Introducing DAP the Contract.

DAP is one of the hardest working artists in the game right now. Born in Lagos, Nigeria, and currently residing in Brooklyn, DAP is a classically trained pianist, producer, and rapper whose broad discography is a breath of fresh air. Seamlessly blending genres such as afrobeats, hip hop, r&b, and gospel, DAP’s music is a beautiful reflection of his varied interests and influences. His talents have already caught the attention of many, including Berklee School of Music, where he spent two years, and Mark Ronson, with whom he had the opportunity to work alongside at the iconic Abbey Road Studios in London.

DAP’s layered production, powerful lyrics, and infectious hooks are on full display in his latest album “Powers Vol. 2”. Filled with gems such as the simmering “Sacrifices”, the effortless “TDK”, and the painfully gorgeous “Mo Fe Jaiye [Live]”, this album truly has no skips and reveals more and more each subsequent listen.

Despite his extremely demanding schedule — did we mention that he is a board certified lawyer! — DAP was gracious enough to take the time to talk to the Busker team about his work and thoughts on the music industry.

Q: Who is DAP The Contract?

A true artist. A storyteller, a musician, an entertainer, but above all else an artist that pours pure emotion and truth into the art in an attempt to inform, provoke and inspire the listener/viewer.

Q: Your musical journey has been so inspiring, if you had to pick, what is the one moment you are the most proud of?

I have to pick 2 but they are related. Firstly, taking my whole family to Abbey Road studios to watch me make music with Mark Ronson was surreal. My family is everything to me. The other moment is also special because it relates to family. It was my first solo show in Lagos, Nigeria. It was in a tiny art gallery with maybe 20 people in attendance, but it was the first time my mother saw me perform, and at the end of the show while we were breaking all the equipment down, she sat at the back of the venue and asked us to play her favorite song Cheat Code on repeat. Just telling the story even now makes me want to cry. I always knew she was proud of me, but that moment made me feel it in a different way.

Q: How do you balance producing, singing, and rapping? What’s your creative process?

I try to do what comes naturally depending on the beat and the story I'm trying to tell. My process varies, but the majority of my songs have started with the beat, and the best songs I've made were those that came together all at the same time. When I'm making a beat that I love and inspires me, I jump back and forth between adding instruments to the beat and writing lyrics down, and as soon as the lyrics/melodies etc. are outlined in my mind, I stop making the beat and switch to laying down the vocals. I always want to do a lot of fine-tuning after the fact, but I think many artists would agree that the first version of the song usually ends up being the best version. Go figure!

Q: Is it difficult managing all aspects of your music career or do you prefer having total control?

It is extremely difficult managing all aspects, but having made my own beats, recorded myself, and shot and edited 90% of my music videos, it's possibly even harder to give up control. It's important to have a team to really take your artistry to the place it deserves, but that must be balanced with finding a team that is not only trustworthy but also cares about your art the way you do and cares almost more about you being successful than you do for yourself.

Q: How do you feel about the direction the music industry is headed in?

It's always going to be a rollercoaster and will always force artists to adapt to a new landscape, and it feels like that landscape changes at a faster rate every year. I think the increasing emphasis on independence and IP ownership, the advent of blockchain and smart contracts, NFTs etc. are pushing things in the right direction (pro-Artist), but there is still a long way to go and simultaneous changes in other areas that challenge this forward momentum. I love that artists seem to be getting more aware of their rights, but ultimately the information gap (due to many factors but most notably lack of information/resources) needs to be closed across the board for there to be real change.

Q: Any new projects in the works?

I'm still working on some visuals to songs off Powers Vol. 2, but I try to always have at least 1 other project in the stash, and the stash is fully loaded right now. That's all I'll say for now!