Music is an amazing thing. I’m not sure of the exact science, but it’s truly incredible what people can do with music because it affects us as listeners. Our moods, habits, personas—all, at times, are impacted by the music we listen to. Being able to take listeners to a whole other place mentally is the mark of a true artist, and buzzing rhymewriter DP does just that.
Hailing from Virginia Beach, DP has a sinister and gritty sound that is nothing short of impressive. Though I don’t see him as being very similar to anyone else, his style is almost reminiscent of fellow Virginian Pusha T in the sense that he has intricately written, piercing lyrics and an impressive ear for production that always perfectly suit his style.
Towards the end of 2015, he inked a deal with the Lyor Cohen-headed 300 Ent., assuring that he was about to go to the next level with his music. It was especially impressive given the fact that he really hadn’t put out a ton of music; unlike a lot of other upcoming rappers, DP has been careful and deliberate with his every move, and really made sure that any music he released was sharp as could be. Even so, moving up so fast without a ton of music is a great feat, and one that he attributes to the people he was working with.
He leads a talented group of rising creatives, collectively known as Brain Dead Music, with two of his fellow members in Brooklyn Taylor and Sir Yogaflame providing production all over his last project. The chemistry between them really shows through in those records, and definitely shows off how dope BDM is.
DP’s debut studio effort Designer Casket is the perfect display of his blossoming skills as an emcee, as it’s 10 tracks chock-full of raps that’ll smack you upside the head and grab you by the shirt collar. DP doesn’t make the type of music that you just put on in the background—his records demand your attention and to be played at blaring volumes.
DP has really established himself, at least in my mind, as a master of imagery in his music, and that definitely goes back to the amount of time and precise effort he put into the album, noting that he and his team “spent damn near two years perfecting it and trying to make a cohesive project.” The cohesion shows, as DC is a great listen from front to back
The one thing that really stuck out about the project to me was how cinematic it was as a whole—the production was like a movie score, and really was the ideal canvas for DP to let his creativity and very real lyrics run rampant.
The realness behind his lyrics is no facade either—DP recounts that back home was just trouble, and that he utilized rap as a way out of it, a way not to get caught in a life that he didn’t really want. “There was probably three options, rapping being one of them. I didn’t really have much of a choice, it’s just something I’m good at—yknow, legally [laughs].”
Since the release of Designer Casket, DP has been quietly working on music, with only one release since in the form of his eerie visual for “The Burial,” making fans even hungrier than before for some new music.
At the time we spoke, he said he was almost done with his follow-up to Designer Casket, leaving us anxious for new music and news on the impending project. Now that we’re nearing the meat of 2016, fans can more than likely expect to hear some brand-new DP raps sooner than later.
As for a final word to our readers and his fans, DP says, “Don’t do drugs.”