Today we’d like to introduce you to Eddy-King.
Eddy, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I would say that I first fell in love with hip hop around the age of seven. I was hugely inspired by the artists of the early 2000s, such as Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, OutKast, etc. I wrote my first song when I was 9 years-old, and didn’t develop the confidence to say my raps out loud in public until I was 12. That was when I first remember diving a little deeper into the world of rap, discovering artists such as A Tribe Called Quest, Nas, Wu-Tang Clan, Mos Def, Tupac, and much more. This was also a time where I first started to freestyle on the bus coming home, or sometimes recite written songs to some of my friends.
High school came around and I was still writing almost every day. I say almost because there were days that were completely dedicated to school. In the house I grew up in, expectations for my career leaned towards being a doctor, lawyer, or engineer. However, I knew initially that these weren’t my aspirations. I was always fixated on inspiring others through art and to one day own a successful brand that could be passed down and do the same.
After high school, I attended UT at Arlington for two years and then later transferred to UT at Dallas, where I graduated and received my B.S. in Marketing. In my first semester at UT at Dallas, I met a very good friend of mine named Vineeth Menon, who showed me the ropes on how to record myself. Since 2016, I’ve been recording my own music and have been learning from countless others along the way. In 2018, I founded my first collective, Rose Gold Marauders, with my close friends Dixon “DJ DVE” Edwards, Aaron “A1” Burkholder, and Jacob J-Rod Rodriguez. Our first show was at the Curtain Club that same year in October. Ever since then, we’ve been building more on our brand, doing shows, and continuing to perfect our individual crafts.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Not at all. The road was full of bumps and bruises and can still be at times. I can admit that I had a tendency to get in my own way at one point holding myself back from going to open mics or wanting to put myself out there. My family and close friends would hear my music and then ask me when am I ever going to release it. Prior to starting the Rose Gold Marauder brand, it was a struggle to find my own authentic sound. I pride myself on being able to be outside the box, so there was a period of time where I had to transition out of what we call in rap the “lyrical miracle spiritual” phase. I decided to explore the use of melodies and discovered that it was okay to use my voice as an instrument, okay to be vulnerable in the music.
One of my biggest struggles came in 2015 when my aunt living with me at the time lost her life due to breast cancer. This happened literally a week before my college graduation and opened my eyes more to how short this life can be. Part of the brand name “Rose Gold Marauder” is an homage to her: “Rose Gold” being the metallic version of pink to represent her fight with breast cancer. To date, I still don’t have all of this figured out yet as a newer artist and entrepreneur. I have a great team and support system that’s been there for me to help me maneuver toward achieving this dream.
Can you give our readers some background on your music?
I’m an independent hip hop artist that doesn’t believe in the concept of being boxed in. There’s different styles I utilize, but my main specialty would be defined as music from the soul: seasoned with lyricism and storytelling. My goal is to inspire and to be a part of the soundtrack for the next ambitious individual.
I’m also the co-founder of a collective/brand called Rose Gold Marauders. We write, produce, and ultimately create our own music. What I’m most proud of about this brand is that we’re committed to excellence and being timeless, whether its music, film, etc. I recently released my first ever solo album under this brand called “Shot the Mirage.” It can be streamed on all major platforms.
In addition to music, I also do a music podcast called “The King’s Table Podcast” with another great friend that I met at UTD named Sagar Patel. We talk about music, current events, ideas, and dedicate the latter part of each episode paying homage to an artist that we feel made notable impacts in our lives and highlight their whole discography. We are working on having this podcast added to Spotify and Apple. in the meantime, it can be seen on YouTube, or heard on SoundCloud.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
In terms of good luck, I would say that I’m very blessed to have a family that has been super supportive of my current endeavors. I’m also blessed to have the great friends and mentors in my life who have helped me and continue to help me grow, both in business and as an individual.
The bad luck that I’ve experienced have honestly been viewed as teachable moments. I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. If there was anything undesirable in the outcome, I do my best to assess the area of opportunity and figure out what needs to be corrected.
Pricing:
- Shot the Mirage LP ($8.91)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/eddydtx
- Email: eddydtx@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eddydtx/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Eddy-King-544805535976439/?view_public_for=544805535976439
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/EddyKingDTX
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHfPkpzQvfWeLcTCx1bWljQ?view_as=subscriber
Image Credit:
@adlenjehari
@UMAECinema
@rickjr29
@View95Media
@GreatThingsAreHere
@coldheartgio
@artaviuscash
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