DC

Funky...Artistic...Eclectic...Charming...Four words that immediately come to mind after listening to up-and-coming R&B artist DC. His longtime love affair with old school funk is immediately evident in his lyrics and his unique sound. "I grew up listening to funk and rock bands as a kid. Cameo, Parliament, The Commodores and KISS were my favorites. I'm a music lover, so I appreciate all genres of music, but funk is my first love and always will be."An admiration of all things funk has DC feeling right at home in Los Angeles. Although he was born and raised in Oklahoma, DC has adopted the culture and g-funk vibe of the West Coast and refuses to think of ever living anywhere else. "Growing up in the Mid-West in the age of hip-hop, I was definitely influenced by the West Coast flavor because so much of the music was and is inspired by the old funk groups I listened to as a child. The West Coast infuses the musicality of live instrumentation, funky bass lines and hard drums."DC's musical passion was nurtured from early childhood. Coming from a family known locally for their musical talent spanning several generations, DC was introduced to the stage before he could drive. During high school he sang in nightclubs with his family's band, and by day he sang in an R&B group with friends from school. It wasn't until his junior year in high school that he tried his hand at writing. "I wrote my first song in high school with my writing partner. Of course it was about this girl that I had a huge crush on. I thought I was so prolific. I wrote about her hair, lips, hips, and legs. Eventually, I wanted to express more of my own personal thoughts and believed that I wanted to become like the songwriters I admired."DC's appreciation of real music contributed to his desire to take his writing to the next level. He was determined to study music as an art and perfect his craft. "My style of writing is definitely hook oriented. Melody is king when you are a songwriter and a hook is key to reeling in your audience," he says. DC also says listeners could liken his vocal styling to a mix between Babyface and Donny Hathaway. "I love to croon, but I can handle my share of funk tunes and up-tempos too. I can give you a ton of vocal calisthenics or just keep it in the pocket if necessary. I think Donny and Babyface are experts at both."Currently DC is busy penning songs for artists in various genres. He co-wrote an entire gospel album, and has done tracks for a variety of neo-soul and hip-hop artists. When he's not writing, he's singing background for several local acts, but he is eager to get started on his own project. "I want people to hear my songs and say to themselves that I said for them what they could not. I love wordplay. I think most true songwriters do," DC says.The future looks bright for this multi-talented artist. Although presently he is not signed to a label, DC is focused on strengthening and further developing his skills along with learning the business. He knows that when the opportunity comes, his creativity, love of music, and talent will speak for itself. Profile by Christal Jordan-Mims for Enchanted PR