“Too often travel, instead of broadening the mind, merely lengthens the conversation.” – Elizabeth Drew
Atlanta born Donnis knows all too well the meaning of travel, and contrary to Elizabeth Drew’s quote, his form of conversation is rhyming on a microphone. From Japan to New York, the young troubadour is far from the “basement recording rookie.” His life experiences have not only helped him personally, but also shaped his music, which became obvious in his recent sit-down with RubyHornet. Donnis spoke on everything from his culture shock in the big apple to his upcoming mixtape with a certain streetwear heavyweight, as well as leaving the dull points at the door. Check it all out as Donnis gets under The First Look microscope.
RubyHornet: You were raised in Atlanta but recently took the move to New York –
Donnis: Yeah I moved to New York for a little while. Stayed for just about nine months out there, then came back down to Atlanta.
RubyHornet: Why did you choose to take your music and yourself up to the “Big Apple”?
Donnis: Man, I think my sound, clearly from my voice, is down south. I’m from the south, but I think with the music I’ve kind of got a northern kind of spit. It’s a little different than what’s going on down in Atlanta right now, so I felt like New York would probably be a better outlet ‘til my home caught on (laughs). You know, sometimes we’re a little late on things, so for that reason and because right now the trap runs Atlanta. If you’re not a dope boy they don’t wanna hear what you’re saying or if you don’t got a new dance (laughs).
RubyHornet: At the same time Atlanta has just as many, if not more opportunities as New York in terms of the music business.
Donnis: Yeah that’s why I’m back there now. So many people have moved down there. Like now on the mixtape I’m working with the J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, Cannon, Tha Bizness in Atlanta. So I’m working with a lot of people right now because they hear what I’m doing and they want to be a part of it, it’s kind of like a revolution. I think people are getting tired of hearing about the trap, you know when everybody is selling drugs then it starts to get a little sketchy (laughs).
RubyHornet: Was the industry side of music easier in New York, and what was the response like from artists out there that you better related to?
Donnis: It was easier in New York because you just move around freely. When I first moved to New York it was kind of like a culture shock. I lived in Tokyo, but Tokyo is nothing like New York, it’s crazy. I had to adjust and I think I was a little nicer than everybody else (laughs) cause they was looking at me like I was crazy so I had to be mean a little bit. As far as response from other artists, it was good man, running into [Kid] Cudi and Mickey Factz and all those kids up there. It’s definitely a movement so it’s really cool to get that love.
RubyHornet: When you went to New York did people really see you as that southern artist or did you blend in more with like you said Kid Cudi and Mickey Factz?
Donnis: I think I kind of blended in in New York. I mean, when you hear me talk I’m clearly not from New York, but like dressing wise I try to stay fashion forward and things that people don’t really expect from the south because when they see the south we’ve got on 4XL black tees and doin’ all that, but I think I blended into [New York] until I talked (laughs).
RubyHornet: You obviously were able to get a lot done while up in New York. How was the response when you came back down south?
Donnis: It was better. People see that I’m home and I’m not playin’. We came to win and we’re gonna do it one way or another. So it’s like, why not embrace it? Like I told you, a lot of people are moving down there from everywhere and they’re like, ‘oh this is cool this is the new sound from Atlanta!’
RubyHornet: You mentioned you were in Tokyo for awhile. What were you doing across seas?
Donnis: I was in Tokyo for like two and a half years and I was a photographer. I was doing the music too, but I was in the military for awhile so that’s why I was over there. I did four years in the military and I was active duty. I was trying not to end up dead or get shot you know (laughs).
RubyHornet: Although we’ve talked about New York and Tokyo you are no stranger to Chicago because of your bond with Million $ Mano. How much music have you done with him?
Donnis: Yeah, we did some tracks together and some other stuff. Mano kind of brought me out here for the first time about three years ago. He had heard me from the URB 100 and everybody kept on tellin’ him ‘there’s this kid that looks like you.’ He found me and liked the music so we’ve been running ever since, getting the Chicago love.
RubyHornet: None of the music has really been release yet, correct?
Donnis: Yeah, not really. You know Mano will spin it, and Timbuck2 will spin it, but we’ve never done proper releasing of it because my internet buzz is getting just right where it needs to be. He did do that “Jockin’” joint though that we had. The rest will probably be released really soon.
RubyHornet: Artistically, which region do you feel the most at place in? You said you’ve settled down back in Atlanta but your style has such a large audience in places like New York and Chicago.
Donnis: I feel like my music has become kind of worldly so I wouldn’t say that it’s in a real region. But at the end of the day I think the first thing they gonna say is the south because of the twang I’ve got, so I guess you can call it the new south but still reminiscent of the Dungeon Family, Outkast, Goodie Mob, and when the south was really strong to me.
RubyHornet: Let’s get into your actual releases; you have a mixtape that will tentatively be seeing an August release?
