Today we’d like to introduce you to Dym N D .
Hi Dym N D, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I fell in love with music when I was in preschool. As soon as I got out of school, I would rush home and watch 106 & Park. I watched BET so much that I knew Trina’s verse to “Right Thur Remix” before I could sing my ABCs. My grandma was not happy about that and banned me from BET until I learned the Alphabet song. That moment taught me the importance of prioritizing my academic goals while pursuing music, a core value I still carry to this day.
Growing up, I would watch my uncles record music at home and perform locally. Around the age of 8, they put me on one of their songs. Around that time, I joined a talent show to dance and begin to step out of my shell. My grandmother passed a few days prior, and looking back, I can say my entire family used that talent show to cope with the pain from losing her. Almost my whole family was involved, after my auntie rented out a venue and held a local talent show (with a damn good turnout) to promote her sons, who were rising artists at the time. My sister and I danced to one of their songs that day. That moment was vital to me as an artist. I learned to push through pain, and to use music to cope with grief.
Many years later, when I was 14, one of my uncles (Rico Sav) took me to the studio to record a song I made to celebrate my academic achievement of earning all A’s. I would later perform this song at my school in the auditorium during an assembly to celebrate my grade’s achievement of passing the map test and being dismissed to the bus for our celebratory field trip to Worlds of Fun. I performed at many of my high school talent shows (rapping, singing, and dancing), and you could catch me rapping in the cafeteria at Northeast High during lunch when Ms. Smith (I love her) would let students get on the cafe mic and share their talents with their lunch periods. After receiving good feedback from my peers from a lunchtime rap session, I built up the confidence to release music on SoundCloud.
While on my academic and music journey at the age of 21, I was diagnosed with PTSD. I was having an abnormally hard time coping with the things I had to heal from, which made it hard for me to record, post, or even leave the house. I wrote a ton of music, but wasn’t putting anything out or active on socials. It wasn’t until 2021 when I began music therapy with University Health that I began to release music consistently under the alias “Dym N D”. From there, I would go on to open up for many artists (NLE Choppa, Kirko Bangz, and Chrisean Rocks), and to this day, my journey with music continues
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
This journey has its challenges. The thing that makes it difficult for me is that I wear a lot of hats. I’m not only an artist but a mom, a dancer, and a student, and I try my best to support and be a reliable friend and family member. Sometimes, with all of the different roles, I can feel a little spread thin, which is why I advocate for mental health through my music and even use writing music as a tool to cope when I’m feeling stressed out. It’s important to pour into your people and be an active member in your village, but you have to learn to take care of and pour into yourself. I had some great examples, so even though I’m struggling with it now, I’m confident I will be alright.
Another struggle I’ve encountered along the way was learning how to continue in my career while dealing with an immense amount of grief. I’ve lost many people who supported me when I first began this journey, and it made me want to quit. I had to learn when it was necessary to push through and when it was time to give myself a break. I also write inspirational music to get me through those lows.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am most known for my music. I have performed in a lot of places around Kansas City. What sets me apart from others is that I’ve learned to grow my performances from just entertainment to being a full-blown experience. I am most proud of placing third in the St. Patrick’s Day parade for my first year in the band category. It was a really huge moment for me and my team. It gave me a new record or achievement to try to break—something else to be proud of as an artist. My mind and body were most definitely pushed to their limit, and I rose to the occasion. When preparing, things went wrong. My plan B was just to have fun, and that’s exactly what happened—pushing through opened so many doors for me.
How do you define success?
I would define success as being proud of how well I’ve poured into the things around me before I even begin to see the fruits of my labor. For me, I would like to look around 10 years from now (if God allows) and be proud of how well I’ve poured into my children, myself, my purpose, my relationship with God, my relationships with my family, and my friends. I also can’t forget my environment and community. I have more years ahead of me than behind me. There’s so much time to water those areas of my life that I don’t take for granted.
Pricing:
- Song Feature – $150
- Live Performance (Solo No Band or Dancers) – $150/hr
- Live Performance (Dancers No Band) – $350/hr
- Live Performance (Band No Dancers) – $750/hr
- Live Performance (Band and Dancers) – $1200/hr
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dymndsokc/
