Today we’d like to introduce you to David Thomas.
Hi David, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My name is David. I’m a Broward County native and an independent hip hop recording artist, affectionately known as “DT” but professionally known by my stage name “JUSTCALLMEDT”. (Pronounced, “Just-call-me-DT”.)
I’ve always been a creative spirit. I draw, paint, write, and dabble in graphic design, however making music has been a passion of mine since the age of 14, when I wrote my first rap after a childhood friend bet that I couldn’t.
During my teenage years, I had dreams and aspirations of becoming a famous rapper one day. I attended Deerfield Beach High and even started to make a name for myself around the school from winning multiple cafeteria rap battles during lunch. I even competed in a battle against notable South Florida rapper “Ace Hood”, who at the time was my fellow football teammate.
As time passed, during one of the most difficult times of my life, I would eventually realize my dreams of rap stardom were vain and shallow as I started to get closer to God in my early 20’s.
Although I was very passionate about making music, I found that my entire identity was engulfed in it. So much so, that I didn’t truly know who I was outside of it. I had to learn that music is what I do, it’s not who I am. I eventually put music aside for almost seven years while I developed a closer relationship with myself and God.
It wasn’t until 2017 that I was mentally and spiritually ready to use my creative gifts in a way that would not allow me to lose myself in the music industry, but rather to use my gifts to exalt the one that gave them to me in the first place.
Since then I’ve had the opportunity to write original music for a local stage play called, “A Leap of Faith” back in 2017. I released my first official single entitled “Testify” on all streaming platforms back in 2018. The song was a lyrical testament of my spiritual growth and featured my close friend and fellow artist “Prof. Biz”.
In 2019 I saw breakout success with the release of my singles “Overtime”, “Overtime Remix”, “Rinse Cycle”, “GO”, and “MIND RIGHT” which amassed over 354,332 combined streams. This garnered attention from Christian Hip-Hop media outlet “Rapzilla”, and put me in the conversation as a nominee for their 2019 Freshman list for upcoming artists to watch.
2020 was a very difficult year. With all the civil unrest across the country in combination with the pandemic, I found myself in a bleak head space creatively. Eventually it would be my music that would allow me to channel and vent my frustrations in the form of songs. I would go on to release a record called “Gambling” which illustrated the risks of daily life as an African American in the U.S. I then went on to release similar singles such as “Retrograde”, “Breathe”, and “1am in Broward” which all provide introspective accounts of the things I witnessed, experienced, and felt during that year. Although I was not as musically active as I was in 2019, I saw my streams double year over year and was deemed “2020 Rookie of the Year” by Christian Hip-Hop media outlet “FiveTwenty Collective”.
My latest single is entitled “TAKE FLIGHT”. It was created with the intent to be a reminder for us not to be controlled by Fear. 2020 was a year unlike any other and it was filled with multiple reasons for us to be afraid. “TAKE FLIGHT” is about elevating beyond the notion of those fears, having faith, and Trusting in God as well as in our God given abilities as we face whatever obstacles come our way. It was released on July 30th and currently has accumulated over 13,000 streams.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Being an independent artist is absolutely challenging because everything falls on you. It requires not only cultivating your creative gifts but also learning the business side of music and mastering the art of branding and strategic marketing. All of which costs money!
This independent journey has taught me a valuable lesson. That is, “If ever you lack resources, learn to be resourceful”. I save money by designing all my content, my cover Art, and even editing my own music videos.
Besides the aforementioned challenges, my greatest obstacle was discovering my identity outside of music. Understanding that I am more than the music I make. Understanding that I hold more value than my gifts.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Stylistically, I’ve started to become known for my balance of Motivational Trap Bangers, and Soulful, self-reflective freestyles.
While my music is Christ centered, it is still a transparent reflection of my life experiences and daily struggles.
My lyrics are written to intentionally provide positive messages that are sure to motivate, encourage, comfort and even challenge those who listen.
Independently, my music has accumulated over 400,000 streams across Spotify and Apple Music and has been featured on Notable Spotify Editorial Playlists such as “The Flow”, “New Music Friday”, and “Flow Fast 20”.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I feel that any artist, musician, or creative does themselves a disservice if they are NOT taking any risks with their creativity.
There is no growth or originality from doing what everyone else does or sticking to what “works”.
Art should always be a personal expression. We can absolutely be inspired by other creatives, but what we create should always have our own Touch, fingerprint, or DNA ingrained into it.
Some of the most influential artists of our time have been the biggest creative risk takers, known for pushing the boundaries of music. This will always be the case.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://linktr.ee/justcallme_dt
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justcallme_dt/
- Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/justcallme_dt
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCa1YnKPy0IC0PJavf8ch4Pw
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.app.goo.gl/stoEs692x6yZEzLz9
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Image Credits
Drika Will (Drika’s Lens Photography)
