Today we’d like to introduce you to De’Yara “ButtaGoHarder” Hardy.
Buttagoharder, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My passion for music started at a very young age. I began rhyming/freestyling with my brothers and the guys in my neighborhood when I was just 13 years old. I had a heavy influence from Bone Thugs and Harmony, Tupac, Mia X and Big Lurch, just to name a few. I grew a buzz for myself and eventually grouped with another rapper from Dallas and landed my first professional record deal when I was 15. My rap partner immediately got into legal trouble and was incarcerated for over a decade. I ended up leaving the label, and found myself in another group, with 2 of the guys that were also previously on the same label. We landed a second deal, when I was 17, released a group album and a lead video and begin immediately touring, as soon as I graduated high school.
The tour was short-lived due to the unforeseen death and immediate passing of our investor. The group eventually broke up and pursued other avenues. I kept creating music and found myself in a 3rd music group, which also consisted of two guys, of both rap and r&b genre. We released a successful independent album and would go on to open up and tour with both underground and major artists. Suddenly, one of the members was drafted to the US Army, while the other one began to lose his interest and eventually pursued other things.
Despite all of the changes and breakups, my passion for writing, creating and performing, wouldn’t surpass. I had a nice fan base and had already attended college in between being an artist, in which I obtained my certification as a Licensed Recording Engineer, while studying Business Management. I started attending music conferences, changed my stage name to “Buttagoharder” (Butta- my nickname given as a baby, with “GoHarder” being added by my fans), rebranded myself, formed an independent record label and came up with a solid game plan. I decided to remain a solo artist, push myself independently and go harder than ever before. Thus far, I have had six solo mixtapes, two official singles, featured on over 50 DJ mixtapes, graced roughly 35 covers, been nominated 45x globally, for music awards, and won seven times (outside of Dallas), which includes but are not limited to, Best Female Rapper and Best Mixtape/Album of the year. I’m responsible for 100% of the writing, arrangement and direction of all of my work, and eventually want to bring more artists on board.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has definitely been everything but a smooth road. Some of my challenges were, starting over from scratch, rebranding myself, maneuvering around male dominance in the industry (some with malicious intents), financial difficulties, plus being misunderstood and ridiculed. It’s definitely a constant challenge, but if you use what to have, to the best of your ability, stay consistent, do right by others, and perfect your craft daily, the rest will come. You have to stay hungry and never lose sight of who you are and why you are doing it. Once I accepted the fact that I will never please everyone, the path became easier.
Please tell us more about your work. What do you do? What do you specialize in? What sets you apart from competition?
I specialize in writing and creating various types of music ( for myself and others), promotion, hosting, limited consultation, live performances, music features, Image directing, acting and overall entertainment. I’m unaware of everyone’s story, so I’ll just say, “What makes me unique” are my overall experiences, my physique (5’10, thick, curvy, tattoed image), unapologetically rawness and edginess, unpredictable marketing strategies, various accents (from living in 4 states), versatility from rapping and singing, and having 100% creative control over everything that I do, thus far . I’ve branded a signature pose online ( #LegUpKilla) , where my left leg touches the roof of my vehicle, while I sit in the seat rapping/singing, which authentically sets me apart from others, allowing a taste of yoga, with a dash of sexiness. I write all types of music, but overall specialize in an urban, somewhat hardcore sound. Being an artist and an indie label owner, definitely demands me to have a genuine fairness for everyone involved. I just level up and continue to be Bad A** ButtaGo, with no regrets.
Just overcoming every episode that disguised itself as a setback, is what I’m mostly fond of. The connection with my fans is something that I’m thankful for everyday. I know the struggle, the discouragement at times, the dues, the disappointments, the moments when you feel unproductive, at a stand still and lost. So, to be able to still stand tall and look like none of what I’ve been through, with millions of people knowing who I am, and growing by the day, just from talent, faith, cleverness and mercy, is what I’m mostly proud of.
- Website: Www.buttagoharder.com
- Phone: 678-310-6052 or 470-310-3447
- Email: buttagoharder@gmail.com
- Instagram: Buttagoharder
Image Credit:
Team Buttagoharder Images
Suggest a story: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
