORO, Ga- Many students come to college with an idea of what kind of path they will follow. Some will be doctors, some lawyers; while they are busy following this path there are other students whose focus not only lies within a collegiate education.
Balancing school and work is tough enough; imagine balancing school and a career as an independent rapper. Well, one Georgia Southern student manages to tackle just that.
Whether he is spending countless hours studying for class or staying up late recording a new masterpiece, self-named rapper, Damez, never seems to stop chasing his dream as becoming the next mainstream recording artist.
Local GSU Rapper is on the Rise
By: Angelina Reyes
The 20-year-old Mississippi native, Damez, moved to Atlanta when he was 6-years-old and since then he has dedicated all of his life to writing music. For about two years he has been recording and writing all of his own songs for all to hear.
Damez chose to write and record his own music because he was always surrounded by musical influences. His parents were church musicians and would often include Damez in a musical set.
Damez chose to record his own music because he has limited resources, as well as a lack of studio connections that could allot him inexpensive studio time. But this didn’t stop Damez. Determined to make music he bought his own studio equipment.
In order to get the equipment he needed, Damez saved up his own money and purchased it. He said that because much of his music is constructed by himself there are no outside influences that can determine what his music sounds like.
“The fact that he bought his own equipment and learned on his own how to track and record music is crazy,” said Brian Rawls, full time student at GSU and part time hip hop producer. “I think artistically his music is very dope. He seems to be a lyricist and story teller instead of just rapping about money and women. I respect his style.”
Throughout his musical career Damez has accumulated an impressive fan base more than 3,000 followers on Twitter and Instagram. Among these fans is GSU senior psychology major, Adriene Jones, who believes Damez is the rapper to emerge from underground rapping.
“His music is really dark but it comes from a good place, you know? Like he’s been through some stuff and he exerts his emotion through his music. He raps about real stuff. He raps about his life,” Jones said.
Beyond the music Damez has committed his collegiate career to studying mass communications/broadcast journalism in a effort to one day see his face on the big screen.
Damez released his first official EP, Midnight on Cloud Nine, in December 2014 and is currently working on many other projects.
Visit www.kingdamez.com for the latest on Damez.
Follow Damez on Twitter and Instagram
Q & A with Damez:
How long have you been making music?
I’ve been making my own music probably since like 2013, but I’ve been writing all of my life.
When did you first realize that making music was something that you wanted to do?
I knew I wanted to make music when I first fell in love with it as a child. Growing up, I would know people here and there that made music but, I didn’t really have the resources they did. So eventually I got tired of waiting for other people to help me chase my dreams and I decided to purchase my own equipment and record all of my own stuff.
As a child were you exposed to a lot of music?
Definitely. I was exposed to a lot of different music growing up. My mom always had the old school stations playing in the car on the radio, and my dad has the sickest vinyl collection that I still spin to this day. He has everything, mostly old school stuff, but it was always some funk, soul, jazz and, of course, R&B playing throughout the house.
Who are your musical inspirations?
I’m inspired by a lot of different artists but especially Beyoncé. Jay-Z, too, but on more than just a musical level. His whole brand and story is inspirational to any aspiring rapper. Kid Cudi is one of my favorites because he doesn’t care about what others think of him; he’s just himself. Big KRIT, Lana Del Rey, Empire of the Sun are some of my favorites, too.
Can you describe the process of making a new song?
It varies; sometimes you’ll hear a beat and it will just come to you, or sometimes you will already have an idea of what you want to talk about and you just go through the beat selection process. Every song I feel like has a different story and process. But most of the time for me it will start with a beat. Sounds can take your mind to places you probably couldn’t access without them.
Would you say you sound like any other artist? And if so who?
I don’t think my music sounds like anybody else in the industry simply because it’s very autobiographical. No way anybody can have the same music as me because nobody has the same life stories as me, you know?
Have you ever performed live in front of an audience? If so where?
A few times growing up I always used to perform in front of family members when I was little. I went on a cruise to Cozumel in 2010 for Spring Break with my mom and my brother Ryan, and one night him and I did karaoke in front of all the people on the boat who were in the venue. We performed Billie Jean by MJ, and I’ll never forget it. But I haven’t had a chance to perform my own stuff yet. It’s definitely coming soon.
