"I've been around some of the greats, and this kid, Dé? He has what it takes. He's a problem!"
-DJ LenStorm, who grew up with DMX, The Lox, and Mary J. Blige.
New Dé!
The flagship artist on the record label Amon-Raw Records, Dé (pronounced day) brings a new level of innovation and excitement to music with his debut album The SurFace.
The Amon-Raw MC's background is a fascinating blend of cultures and experiences that set the stage for his artistry. Dé is street without embellishing. He finds strength in his frailties, and is the life of the party when time permits. The great grandson of Adegboyega Edun, one of Nigeria's first leaders, Dé possesses a natural awareness of the issues that affect his generation today, and addresses them. The single "USA TODAY" is one such example. It gives insight on the problems and the promise of America as seen through the eyes of a young foreign-born American.
Born in Lagos, the then-capital city of Nigeria, Dé's parents came to the United States to study, with plans to return. However with increasing corruption in the Nigerian government, and the return of military rule, America became home. They landed in Brooklyn, New York, where Dé first learned to put his emotions to paper, and release them through rap. It was there that he recognized the power of hip-hop culture and music. "You could take the anger and frustration from your situation, whatever it was, and use it to create. That's transformational for a seven year old. Very empowering," he says.
Now in Maryland, the "Naija Pikin" and self proclaimed "YorubaBoy" has joined forces with Amon-Raw Records, and created, quite masterfully, from his situation. With the production of outstanding vets such as 7 Wounds, DJ LenStorm, and precocious newcomer iLLSoundz, and taking cues from singer songwriters such as James Taylor, Bob Marley, NaS, and others; Dé has captured the undercurrents in his journey from a boy to a man and brought them to The SurFace.
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