How long has music been a part of your life? How did it all start for you? 

Music has always played a big role in my life from the days of ridin around with my mom blastin our favorite artists, when I was a child, to spittin random freestyles with friends. I felt like music was a tool I could use to fully express myself which stemmed from being around my musically talented friends. Music really began to pique my interest when people close to me started to gain a little traction in the industry. At that point I had the “if they can do it, so can I” mentality. 

What is your most powerful skill when it comes to rapping? 

Many people will tell you it’s my flow for sure. I spent countless hours in the studio perfecting my flow although it’s still not 100% where I want it to be. To me, an artist’s flow is the most important aspect of the song and it’s all about finding that pocket. Once you find that certain pocket in the beat, you could honestly say just about anything, and it will sound great. 

In what way do you aim to make a difference in urban culture? 

I plan to put my people on game with how to win in life. African Americans have always gotten the short end of the stick in this country. Not only that, but we were also brought here against our will to build something for someone else. They don’t like to give us the “life hacks” such as investing in stocks, how to pay little to no taxes, or how to get ahead in life in general. I want to even the playing field as best as I can and that’s what I aim to do. That’s why I talk about stocks and “money moves” in my music. I want my people to realize there’s more to life than waking up, going to their 9-5, and going home to sleep. 

How do you put words on paper? What is your creative process like?

I normally use the notes app on the iPhone. I tried to write in a notebook when I began to take music seriously, but it ended up being a page full of crossed out phrases and that was annoying. Most of the time I’ll shuffle through a catalog of instrumentals I rock with, then get to work off the random. Other times I’ll be on a trip or something crazy happened and I’m like “I need to put this in a song” or “I need to make an entire song about this”. So, I’ll write down what happened or what I did that day(s), find an instrumental when I’m free, then get the process going. It always depends on my mood.

Are you more of a recording artist or performer, or both?

As of right now I’m more of a recording artist, but that’s only because I haven’t performed live yet. When I do perform live, I feel like I’ll transition to being more of a performer than a recording artist and that’s because I feed off the energy off others. When I’m at parties, I’m usually one of the most lit people there. I’m always trying to get people hype and in their zone. I feel that if I applied the same concept to performing my music, I could be one of the best performers ever. 

How do you see your sound evolving in the next coming years? 

I see myself still working on trap beats because those are what fit me best right now personally; however, I’ve grown accustomed to the Detroit sound. Once I have enough music out, don’t be surprised if you hear a majority of trap and Detroit instrumentals.

If you could collaborate with any artist, who would it be and why?

Money Man easily because he is changing the game right now and is currently doing what I referred to in question 3 which is putting people on game. Money Man always talks that talk and between crypto and stocks, he’s put a lot of people on. Getting on a song with him would do wonders. 

Your EP Dolce is incredibly original, well performed and in many ways inspiring. If you had to describe in just a couple of words, what would you share? 

DOLCE was mainly about me being me and introducing people to DOGAN. Many people know Derrick, but they don’t know Dogan, and Dolce was a way of getting myself and my name out there. I’ve got plenty more to come though, stay tuned.

Follow Dogan: Instagram – Spotify – Twitter