Let’s face it, fame and popularity is hard to acquire these days, especially when it comes to the music and entertainment industry. When you think of popular mainstream artists, how do you think they got to where they are right now? Blood, sweat and tears I suppose? But there are other ways of finding fame and fortune (and I don’t mean strumming a guitar whilst sitting in a tube station, on the London Underground).
The internet playground that is known as YouTube! From comedy sketches to music videos and many more are available worldwide- unless of course you live in China. Hmm, awkward. But what I really want to focus on is the success of music artists, who are actually unsigned, and have made it off of their own money, their own time and their own video camera.
Let’s assume that you as the reader don’t know how YouTube works. Just imagine, you’re a nobody, a nobody with a dream; to accumulate enough channel views and subscribers, it’s your job to entertain the world. Even if that means being completely open about your life, and distributing your music for free! Fast forward to 100,000 subscribers or better yet 1 million subscribers! YouTube will then personally contact you, and offer you the title of “YouTube Partner”; you are now being paid for your video views. Expect now that people will pay you for your craft.
It’s not easy; many popular YouTubers’ started out when YouTube was first created, or maybe even before then.
Every week, I will review a famous unsigned, YouTube artist; you’ll get the low down on how they started out, how they became famous and what their current status is now. This week’s artist goes by the name of Dumbfoundead.
Fresh out of KoreaTown,L.A!
Dumbfoundead, also known as DFD. Born Jonathan Park, is a Korean born, American raised unsigned rapper from Los Angeles, California. He dropped out of high school at an early age, and went on to make a name for himself in the hip-hop community; he did this through competing on Grind Time, a rap battle channel that featured on YouTube.
Dumbfoundead created his own personal channel in 2010, and since then has his own independent record label, clothing line, and a hip-hop collective franchise called Knocksteady, that pushes out new music and media into society; Knocksteady also has an educational, non-profit youth programme.
To date, Dumbfoundead has four solo albums under his belt, and is currently working on another album, which will be free to download on 18th February 2013. His most recently released album “Take the Stares”, is available now!
Personally, I am a huge fan, and believe that Dumbfoundead is the best rapper out there! The genre of music he creates is rap/hip-hop; but not the usual mainstream rap/hip-hop that you see and hear on TV. His music has a retro feel to it, very down to earth; the kind of music that makes you think of California! A little hard to explain, but once you listen, you’ll catch my drift.
The main focus in his music is not sex, women and money; it’s all about real life, and the struggle that he himself, and us as humans have and will go through.
But don’t take my word for it! Check him out for yourself, and tell him who sent you!
YouTube: Search for “Dumbfoundead”
Follow him on twitter: @Dumbfoundead
Currently standing at over 40 million views on YouTube, a movie role, national and international tours, this guy is doing something right!