Today we’d like to introduce you to Don Mistrezz.
Hi Don, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’m Don Mistrezz, one of the rising female rappers coming out of Lynn, and everything I built came from the bottom. Nothing about my journey was easy. I’ve been through pain, loss, struggle, survival, and moments where life could’ve completely broken me, but I never allowed it to. In late 2019 going into 2021, I was fighting a serious trial and honestly didn’t know which way life was about to go. Seeing my Aunt Crystal, who helped raise me, crying in the courtroom while I was being taken away, and watching my mother walk out in tears, made everything feel real. During that time, my late grandmother Ella Mae Johnson stayed praying with me over jail calls and constantly reminded me to never stop, keep praying, keep my faith strong, never lose hope, and always carry myself as a high-value woman no matter what I faced.
When I finally came home, life hit me even harder. My grandmother had passed away, and after that my family lost everything in a devastating house fire. We had to rebuild from nothing. Through all the grief and trauma, music became my way to cope. Music became my therapy. I still completed an album while carrying all that pain inside me because quitting was never an option. I’ve hustled, survived the streets, lost a lot of people throughout the years, and funerals started becoming something that felt too regular in my life. A lot of situations could’ve turned me bitter or destroyed my future, but instead I turned my pain into ambition. Today, I’m the CEO of ESW RECORDS, I’m building multiple investments, pursuing my college degrees, raising my child, and continuing to grow my music career from Massachusetts all the way into the Tri-State area.
One of the accomplishments closest to my heart is launching the ELLA MAE JOHNSON NONPROFIT FOUNDATION in honor of my late grandmother. The foundation focuses on helping local families, supporting the homeless, giving back to churches, bringing awareness to mental health, and especially being there for the children in the community who need guidance, love, and support. Everything I do is bigger than music for me. I represent resilience, growth, leadership, and showing people that your past does not define your future. I wear a lot of hats in life — artist, CEO, student, mother, entrepreneur, and community leader — but I handle it all with poise, strength, and determination like a true boss lady should. My ancestors keep me guided through it all, and every step I take is for the people who believed in me before the world knew my name.
FROM THE TRENCHES TO RICHES- DON MISTREZZ
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Growing up around struggle, loss, survival, and seeing so many people lose themselves to the streets made me realize early that I wanted more for myself and my family. There were times I had to hustle just to survive, times where I doubted myself, and moments where people counted me out completely. On top of that, balancing motherhood, college, business, community work, and a growing music career all at once comes with pressure people don’t always see behind the scenes. But every challenge taught me resilience, discipline, and how to move with purpose.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m Don Mistrezz, a recording artist, entrepreneur, and CEO of ESW RECORDS. My work is centered around music, storytelling, and building a brand that reflects real-life experiences—pain, growth, survival, and elevation. I specialize in rap and storytelling through music that comes from a very personal place. Everything I create is rooted in authenticity, so people don’t just hear my music—they feel it. I’m known for turning real-life struggle into motivation, and for representing where I’m from, Lynn, in a way that’s raw, unfiltered, and honest.
What I’m most proud of is the fact that I didn’t let my circumstances define me. I built my career from the ground up while dealing with real-life obstacles that could’ve easily stopped me. I’m also proud of launching the ELLA MAE JOHNSON NONPROFIT FOUNDATION in honor of my late grandmother. That foundation is very personal to me—it allows me to give back to local families, support the homeless, uplift children in the community, assist churches, and bring awareness to mental health. It’s bigger than music for me; it’s about impact.
What sets me apart from others is my real-life experience and my mindset. I don’t just rap about success—I rap about survival, healing, loss, and rebuilding from nothing. I’ve lived through legal battles, grief, losing my grandmother, rebuilding after a house fire, and still managing to stay focused on my purpose. On top of that, I balance being a mother, a student, a business owner, and a community leader all at once. I move with purpose, discipline, and faith. My story isn’t polished—it’s real—and that’s what makes my voice different and my journey relatable to people who come from similar environments but still want more for themselves.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
What I like best about Lynn is the resilience and culture of the people. There’s a real hustle energy here—people come from different backgrounds, but everybody knows what it means to work for something and push through struggle. I also love that Lynn has heart. Even with everything people go through, there’s still creativity, pride, and community support that shows up in different ways. It shaped me as an artist and as a person, because you can’t grow up here and not learn how to survive, adapt, and stay strong mentally.
What I like least is that sometimes the city doesn’t always get the resources, opportunities, or recognition it deserves. There’s a lot of talent here—artists, entrepreneurs, young leaders—but not always enough platforms or support systems to fully elevate that potential. You also see how struggle can limit people’s mindset if they don’t get the right guidance early on.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/donmistrezz?igsh=Y2EyZmwyYzl3Z2lo&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1Ej7ANzej9/?mibextid=wwXIfr
