- D.King
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D. King Birth name Justin Essandoh Also known as D.King, DK Origin Baltimore, Maryland Genres Hip hop Occupations Rapper Years active 2001–present Website dking730.com Justin Essandoh (born November 27, 1985), also known as D.King or DK, is an American rapper, songwriter, and recording artist in the hip hop genre. The name "D.King" or "DK" is short for "Don and the King".
Early life
Raised in Baltimore, Maryland, D.King began rapping at an early age, and in 2000 was managed by the mother of Beanie Sigel at Black Friday Management. That same year at the Hip Hop Summit, which he and a friend snuck into, D. King impressed the A & R of Roc-A-Fella Records with a demo tape.[1]
Music career
After a meeting with affiliates at Roc-A-Fella, D.King signed a deal with Jay-Z's former label, Carter Faculty, on July 18, 2001.[2] Drawing inspiration from witnessing the creation of "The Blueprint", he completed his debut album. Due to a distribution loss, however, the label soon folded [3] prior to its release. In 2005, under Babygrande Records, D.King made an appearance on Purple City's album, "Road to Riches", with a solo recording of "A Part of History".[4] The single immediately gained attention as one of the standout performances on the album, which charted at #9 on Billboards Rap Albums.[5]
In 2006 "King Me" was released, DK's first mixtape under Babygrande Records; it garnered critical acclaim through several Hip Hop media outlets. The title was a metaphor representing, in his eyes, the crowning of the best rapper in the industry (himself). The underyling theme caught the attention of critics, and some even drew comparisons of his rapping style to that of Jay-Z, offering the possibility of a potential protege.[6] The mixtape, hosted by DJ Kayslay included "If Not Me Then Who", which featured production by Kanye West.[7]
In March 2011, a song entittled "Just Like That" which features both D.King and Trina appeared in southern radio markets. According to a recent announcement, a debut EP is scheduled for release in November with features including Pusha T of the Clipse, Snoop Dogg, and Teairra Mari.[8] The release date of his initial album - which had been developed prior to the release of Jay-Z's "The Blueprint" under Carter Faculty - has yet to be announced.
References
- ^ Lunny, Hugo, "DK - The Don & The King", (2006-04),http://www.mvremix.com/urban/interviews/dk.shtml",
- ^ Lunny, Hugo, "DK - The Don & The King", (2006-04),http://www.mvremix.com/urban/interviews/dk.shtml",
- ^ Salomon, Yves, "Jay-Z News", (2000-10-10), "http://new.music.yahoo.com/jay-z/news/artist-name-jay-z-id-1013213-continues-to-build-dynasty-with-new-label--12026538",
- ^ Barone, Matt, "Road to Riches", (2005-03-21), http://allhiphop.com/stories/reviews/archive/2005/03/21/18134374.aspx",
- ^ Billboard.com, "Purple City", (2009-04-09), "http://www.billboard.com/artist/purple-city/chart-history/647855?f=324&g=Albums#/artist/purple-city/chart-history/647855?f=324&g=Albums",
- ^ Huff, Quenton, "DK: King Me", (2006-06-16), "http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/dk-king-me/",
- ^ Shipley, Al "DK: King Me" (2006-08-16), " http://www2.citypaper.com/music/review.asp?rid=10699",
- ^ Hip Hop Press "King Me",(2011-03-24), "http://www.hiphoppress.com/2011/03/d-king-announces-it%E2%80%99s-time-for-the-hip-hop-world-to-%E2%80%9Cking-me%E2%80%9D.html",
Categories:- Living people
- Rappers from Baltimore, Maryland
- People from Baltimore, Maryland
- African American rappers
- 1985 births
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