Meet De’ | Singer/Songwriter

We had the good fortune of connecting with De’ and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi De’, how do you think about risk?
I think of risk taking as being a form of courage and facing the fear of uncertainty to attain a goal. No matter what may occur, or what the outcome may be ,you are always prepared for the possibility of failure.Throughout my journey as an artist, risk always seemed to be something I had to face “regardless of fears”. I learned that if you don’t try, you’ll always wonder what if and developing that skill has been an important part of my journey to better build my character and achieve my goal.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I have been singing since the age of 2 and did my first talent show when i was 4 years old, i did choir from Elementary to high school and then later joined stax music academy at age 13 where i performed , toured and acted just to name a few, i feel music has always been a big part of my life and has helped me through many tough days and obstacles i have stumbled across. What sets me apart from others is my creative expression and my image, i also bring a different sound to music with my complexity and versatility by incorporating Pop/Soul/ Rock and R&B and strange but satisfying instrumentation. Right now i am very proud and excited about releasing my upcoming 6 song EP/Album ” Trial and Error”, It has definitely been a long time coming, i have debated so much about which songs i should put on here and i have even contemplated the name of my album, this album is very personal and kind of explains a story of where i was once before in my life, going through domestic violence and a very toxic relationship and overcoming and seeing the other side. i want to bring awareness and empowerment to the people around me, we may go through dark times but there is always a light at the end of the tunnel and the struggles that we have are temporary ,however we can change this by having faith and believing for something better also keeping a strong mindset and positive thinking.

It has took me many auditions, late nights, practicing , blood ,sweat and tears to get where i am today, it has not been easy but i have never been a quitter, there have been times i have wanted to give up but then i realize giving up is not in my vocabulary that this is a burning passion and dream i have always had and wanted for myself. I did a lot of praying and changing bad habits, also separating myself from things that no longer served a purpose in my life, I moved away from home to pursue music and attended a music college to further my development and skills. I have learned not to hesitate when you should just act, sometimes we fail to act due to being discouraged or not feeling as confident and this can keep us from moving forward with an idea or with certain goals so I have and will continue learning to act and not hesitate. Also a few more lessons I have learned along the way are “making every moment count” and that ” good things don’t come easy “in order to gain everything you are wanting you have to put in just as much effort for the outcome.

Overall I want everyone to know that I stand strongly in what I believe in and that my brand is showcasing Women empowerment, Raising Awareness for Domestic violence, having faith, love, hope, being bold , creative and being you.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Some of the fun spots i would take them would be to the Hollywood sign ,secret stairs then for a hike in Runyon canyon or Wilacre Park and Mountains to see the amazing scenery, i would also take them to Venice or Malibu to see the beautiful sand and water then to Universal city walk, The broad museum , Rodeo drive , Hollywood walk of fame and to see the animals at the La zoo followed by lots of nice and fun restaurants like The Venue ,Elbow room, Highlight room, Davey wayne’s , Mama Shelter and TAO, later in the evening i would take them to a Sofar show to listen to some great artist perform ,I also enjoy going to the movies so i would take them to the Regal Live and 4DX theater for a fun movie experience. All in all there are so many exciting things to do here in LA its to many too count.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I can think of a number of people, but to name a few i would first and foremost like to thank my beautiful mother, without her pushing me, encouraging me and supporting me every second of everyday i don’t think i would have reached where i am today she has definitely been my backbone throughout this journey and my number one fan i love her so much.

Next i would like to give a shout out to “Stax Music Academy ” and my director at the time “Justin Merrick” i joined this academy when i was 13 years old until i was 16 and this music academy taught me so much from Production and engineering to dance, acting and even the history of Mo-town music. i also got to meet and perform with so many legendary talents, this was a big part of molding me as an artist and preparing me for Leadership, Teamwork and Discipline making me a better performer in all aspects and teaching me the theory of music, My director Justin Merrick also pushed me very hard and i thank him so much for that, i use to be very shy and have very bad stage freight and i feel like he really inspired me to get out of my head and to be more comfortable and less anxious, he gave me the opportunity to showcase my talent and i appreciate him and everyone from this academy for the wonderful experiences and memories they have given me.

And last but not least i want to thank my Daughter Kadii for always keeping me motivated , focused and striving for success she is always cheering me on, also the people i have worked with Katsuya Sezaki, Alexx Daye, Jessica Louise, Amy Apparis, Linn , Shirly, Vedant Joshi, Martavius Caple and Isak Jakobsson. there are so many more but thank you all so much you are awesome.

Website: https://www.deofficialmusic.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dezzylyrical/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dezzy.dillard/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DEOFFICIAL

Image Credits
Katsuya Sezaki , Pranai, Musicians Institute