Donnis: Yeah, I got a mixtape coming out July 22nd or the first week of August which me and Mick Boogie and DJ Benzi are doing. I’ve got a big sponsor that I can’t really speak on but it’s gonna be huge. The last artists’ the sponsor has done it with have signed big deals. So I’m ready (laughs), I’m good. I think a lot of people are gonna hear it and they’re gonna be like, ‘Yo what is this?’ Like, I’ve grown so much within traveling and working. Being in Altanta now, I’ve recorded literally almost every day and getting it in with the big producers and not having that ego and being like, ‘I’ll rap like this, do this!’ I’ve been learning a lot so it’s gonna be a big problem for people, it’s about to be a problem (laughs)…That first Snack Pack people we’re just wanting to label everybody and calling people hipsters, but we came out with that and people were like, ‘Oh s**t Donnis can rap! What’s goin’ on?’ With this new mixtape it’s not like I’m taking a Kanye beat and rapping over it like I did with the Snack Pack, it’s like full Donnis songs. Nobody else’s beats, these are my beats, I went to J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League and to other people and we created these, these are full songs. So this is an album that’s a mixtape, so it’s exciting and I don’t think nobody has really done that yet. It’s a free album to let you know what’s coming. Right now it’s tentatively titled Prelude to a Dream and it’s just like, everybody got a dream and there are certain things that you want. For me, it’s like I chose my own path, I graduated high school and went into the military, I tried college and it wasn’t for me. It’s about me trying to find out who I am and do what I want to do. I’m not rich in any shape or form, but I’ve been everywhere and I’ve done a few things special, but at the end of the day I’m just a kid with a dream. I don’t see what you see and you don’t see what I see.
RubyHornet: You mentioned your Snack Pack series, which were really successful digital EPs, how do you think the Snack Pack series has been received so far?
Donnis: Snack Pack has been good. You know we did one every week and we’ve got one coming out next week. It was just a way to kind of build up to the mixtape so people know what we’re releasing and how songs are coming every week. I think they were received very well, every time we dropped it we’d get more downloads and more views and it’s exciting.
RubyHornet: You’re bringing a new diversity from the south to Hip Hop that has only been seen recently by artists like Jay Electronica. Where do you think the future will be with acts like yourself rising to dominance?
Donnis: Hip Hop is international and I feel like it will have a worldly sound. I learned from UGK and Outkast and Goodie Mob, so it’s like I take all that stuff from the south and then I just put it into what I do. It’s like people expect one thing from the south, they expect one of two things, which is dancing or selling drugs with the exception of acts like Dungeon Family and what Jay Electronica is doing now. So to talk about the future, it’s like we’re giving kids another option. My parents didn’t always have things but I’m not gonna say I’m from the grimiest hood or nothing. There are other avenues; you don’t have to sell drugs to tell a story. Everybody got a story, everybody got a story.
RubyHornet: But the real success to it is that the fans are accepting that everyone has their own story and people are getting bored of the “format” of Hip Hop.
Donnis: Exactly! But honestly, like I can’t tell you Jeezy’s story, I can’t tell you what he’s going for (laughs), I can only tell you mine. I think fans can tell the real from the fake. For me, I can tell when a real gangster rapper dude is doing it. My favorite rapper was Shyne, and he was ill because he’d just be rapping and he wouldn’t even rhyme, he’d just be like, ‘I sold cocaine, I had sex with this b***h.’ I love that too because I can tell that he’s genuine. I know firsthand that Jeezy is for real. It might not have been happening when he was working on the album but it definitely happened, people he was around with and that whole BMF movement was really doing these things. They had Atlanta on lock, they were making it rain in the club. I’ve been in the club and in the VIP with them and watched them buy 14 bottles of champagne and really make it rain.
RubyHornet: That image of Jeezy is fairly obvious, but yours on the other hand, is not. Do you believe in evolving your sound at an early stage in your career to create that distinct image?
Donnis: Oh yeah. A lot of people know me for more party music, but with this new mixtape, I promise there will be something for everybody. Like me and Cannon got a record called, “Oh Yeah” that’s a straight party record and some real cool s**t that you can two step to. But J.U.S.T.I.C.E. league got some big ass epic records on there and that leads to the joint with Bun B called “Country Cool”, which is really reminiscent of back when T.I. dropped “24’s” We’re just trying to make sure we got all the bases covered so nobody can say nothing besides, “Donnis is dope!”
RubyHornet: Alright, we know what you think the people will establish Donnis as in their minds, but what do you truly want to establish with yourself?
Donnis: I’m trying to establish myself as a prominent player in this game and I know it’s coming. I’m just trying to give dope music to everybody and make my momma proud (laughs). It’s so weird to me to know that I don’t have a record deal but I’ve got a shoe deal. When in the game has this happened? To be from the south and being the first to really do this kind of music is great. And what I’ve learned from that is that everything is possible, it’s all possible man. It’s just when you want to go and how you want to do it and not giving up.