What genres of music do you regularly listen to?
Besides hip-hop I’m probably listening to indie stuff or R&B. I like alternative music a lot, too. I honestly probably don’t even listen to hip-hop primarily. But I like to rap!
What is your long term goal for music?
I definitely want to reach my fullest potential, whatever that might be. I can’t say I wanna be the next this person or that person, but I feel like I am worth more than being just another local rapper. I just want to be remembered.
DJ MV on the 1's and 2's in Statesboro, GA
By: MacNeil Ross
Statesboro, GA- DJ MV takes the stage at Rum Runners, a Georgia Southern bar; ready to get the party started on a so-called “Thirsty Thursday.” He begins moving his fingers along his DJ board that lights up in many different colors, and has a million and one different buttons and knobs. He is bobbing his head to the beat of the music that he can hear through his bright red Dr. Dre “beats” headphones.
The atmosphere of the bar completely changed the minute he started playing his music. Everything seemed to come alive. The crowd, primarily consisting of students, began dancing, shots were being ordered, and energy was contagious.
DJ MV may be his name on-stage, but off-stage he goes by Peyton Wilson. He is 22 years old, a senior studying graphic design, from Suwanee, Ga. He is an active member of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity at Georgia Southern.
“It is extremely important to hire someone with incredible talent and energy for such an important job. Anyone can just play music but Peyton brings entertainment which brings out more people,” said Tabor Forgay, a fashion merchandising major at Georgia Southern and the head bartender at Rum Runners.
He plays for the local bars in Statesboro, fraternity and sorority parties, along with other events such as weddings and graduation parties in Atlanta.
“I notice that people become more social and enjoy there time at the bars because of the choice of music Peyton plays and the energy he brings to the bar,” said Forgay.
DJ MV has a lot to decide when it comes to picking the types of music to play to entertain his crowd.
“As a DJ I typically watch the crowd and observe how the crowd is reacting to my music,” Wilson said. His favorite genres of music to play are hip-hop and country, with a little House/EDM.
“The crowd goes nuts when they hear their favorite country and hip-hop songs being played together,” he said.
DJ MV considers himself to be self-taught, however without the help from an older fraternity brother, Josh Hartzell, he wouldn’t be where he is today.
Hartzell was a former DJ at Rude Rudy’s. He helped him get gigs on campus, learn to create the perfect transition between songs, and how to use his current DJ board.
“I’ll never forget watching him DJ at the Tomorrowland party our fraternity hosted. He was clearly the life of the party. Peyton is a fun, energetic guy with a lot of potential,” Hartzell said.
“I love to watch the music I play affect the atmosphere of the people I am entertaining. I just want everyone to have fun,” Wilson said.
The opportunities for DJs today are endless now that it is increasingly becoming more popular. However, DJs have to find ways to differentiate themselves in order to stand out or be noticed. The industry is booming, and these artists are making a lot of money.
Recently, while working at Rum Runners, Wilson was approached by a man named Topher Gold. Topher is a scout who finds new upcoming DJs to perform at big music festivals, such as TommorowWorld.
Topher gave him his business card, and asked if he would be interested in playing as an opening act. Topher told Wilson that he loved how he collaborated two completely different genres, country and hip-hop, and made them sound like they belonged together.
DJ MV hopes that this will be the next big move in his music career, most importantly he want to entertain his fans with music that makes them happy.
Q and A with DJ MV:
1. Where did you get your name?
My name came from an important number that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. This number reflects a time in my life when I became a stronger person mentally and physically.
2. How did you pick up DJing?
I have always been passionate about music since a young age. I felt a need to take it to the next level and started exploring and developed a true passion for what I do. When I DJ I feel a sense peace.
3. Where is your favorite place to DJ?
It does not matter the location where I perform. As long as I am doing what I am passionate about, I am happy
4. Who is your favorite artist in the DJ world?
There are so many to choose from, but I love Steve Aoki and Martin Garrix. Martin Garrix is a true inspiration seeing as he is the highest paid DJ in the world, and Net Worth of $145 million dollars, at the age of 18!
5. Where do you want to go with your career in the future?
I strive to be something more then a DJ. I want to produce my own music and inspire people to follow their dreams.