De’Wayne Jackson‘s sound is the rare kind of unique, you’ve been looking for. Hit debut EP Don’t Be Afraid, is an eclectic example that Rap and Hip-Hop haven’t been defined yet. With a backbone structure consisting of Alt Rock, R&B and soul, Don’t Be Afraid is a breath of fresh air into today’s rap scene.
Along with the release of the EP, De’Wayne Jackson shares a staggering visual by the same title, in which he takes us on a journey of his beginnings, move to Los Angeles, the struggle of trying to make it in a new place. Jackson also dwells into how it feels when he goes on stage.
The gorgeous visuals, directed by Joe Mischo and produced by Mike Lev, are an amazing juxtaposition to Jackson’s Houston upbringing surrounded by the culture of lean, and the early awakening as a young artist after his post-graduation move to Los Angeles.
“Ever since I was younger, I always knew I was a bit of an outsider, but it never really scared me from making my own type of music,” he proclaims. “I just kind of embraced it,” he adds, reminiscing on his musical tastes at the time, which consisted of listening to “a lot of J. Cole and Kendrick” in between singing in his church gospel choir.
