Meet Devin Burgess | Rapper | Producer | Engineer | DJ | Musician

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

Hi Devin, do you have some perspective or insight you can share with us on the question of when someone should give up versus when they should keep going?
I like this question. Primarily because the answer is subjective. It’s a case by case basis because the answer is inside you. It’s a testament to your will and your drive. I know for me personally I struggle with this question every day. Not because I want to give up, it’s just that constantly getting beat down in some regards can become overwhelming and very taxing mentally over time. I think purpose resides somewhere in this answer as well. If what you’re doing isn’t aligned with whatever you feel like your purpose is, it’s probably gonna be more difficult to navigate an answer. I definitely feel like music is my purpose so that’s what keeps me going. If I didn’t have music, I don’t know what would fill the void to replace it. It’s all I know. It’s still very fun to me, and I still have a lot I want to accomplish with my music. The outcome of my future is what keeps me going. Slowly but surely I’ve been In places that I know I definitely deserved to be in and I feel myself always coming one step closer to where I want to be as far as “success” goes. Being that close, or at least feeling like I’m that close, keeps me going. It’s all about perspective for real. Everyone has every right to want to give up and no one can really take that away from you, but in that same breath, all you may need is a little shift in perspective. Sometimes we’re not doing as bad as we think we are and we just need a reminder of that. It’s tough! Pursuing things in the arts is TOUGH man. It can be very discouraging and very rewarding. It’s peaks and valleys for sure. Another key to this answer is reminding yourself why you got into the arts in the first place! A lot of us want to be able to make money off our art and be able to financially sustain ourselves and we get to that point and potentially lose sight of why you started creating in the first place. When your passion becomes a job, why you’re doing this can become hazy. We tend to lose sight of our initial intentions because we have other things to worry about in regards to our art. It’s all about you at the end of the day and how much you’re willing to continue. But like I said, no one can take away you wanting to quit if you really feel like you’ve exhausted everything. That’s totally fine, just make sure it’s what you want!

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 don’t ever know what to say about myself lmao. So I’m a hip hop artist/musician. I rap, produce, engineer, DJ, songwriter. All that. I used to be proud to be a jack of all trades, but the whole “jack of all trades, master of none” thing has been messing with me recently so I don’t know what I would be proud about lmao. I struggle with giving myself credit for things that I feel like I’m SUPPOSED to be doing. Like to me, I feel like I haven’t done much yet to really say “I’m proud of myself”? Not to say that I’m not.. lmao I don’t know. It’s complicated.

I basically got to where I am today by doing a lot of this stuff on my own. My first project I dropped called The Elegant Project back in 2012 I was going to the studio to record with no job. I realized very quickly that this hobby is expensive lmao. So I basically went to the university of Youtube and learned how to mix and master vocals myself. With this came a lot of trial and error, and hell I’m still learning stuff til this day, but my whole thing was why should I go to school for this and pay hella money when all this information is basically accessible to me for free!? So I didn’t go to college or anything for anything I know how to do. Production either. Pretty much self taught with help from my peers over the years. Of course it wasn’t easy because you literally have to seek the information you’re looking for on the INTERNET OF ALL PLACES instead of going to school and taking classes on specific things. Being limited in that regards can be a gift and a curse for sure. With being self taught you kind of have an OVERLOAD of information being brought to you, as opposed to school the information you’re getting is more structured.

I don’t really know what I want the world to know about my brand or my story because it’s forever growing and is far from finished haha. I’m just a guy that loves creating at the end of the day, and I just put stuff out, and if people like it and it resonates with them, that’s a bonus. Maybe that’s something I want people to know? Like you can reach success, whatever that may look like for you, and not have to compromise yourself to do so. I’m literally just a guy lmao I hope to maintain this feeling/mentality the more I get into the industry. Which I know is a dumb thing to say lmao but hey, wishful thinking. With the internet, we all have the power to move how we want to move. Advocates for independence over this way. Folks don’t necessarily need a label or “the industry” in order to be successful. We gotta be able to push that rhetoric more.

Oh and I’m answering these questions backwards as hell because I have ADHD lmao. I feel like the thing that sets me apart from others is how prolific I am. People said that, not me lmao. Honestly, ask anyone here that knows me and my catalog and they will all tell you that it seems as if I’m dropping music ALL THE TIME lmao. I do create a lot. But not only am I prolific but everything is QUALITY as well. You know, sometimes when a person drops music all the time, eventually you can start to weed out the dope stuff from the okay/subpar stuff. I feel like that doesn’t happen with me. I create in a way that’s definitely a lot, but more on the sporadic side. For example, I’ll put out my own personal album, and then I’ll produce like 2 or 3 EPs for other artists that sound NOTHING like each other, and then I’ll put a beat tape out that sounds nothing like anything I just mentioned, WHILST, engineering a project for a client. Like I don’t know. I do a LOT at the same time and it’s always high caliber work. That’s what I think sets me apart, most people are gonna choose quantity or quality over the other when I can simultaneously give y’all both while not trying. It just happens lol

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?
Okay so boom I low key don’t befriend anyone that doesn’t like tacos so we DEFINITELY gotta hit a taco spot up like The taco Bus in Norwood or Taqueria San Marcos also in Norwood (no this is not an add). If they were here on a Thursday then you know I gotta take them down to OTR to a bar called Mecca because I DJ there every Thursday and be having that thang JUMPIN (shameless plug lol). We’d probably hit a few museums if they’re into that. We have the Cincinnati Museum, the Contemporary Museum, 21C, etc. Maybe go down to the banks? Walking around downtown would honestly be lit by itself because of the scenery for real. Cincinnati is really pretty. It’s always something to do it seems like. Not so much with covid, but pre covid, oh my God there was like a show you could catch with live local music LITERALLY EVERYDAY. It’s overwhelming lmao but a good overwhelming. We’re a big music/art city for real.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Y’know, I think I want to shoutout my childhood friend Breon. I was in like the 6th or 7th grade kind of gaining my first interests in music making. I initially wanted to be a DJ and a producer. Hadn’t even thought about rapping for real. So around this time, I was known for beat boxing while the homies cyphered. I’d be in class banging on the desks or on lunch tables while people was rapping. I did that all the time. Well one day the homie Breon was like, “You should write a rap, you might be good at it” and I was like “Aight?” I went to class and literally started writing rhymes while I was supposed to be taking notes lmao. I came back the next day at lunch and showed him my rap and he was like, “Wow, that was pretty dope. You should keep going!” and I literally have been rapping ever since. So I wanna shout him out because I feel like that moment was the catalyst that basically got me to where I am now. Had that one person not spoke life into me I don’t know if I would’ve even rapped or had the courage to continue to pursue anything musically. Yeah, much love to Breon wherever he is in the world.

Website: http://devinburgessmusic.bandcamp.com

Instagram: http://instagram.com/devinburgessmusic

Twitter: http://twitter.com/d_burgessmusic

Facebook: http://facebook.com/devinburgessmusic

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCELtyt-ZfbFDxcBS8xjrCQ

Image Credits
Curtis Turner. TankShoots. Skye High. Prince