The Playground Meets: DeonRaps
Written by: Virginia “Steph” Donalds
Photo by Adam Hans
It’s no surprise that some of the best music artists comes from Queens, New York; DeonRaps is easily added to that equation. Deon is a multi-faceted rapper, singer, photographer and overall creative from Ozone Park, Queens and has been making a name for himself for the last few years. The Playground’s Steph recently sat down with Deon to learn more about himself, his creative abilities and what’s in store for the next chapter of his book.
Always have been surrounded by art, Deon started off as an illustrator, primarily focusing on sketching. Eventually he began writing poetry showing another level of his creativity. He then went onto performing spoken word then began freestyling with a few of his friends. Rap was only a hobby at first until his director, Adam Hans, asked to shoot his first professional music video for “Gold Flow” and it was largely well received.
Before Deon took rapping seriously, he was an established photographer who gained several accolades by being published in places like Billboard, HBO and Hot 97’s DJ Enuff website and had the opportunity to meet artists such as Jay Z from his photography. The transition was a bit difficult at first, being recognized more for his photo work more than his music. But eventually he realized he can make new rules and stopped allowing himself to be boxed in. Deon completely rebranded himself by creating tantalizing visuals to show his artistry by combining his love for music and love for photography. Once the artist became dedicated to his rebrand, the name DeonRaps was born.
“When your shit is good you don’t have to demand the attention, they already know”
Some of Deon’s inspirations come from a few notable artists; Brooklyn Rapper, The Notorious B.I.G., is one of Deon’s all-time favorite rappers. Deon would get plenty of comparisons to the rapper due to his flow and tone of voice. He is also inspired by other artists such as Smino, MF Doom, Anderson Paak and Joey Bada$$, all musicians who challenge and inspire different parts of his creative talents.
Photo by Aymin McGhee
During the month of August, Deon Raps dropped his project, Sunday, an ode to his relationships. Each song was inspired by a woman in his life and describes a collection of situations he went through. The main single on the project, “Growth”, tells the tale of Deon navigating through life after a seven-year relationship. It’s a reminder to him that he needs to be on a different type of time when it comes to investing himself into relationships without losing himself in the process.
After releasing Sunday, Deon Raps still has so much new work coming to his audience. He recently dropped the first episode to his freestyle series, “Garden Work”; a seven-episode series that shows off the artists’ lyrical abilities. Deon also plans on dropping his second official album, Deon, later this year which gives listeners a deeper insight of who truly Deon is.
“If you see your path, you’re gonna see obstacles but consistency is what keeps you going”
For more interviews like these check in with The Playground!