Baltimore’s Damond Blue Dreams Bigger En Route To Making A Lane For Himself In Music

Damond Blue
Please share and follow us:
Facebook
Twitter
Linked In
Pinterest
Follow by Email

Damond Blue Tells How Speaking Positive Words Into Existence Has Helped Him Fight Depression, While Finding Success In Music

Meet singer-songwriter-rap artist, Damond Blue, a certified triple-threat, who hails from the east side of Baltimore, Maryland. Already known – albeit not quite yet a household name – for his edgy blend of R&B and Hip-Hop, the multifaceted 26 year old entertainer seems to be on everyone’s radar these days so, therefore, and without a shadow of a doubt Blue’s already well on his way to becoming a soon-to-be superstar. With that being said, join us as we find out what all the hoopla is about…

Coming off the success of his most recent mixtape, Dream Bigger Volume 1, and with his new single, “Sunrise” making waves, Damond Blue is excited about his position in the industry and what’s up next for him.

Our interview with Damond Blue.

Parlé Mag: When did your love for music first begin?
Damond Blue:  
It all began because somebody lied to me actually. He said if I write a rap, I’ll be signed to Def Jam. Miraculously enough, I believed it and this is where we are right now. I always had a love for Hip-Hop, I always will have a love for Hip-Hop, and that’s basically how it started. My mom, she’s real musically inclined, you know, I’ve been in love with it.


Parlé Mag:
What influences do you draw from when it comes to your music?
Damond Blue:  
Actually, the music is always… like I said, the music is a part of me. But just life in Baltimore, life in Baltimore is what inspires me. We’ve been down so long, man, we actually need a shot. That’s how I feel. It’s a thriving force. That’s what inspires me. All the murders, everybody dying… and that just wanted me to aspire for something better. That’s what always keeps me going.

 


Parlé Mag:  
At what exact point did you opt to make music your profession?
Damond Blue:  
When I started making money off of it, and when I started investing my own money into it, I started to realize that this is more than just get on the mic and spit a hot sixteen. This was something that you had to be really dedicated to [in order] to be the best artist ever.

 

Parlé Mag: How would you categorize your sound?
Damond Blue:  
It’s more of a soulful thing.  I just come from the other side of things. I come from the heart, I speak from the heart, I speak from reality, I talk from experiences. Like from this conversation, (I could be) inspired by something you say or a question that you ask and that’s what provokes the thoughts. That’s pretty much it. I call it ‘Smooth Trap,’ I call it ‘Reality Music.’ I say I’m the spokesman for the ‘hood. I’m sort of like the mayor. I give back, I touch the people. I’m really for the people though, minus all the politics and all that other crazy stuff. I’m really for the people. We create resources; giving back to the kids, giving back water, giving back things like that, so people can appreciate it. I branded my own water, Damond Blue Water. We flooded the whole city of Baltimore, providing summer jobs for the youth. That kinda took some of the kids off the streets who would potentially be targeted by dudes in the ‘hood through selling drugs or however it goes. I’m not knocking however you get your money or however you feed your family, but I’m really focused on creating that positive environment for the kids and for the youth because whatever we make and the moves we make and the music we make, dictates the temperature in the ‘hood. It dictates the climate, so I’m really like a ‘hood spokesman. I talk about everything, man.

Parlé Mag:  Where do you find your lyrical inspiration?
Damond Blue:  I don’t really sit down and write. I don’t really sit down, I haven’t sat down and wrote a rap in a minute now. It’s hard ’cause I’m used to hearing…when I’m in the booth, I just go in there and just vibe, put my earphones on and just vibe. Shout out to Cool & Dre, man! My man, Dre, he’s one of the dudes who…besides Jeezy and Lil Wayne and all them, he just showed me a new way how to create and I never forgot that. So that’s always been a part of my repertoire, I just took it more serious when I saw a professional who actually has about two or three number one records on the Billboard. So I don’t really sit down. My process is just drawing from being around my homeys, being in good energy. It’s all about energy, m’guy. So if you come around and your energy ain’t right, I’m gonna tell you and you gonna fix it, we gonna figure out the best way to fix it. It all comes from great energy, great music. It’s always great music, great vibes. That’s where the inspiration comes from. Experience and just everyday life. That’s all it is. Drawing from just great energy, man.

