D-Stat The Follow Up

In 2018 we hailed Donnell “D-Stat” Staten one of the hardest working artists in the Carolinas. At that time he had just released two projects via Dat Piff and SoundCloud as well as his first-ever music video.  Although those projects didn’t reach the goals he had hoped for, D-stat kept working on his craft and developing as an artist. He was optimistic about the rising popularity of rap and what he could offer the culture.

Fast forward to 2020.

It was late February and D-stat was on his way back from his first-ever CIAA performance in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was the largest crowd he’d ever performed in front of. His manager secured a slue of radio and podcast interviews throughout the Carolinas after he effortlessly rocked the stage. He and his career were finally gaining traction when suddenly came the Big Bad Wolf, COVID-19.

D-Stat the artist vs COVID-19

The world went into lockdown, and the industry, in general, was in disarray. Not just for established acts but for rising indie acts like D-stat whose brand was dependent on the ability to perform in front of new crowds and gain new fans. He was faced with a situation that no other artist before him had navigated. Everything was in question.

Instead of worrying, however, D-stat did what he does best. Write and record. Between March and June, he toiled tirelessly working on something he believed would get people’s attention. His efforts resulted in an EP called ‘Real Good Summer.’

a 5 track project that in 3 months accumulated 90,000 streams across multiple platforms. A number a lot of artists with much larger followings can’t accomplish in an entire year of streaming.

With refreshed energy and a pandemic in full effect, D-stat got back to work. On November 1st he released a music video to his single ‘Styrofoam Cup.’

Soon after he released a much more ambitious second project. A 10 track EP he called K.O.T.F – or King of the Fall for short.

Wait…

Anyway, lets just jump into the interview.

The Interview

I’m really not one of “these guys”…I’m basically flexing my power level

D-stat on his mindset entering hos latest project K.O.T.F

Q. What was it like for you watching the numbers go up on your last project, Real Good Summer (RGS)?

A. Mad different tbh…RGS was my first streaming tape so I didn’t know what to expect. It started off like anything I dropped before…slow start…a jump here and there…then BOOM…a thousand…2 thousand…10 thousand…CRAZY RIGHT?! So to tell you how it felt….it felt like…Can’t stop now

Q. The people want to know what was your mindset coming into this project KOTF?

A. All over the place for one…after me and my manager sat down and got a general direction that we were headed towards for the tape…I got focused. I always show my versatility but I wanted to show them that…I’m really not one of “these guys”…I’m basically flexing my power level

Q. KOTF is noticeably longer than RGS and has incorporated a wide variety of different styles. Has changing locations from NC to NY changed your style or was there other influences?

A. All of that…mmhmm…all of that…the sound up here is significantly different than the south…like stepping in a whole other dimension where Pop Smoke reign supreme…I’ve always kept my ear to the streets with the music though…I have mad sounds from the places I’ve stayed…I put them together and found myself.

Q. What does the future look like for D-Stat? What are your goals going into 2021?

A. Bright and blurry…and I mean…to finally be able to make a heavy mark in the game…I wanna be apart of that conversation…you know…who raps better than who…but on a global scale amongst the greats….and to keep my rockstar life going……..did I mention the bag?

Q. What advice would you give other indie artists just getting started?

A. Don’t stop….make every waking second about your career…whether your writing it down or thinking about it…procrastination is assassination for the bars you layin!…remember that?

Conclusion

K.O.T.F is currently streaming on all major platforms. The link below will take you to your preferred streaming platform. After listening let us know what you think and if you want our review on the project. You can also click here to check out his IG.

https://unitedmasters.com/m/5fcb994ca226c7659c35ba97