Hailing from the South side of Chicago, ImJustDane is a multi-talented rapper and songwriter who has risen from the ashes and built an audience from the ground up, displaying rare talent and true emotion which you may have been missing from your daily playlist. He grew up on the South side of Chicago, IL with 3 older siblings and a single mother. After all these hard times, he never gave up but rather he built an empire from the ground up. His main motivation these days is not having his kids experience that same trauma he went through early on in life. 

Life is something that is truly fun with ups and downs. The only thing constant is change, and music always shown us that. It always has the songs we need when we’re down that fit, that somber feeling we may be having, but it also can bring a sound that feels good to hear, as it’s the soundtrack to you beating the odds. ImJustDane makes you feel on top of the world on his new uplifting song “Like I Do”. The production has a colorful Pop and Hip Hop infused sound to it, as ImJustDane lyrically takes us through his journey in a real way. His high energy signature flow shines more than ever, as you can hear the underlying hunger in his voice that gives the song its extra level of soul. 

Listen to ImJustDane recent track “Like I Do” on Spotify:

 

Hi there, welcome to Honk Magazine. Thank you so much for taking out time to respond to us. To kick things off, Can you tell our readers about what really inspired you to write music?

ImJustDane – My music is majorly inspired by my real life experiences. Every trial and tribulation I’ve had. There are also some R&B/Pop artists that inspired me as a kid both past and present. To name two of the biggest ones off the top of my head I think of Michael Jackson first. He made me want to be an artist watching him razzle and dazzle audiences all over the world inspired me to branch out from choir singing because I have a church background to make songs of my own. If I’m keeping it a thousand though Usher was probably the biggest influence on me artistically as I learned probably every word to every early song of his and mimicked him a lot in my younger years. 

 

When did you realize you were going to make music professionally?

ImJustDane – In 2018! I had been doing jobs and trying things out to get by but always coming back to music and messing around but one day it just clicked and I say I’m all in on this because this is what i’m supposed to be doing. I’ve never been one to grab a regular 9-5 and just work 50-55 years of my life away. Not that there’s anything wrong with that it’s just not for me. I want something more, something I can call my own and look back and be proud of.

 

Tell us what is so unique about you and your music?

ImJustDane – My sound is unlike anything you’ve heard because it’s a blend of old and new school. I’m not trying to be a rapper. I actually can sing and I’m proud of myself for having great vocal ability along with hypnotizing melodies and catchy lyrics. I have spent years alongside my production partner in crime “Slim Duckey” perfecting my sound and I think we’ve finally reached a level of something special.

 

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

ImJustDane – Well that was being in a group with 3 unmotivated friends in high school.  Rich kids that just wanted to say they made music. Me being the poorest of the group and passionate about the music i.e “Church background/Choir boy” either you go hard or you go home. The major lesson I learned there is it’s better to go solo then put your future and career in other people’s hands. Funniest thing about that is I wrote all the music for the whole group lol.

 

Can you tell us about your latest releases and what inspired you to create them?

ImJustDane – Actually I have 3 recent tracks namely: Extraordinary, Like I Do & That One.  

On “Extraordinary” I collaborated with producer “Retrospekt” on this introspective record talking about the tough times in life we all go through via ballad type singing. It manifested itself into the amazing record I released. Fun fact: I started writing the chorus as I was going to perform at the country fair in Pomona, CA. I was vibing that much with the beat I had to get the words out.

Then there is “Like I Do”, probably lyrically one of my strongest records to date and heartfelt as I was really having a conversation with myself. I was going through a transition in life with friends and loved ones that just did a lot of damage to me that externally no one could see but internally I felt deeply so I wrote about breaking free of that. 

And finally “That One” co-written by friends and writing partner Lamorse Compton.  Really this song came out of an amazing studio session where we vibed and got the chorus one night, then I sat with it and added my flavor to it on the verse and bridge another night. Lamor wrote the hook and performed the reference for me to go in and kill it and that’s what I did.

 

Can you give us a brief insight about your upcoming projects?

ImJustDane – Two come to mind that I want to shed more light on. On the 12th of September, 2022, I’m releasing a new single titled “Chicago Cold ” that’s an amazing record on the plight of transplants from Chicago to L.A and how that goes. Then my upcoming album release party on the 8th of January, 2023 for my 4 album DaneJerus & Beautiful and then I’m hitting the road on a tour.

 

What do you wish you were told when you first started making music that you think would help artists just starting out?

ImJustDane – Always going with what you feel is right.  Everyone has advice on what you should do but they’ve never done it. They want to tell you how you should be out here moving but the best person to tell you that is you. I wish I would have listened to me more than trying to please everyone around me cause it always set me back more than pushed me forward. I would tell any artist getting in this field to go with your gut and mainly stay consistent on your own pace.

 

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

ImJustDane – Like I was saying earlier, go at your own pace. We live in a society nowadays of instant gratification and everything at our fingertips. Artists get overwhelmed with staying relevant and not losing they’re audience. But what is for you will never pass you by and I truly believe that. If you love something you’d do it for free if you never got paid so really you couldn’t get too burnt out on something you’re extremely passionate about. Break though you will need them.

 

What do you do when you don’t do music (creative or otherwise) and that you are passionate about?

ImJustDane – I like to hoop & workout and meditate. Mind, body & spirit keeps me balanced.

 

Any last piece of advice for those artists who just started making music?

ImJustDane – Yes, you’re going to have the people closest to you tell you that you can’t do this and you should quit and get a real job. Don’t listen to people who gave up on their dreams telling you to give up on yours.  The surprising thing is when you keep going things tend to just fall in your lap if you’re consistent enough.

 

How can our readers follow you online?

ImJustDane – You can all follow me on all social media platforms, mainly on;

Instagram – @imjustdane and

Tik-Tok for fun & lifestyle @imjust_dane.

You can also go to my website imjustdane.com and subscribe by leaving their emails.