 

Parlé Mag: Since you both rap and sing, is there a preference or do they kind of go hand in hand for you?
Damond Blue:  
It goes hand in hand for me. I just love making music. I don’t really necessarily like to put myself in a genre, I’ll let the people decide that because, like I said, I come from the rough and gritty streets of Baltimore city. It’s wild. It’s not an easy place to grow up in. Some of my partners, I’m calling them (and) I’m telling them what’s going on, so I got that edge-ness… but I always feel, know thyself. That’s very important in this world. Not just the music, but just for your personal self. I know who I am and I know the attributes that I have, and I engage with women. We talk and they listen to my music. I have a great connection with them. So I always speak for the streets, I speak for the people in the streets, but I always speak to the women as well because I have a lot of women in my life who are strong, who have shown me the way. I have to make the music with both of them. I have to sing and rap, but I love doing both of ’em… but they can get the business with either or.

 

Parlé Mag:  Talk to me about your new single, “Sunrise”.  It’s getting spins at radio and it’s doing well.
Damond Blue:  
“Sunrise” was more of a therapeutic thing. I was in the studio, I was at Patchwerk, I was in Atlanta, me and my group, Kollage. Look out for their new project on the way. Pyrex, Trip, D Dae, it’s crazy…
Yeah, I was in Atlanta, I had a beautiful young woman with me, I was like, “you know what?” Like I said, I always gotta speak to the women. I feel like I gotta speak to the women and show ’em how appreciated they are and how much they matter, ’cause it don’t matter what race or what color you are these women out there they’re going through a lot, whether you see it or not. So I always wanna speak for them.. .but I wanted to talk about all the women around the world and let ’em know how much that I love ’em. That’s basically it. It makes you feel good, it’s a feel good vibe, so that’s basically it and that’s how I felt about it. It was a feel good record. I put it together, I didn’t write it, I just came off the top with it, real talk.  It was just a great vibe.

Listen to Damond Blue “Sumrise” Below:

Parlé Mag:  Is “Sunrise” an introduction to your next solo project?
Damond Blue:  Sunrise is just something we just wanted to throw out there. We just been hittin’ ’em in the head with singles.  I released my single before that, it was called, “Give It To You.” We cracked the Top 100 on the Urban charts. Beautiful thing. We did the remix with Wale. We actually charted with that record, so we just wanted to give ’em something on the lines of the same vibe but more organic and a universal sound. So it’s just a reintroduction to what Damond Blue has to offer, and also some sort of follow up. I’m very excited about it, to see what it’s gonna do.

 

Parlé Mag:  Success, define what it means for Damond Blue?
Damond Blue:  Man, my key to success is just believing and becoming what I think about. I kinda put that into my mind. Us as human beings, we don’t really realize how important it is to really watch what you think about, what you read, what you talk about, what you eat, what you move around, what you say to yourself. I’m always practicing positive thoughts to myself and I’m always telling myself, “Yo, you can do it!” Even when I’m at the lowest point in my life.  I deal with a lot of self esteem issues and even depression sometimes. A lot of people don’t know that, so that’s just something I put out there.  But just to let people know I’m human just like you. Some people deal with certain things in their life and that’s the way that I’ve been able to kill that, and lately I’ve just been feeling beautiful, man, I’ve been feeling awesome! And it all starts with your thoughts. When you’re around negativity and you’re around things that’s gonna bring you down, you start to feel like that. So you start to think that’s who you are. So my key to success is you become what you think about. Always think positive, even on some of the days when you feel like you’re gonna lose everything, always think positive because your inner thoughts create your outer world. My key to longevity is to always be myself, like not follow no fad. I’ve seen so many rappers just come and go. I don’t even consider myself a rapper, I’m an artist. You can put me anywhere and I’m gonna win and I’m gonna deliver.  So not following the fad, just creating my own sound, creating my own movement, that’s what’s gonna create longevity. Because on the way up, I’m showing so many people respect, I’m meeting so many beautiful people, dope individuals who are gonna help me get to the next level. So I just been staying humble, keeping God first, making sure I’m in touch with my team everyday, and that’s what’s important. That’s what’s keeping me going.

 

Parlé Mag:  Do you have any other aspirations outside of music?
Damond Blue:  Man, I’m always into fashion and things like that. I want to create some more lines and some more things like that for people to rock. People always want to look fresh and look stylish, so I’m always into that. Also my sneaker store is always in my mind. I’m constantly putting that together as we speak. I just want to venture off into other avenues, not just music. I feel like this is gonna open up the doors for movies, possible collaborations with other successors. But, like I said, it all starts in my mind. I’m already lining all of that stuff up as we speak, and that’s it. I pretty much know where I’m going. Like you have to have a clear sight to what you want to do and where you want to go, so I know for sure there’ll be a lot of success going on because I’m constantly thinking about it and it has to come to fruition. Whatever you put in your mind, it has to come back to you. That’s one of the most unexplored continents in the world is the human mind, the human brain. There’s so many other components and compartments.  You just gonna see what Damond Blue has to offer musically with this pen, ’cause the pen game is crazy, homey. I’m telling you. Let’s get it! I’m expecting success.

