Dru Bex
Dru Bex | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Dennis Dreau Beckles Dunkley |
| Born | April 25, 1982 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Genres | Christian hip hop |
| Occupation(s) | Rapper, record producer |
| Years active | 2010–present |
| Labels | Role Model Records, independent |
| Associated acts | Alex Faith, Promise (rapper), Dre Murray, Social Club Misfits, Sean C. Johnson |
| Website | drubex |
Dennis Dunkley, better known by his stage name Dru Bex, (born April 25, 1982) is a Canadian Christian hip hop artist and record producer. He was signed to independent Toronto, Ontario, Canada based record label Role Model Records, which received marketing support from RMG Amplify, the label services arm of Nashville, Tennessee based Reflection Music Group. In 2018, after releasing two commercial projects - The Good Album (2017), and In God's Good Time (2018), he announced that he satisfied his project requirements and would no longer publish releases through the label but will instead release music independently[1].
Life and career[edit]
Early Life[edit]
Dennis Dunkley was born and raised in Toronto,Ontario,Canada. His mother was of Afro-Trinidadian, Bajan, and native Venezuelan roots and his father is Jamaican. At the age of 7, his mother died tragically in a car accident.[2]
Music was always a big part of a Dunkley’s upbringing. His mother would perform karaoke at home and sing around the house. While having never received formal training, Dunkley found that he always had an ear for melody and harmony. This was further developed when he started singing in his church choir. A church talent show is where Dunkley discovered his penchant for rapping. With a few friends from church, he formed the group Christyle and began performing at various local churches.[3] During this time, he would often cross paths with local artists such as Manafest, Promise (rapper), and Aion Clarke among others. Ultimately, the other members of Christyle pursued different paths while Dunkley continued with music.
Early Music Career (2010-2013)[edit]
Shortly after Christyle disbanded, Dunkley released his first independent album entitled Different in 2010. The project featured local rapper Promise (rapper) and included production from Boi-1da on a song called Trapped in the Basement. The album received mixed reviews.
After continuing to work the local Toronto Christian hip hop scene as a solo artist, Dunkley took a hiatus in 2011 to begin focusing on producing, trying to break into the emerging Toronto mainstream hip-hop scene. His personal convictions regarding his faith brought him back to Christian hip hop.
In 2012, Dunkley started reaching out to the Christian hip hop community and connecting with other producers and artists through social media. His earliest collaborations included Alex Faith and Brvndon P (formerly known as Black Knight) on the song, Whole Lotta Trouble, the Tone Jonez produced Murder in the Name of Love (M.I.T.N.O.L.), and the Tee-Wyla produced Tell ‘Em, featuring Social Club Misfits. All songs later appeared on Dunkley’s 2013 EP Nowhere to Now Here.[4] The exposure of these singles on notable Christian hip-hop sites Rapzilla[5] and Jam the Hype, as well as Dunkley’s subsequent EP release, caught the attention of Sola Ogunbitan, CEO of Role Model Records.
Role Model Records (2014-present)[edit]
Dunkley signed with Toronto based Role Model Records in 2014.[6] Shortly after, he released his self produced single, The Motivation. On April 24, 2015, Dunkley released the EP, Imperfect Messenger. The project featured notable Christian hip hop artist Dre Murray on the title track.[7] The project marked the beginning of Dunkley’s collaboration with Jeremy Rodney-Hall and recording engineer Adam J. Pondang.
In February 2016, Dunkley released the mixtape entitled 6 Luv. Later in August of 2016, Dunkley was part of a collaborative EP with Role Model Records’ label mates Shopé, Juliet Oh, and DJ Lagit entitled The Future Looks Bright.
On August 18, 2017, Dunkley released the single Running Man. The single was very well received and marked a turning point in his career, solidifying his signature sound and melodic rap style. This sound would later be heard on his debut commercially released album, The Good Album. The Good Album was released on March 31, 2017 and featured many notable collaborations, including Ty Brasel, S.O., Sean C. Johnson, and Beleaf. The album was critically acclaimed and reached #33 on the iTunes Hip-Hop charts.[8] The album was followed up with the singles Gamez and Winter in July released on May 31, 2017 and July 24, 2017 respectively. Both singles served to further cement Dunkley as a force in the Christian hip hop genre.
On October 23, 2017 it was announced that Role Model Records had entered into a marketing and distribution deal with RMG Amplify, a division of Nashville, Tennessee based label Reflection Music Group with distribution through Empire Distribution.[9] Dunkley’s first release of this new deal was Actually, which was released on October 19, 2017. On May 25, 2018, Dunkley released his sophomore album In God’s Good Time which was released through Role Model Records and RMG Amplify.[10] The project featured collaborations that included Roy Tosh, Mission, Phil J., Hyper Fenton, Quinten Coblentz, and Shopé. In God's Good Time also featured two notable singles - Gotta Go featuring Austin female rapper Wande and producer Jeremy Rodney-Hall and Midnight in Miami featuring Zauntee.
On June 27, 2018, he announced that he satisfied his project requirements and would no longer publish releases through Role Model Records to explore other opportunities[11].
Discography[edit]
"Albums"
- "In God's Good Time" (2018)
- "The Good Album" (2017)
"Singles"
- "Actually" (October 2017)
- "Winter in July" (July 2017)
- "Gamez" (May 2017)
References[edit]
- ↑ "Dru Bex on Leaving His Label & Differences Between Canada and U.S." rapzilla.com.
- ↑ "Dru Bex | Toronto-Based Hip Hop Artist". drubex.ca.
- ↑ "Dru Bex | Toronto-Based Hip Hop Artist". drubex.ca.
- ↑ "Dru Bex 'Nowhere to Now Here' Album Cover, Release Date, & Production Credits Announcement". Jam the Hype. 12 October 2013. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
- ↑ "Dru Bex - Nowhere To Now Here - Rapzilla". rapzilla.com. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
- ↑ "NEWS: Role Model Records signs Dru Bex | Role Model Records". rolemodelrecords.ca.
- ↑ "Imperfect Messenger". Amazon Music. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
- ↑ "What fans are saying about 'The Good Album' | Role Model Records". rolemodelrecords.ca. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
- ↑ "Role Model Records - New RMG Amplify Partnership". Reflection Music Group. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
- ↑ "Dru Bex Releases 'In God's Good Time'; Listen Now". rapzilla.com. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
- ↑ "DRU BEX says goodbye to Role Model Records". BigBigHit. 27 June 2018.
External links[edit]
- Official website
- Dru Bex on Facebook
- Dru Bex on TwitterLua error in Module:WikidataCheck at line 23: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
- Dru BexLua error in Module:WikidataCheck at line 23: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). discography at MusicBrainz
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