RH First Look: D. Black
D. Black came up in a musical family. Both his mother and father were member of the Emerald Street Boys and Girls, Seattle's first Hip Hop crew. The music took permanent residence in D. Black's heart, and at the young age of 14, he went under the guidance of Seattle's Vitamin D. and later Jake One. When asked about his relationship with D. Black, Jake One, who featured D. Black on his own LP White Van Music, describes D as his little brother that he didn't necessarily want to listen to who then became the little brother who couldn't be ignored. Any reluctance Jake had about putting D. Black on the album quickly disappeared after DJ Premier and others would ask the Seattle beatsmith, 'yo, who is that kid on the track "God Like".
With last month's release of his sophomore album, Ali' Yah, Damien Black caught our attention as well. The album's title is Hebrew for "ascend", and as Jews know, and Black explains, the word "is used when a Jew migrates back to the Holy land (Jerusalem) or when one is called up to read from the Torah," he tells us. "In a sense they are ascending to commit a very Holy act, both in the physical and spiritual...Ali’Yah is a reflection of my heart and nature just as the “Torah” is a reflection of G-d’s Heart and essence." Our own Ashydakid goes heart to heart with D. Black in this week's edition of RH First Look. Check it out below.
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