 

Parlé Mag:  What are your thoughts on today’s Hip Hop – Are you content with it?
Damond Blue:  Yes, as long as the culture continues to thrive. Nothing stays the same, that’s evident. Change is one thing that’s constant, so you have to expect to be able to change, but you have to be able to adapt to it. And I see a lot of OGs who started the game sore about it. I seen somebody say something about Lil Yachty… I was like, “Damn,” and shorty’s really doing his thing. You gotta think…  how old is Hip-Hop? Hip-Hop is something that changes all the time, and back when the OGs were doing their thing you constantly go see the history where people were wearing certain stuff and before graffiti and all that so you can expect that (the younger generation who) like Uzi Vert, that like Lil Yachty, that like Trip, that like Dae Dae, that like Pyrex, that like Soulja Boy or all these kids who coming out right now. I’m still young, but I see this the change and the growth from Hip-Hop. I like it. I love it, and it’s challenging me 24/7 to just keep being creative and to know that you don’t get comfortable in this game ’cause next week it’s gonna be a new star and a new sound. You just gotta be prepared for it, so I make music for everybody.

 

Damond Blue
Parlé Mag:  
What has been your biggest Hip Hop moment?
Damond Blue:  One career moment that stands out in my mind… let’s see, I mean everything has just been a wild ride, man.  Every year has been good to me, but 20-15, 20-16 have been a learning experience. I recorded in some of the most lavish studios across the East and West Coast, I’ve met so many executives, been in so many offices and things like that. But I would have to say…it’s a lot, man. I worked with London on da Track, like literally in the studio with him. Working with London and Zaytoven and Cashis, and linking up with different writers, meeting historic artists, just being in the place to be, on yacht parties, just running into artists who I’ve worked with years ago and they’re finally seeing me out, so everything has just been a highlight, man. But I’d definitely say working with Zaytoven and all the new producers and everything, that’s been a highlight for this year. Just moving around a lot.

 

Parlé Mag:  Projecting, where do you hope to see yourself futuristic-ally speaking?
Damond Blue:  I don’t hope, I know I’m gonna see myself creating. Well, in the next 5 years it’s not a hope, I know that’s where I’m gonna be. I’m expecting to be here from all the work that I’m putting in. I know that I’m gonna be creating resources for the youth, definitely in my city, because I already done started with my youth organization, Beats Not Bullets, geared towards the kids once again, the element from giving out the water and things like that that comes from it, that’s a tree branch off of it. We also dealt with a few students during the summer, we took them off the streets and put them in this environment where you have to learn about music and the love for the music from the youth is so incredible. I know I’m gonna be doing that for the youth. Also shine a light on my city, and I will be a successful Hip-Hop superstar. I know that it’s gonna go into the stratosphere one day, but that’s where I see myself. I really see myself further than where I am today, on a positive note, giving back to the artists and to the city and creating. I’m not a role model, but I’m creating a blueprint for people to follow. Baltimore is an untapped market, it’s a place where a lot of artists haven’t blossomed and bloomed because of the lack of opportunity and the things that go on daily, you know, murder, corruption and violence, so I just definitely wanna bring some success and light to my city and say that, “Everybody, you can really make it ’cause I’m a dude from the block who worked a 9 to 5, I’m the dude who’s dealing with everyday problems, I’m the dude who’s really pushing towards something that’s greater than himself, that’s a part of something that’s bigger than himself,” and it’s so humbling and I thank God for everything. I don’t really know how to put it in words.

 

Parlé Mag:  Any final thoughts?
Damond Blue:  
I definitely wanna shout out my whole team, DBMG, that’s Dream Bigger Media Group. Shout out everybody who’s doing they thing and all the believers who believe and… you become what you think about; you are the sum total of your thoughts… this your man, Damond Blue.

Stay Connected With Damond Blue on Social Media:
Website:  www.damondblue.com
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

 


Readers Also Liked:
Mickey Factz
[INTERVIEW] Mickey Factz Spits ‘Facts’ On His New Album, The State of Hip Hop & Over Ten Years In The Game

Revisiting The XXl 2009 Freshmen 10 – Where Are They Now???

[INTERVIEW]  Charles Hamilton From The Heart, With Love