Exclusive Sit-Down With Upcoming Artist “D21”

Here at Billboards’ Hip-Hop branch, we love discovering new and fresh talent whenever it comes our way. Today, we are introducing San Diego Californias very own “D21.”

With over 2,000,000 streams on SoundCloud and 100,000 on Spotify — there is no doubt he is making waves with his sound. We had a chance to sit down with D21 and find out a bit more in terms of what is behind the artist and his music. 

Let’s get right into it!

What is your stage name?

I go by D21.

When were you born?

Straight out of San Diego, California!

Where are you from?

Originally from Seattle.

What would you say the purpose of your music is?

To try & enlighten positivity into this world given the tragic events that have been going on for the last few years with Covid starting it. I just want to give people something to fall back on to make them feel good by listening to my music. It will get their spirits high & boost their confidence.

Everybody’s got their own type of thing going on, what makes your music stand out? 

The illest flows, the illest rhymes, the illest artist you’ll ever here. I’m just a man of many talents. I can do any genre whether it’s r&b or hip hop. That’s part of my versatility in my music where I get to be myself and express my emotions on every song I release.

How long have you been in the music industry?

7 years going on 8. 2015 was the start of my musical journey & I’m thankful for the people who supported me from day 1 to get to where I am today. 

What’s your opinion on the rap scene at the moment? 

Too much violence. Lots of people have lost their lives because of it. Aside from that it’s been solid with a lot of artists putting in the work and doing well just like I’m doing right now.

Who or what was your inspiration to do what you do now?

Travis Scott. His energy is amazing and I make music because of him. If it wasn’t for Travis Scott, I wouldn’t be rapping right now. I feel like I have a similar energy to him in everything I do musically. I’m inspired by him every single day and that drives me to this day, to be the best rapper I can be and the best version of myself. 

What are some of your some of your milestones so far?

I’ve stacked up over 2 million total plays on SoundCloud, had songs placed on Spotify and Apple Music playlists plus many more to come. Also have over 100K Spotify plays all time. Had some articles about my song and getting to know me as an artist.

Where do you see yourself in the future with your artistry?

Selling out every show and arena to max capacity. Getting paid over a million dollars to do what I truly love to do. Having the number one song/record and being a Grammy nominated rapper.

With so many young kids trying to start a music career, what would be your advice to them?

I’d tell those kids to keep pushing. Don’t let anybody tell you you can’t do it. 

Out of all your songs, which one is your favorite and why?

Space Needle. The vibe and the energy in the song gives me great joy knowing where I’m from and how far I came to get to the point where I’m ready to go to the next level.

If you had to pick 3 artists to make an album with, who would you work with?

Drake, Travis Scott and Future. Those 3 have the energy that I have and their style and flow matches me. I think it’s a match made in heaven making a record with those 3 talented rappers. 

How is your recording process like? What’s the ideal vibe?

Depends on the day and time. If it’s a day where it’s a chill vibe, I go R&B to slow things down a little bit. If it’s a day where I have a lot of energy I go in and rap to get something off my chest. That’s how I roll when im recording. I usually aim for 15-20 mins for a 3-4 min song and 5-10 mins for a 2 min song. 

What is your dream collaboration?

Travis Scott and Drake. Their personalities and energy are on another level and I fit right in because those 2 are my inspirations and I look up to them. Doing a song with them would mean the world to me.

Their hard work and dedication to their craft inspires me to be like them.

Anything else we should know about you?

I will be dropping my FIRST music video very soon. Stay tuned for that!

Thank you for your time, D21. Everybody be sure to stay up to date with everything he has going on by checking out all of his socials/platforms below.