By: DeoVonte “Deo” Means

 

To those in the know, the name Damien Crawford has become synonymous with the triple threat of sexy, educated and talented. Damien’s been labeled a “gifted and versatile performer” and in recent days, he’s been dominating the stage with electrifying performances and opening for the likes of KeKe Wyatt, Neon Nitch, K.Michelle and Brandy! A New Jersey native, Damien discovered music at the tender age of 7. His childhood was spent immersed in musical competitions and endeavors; and after completing his degree in 2007, he went on to obtain an MBA and conquer corporate America but he never forgot his music. Networking experiences allowed Damien to connect with a local recording studio where he began work on his self-written debut EP entitled The Crawford Chronicles. That album garnered him critical acclaim, in which the album was described as “one of the best albums of 2011.” Industry critics went further to hail the project “radio-ready” and “timeless.” In February of 2012, Damien released his second EP entitled The Reign, with distribution on ITunes and Amazon. Critics described this album as “an incredibly solid work of art!” Damien’s writing and vocal arranging skill-set has gained him notoriety among industry insiders and artist. His collaboration with R&B artist Metrell Hurst on the song “I can do better” was epic and the video was controversial yet viral! Damien is also a cast member on the popular, reality wed-series The Circle NYC which chronicles the lives of NYC artist and socialites. Hailed as the Urban Prince of Pop, Damien is currently preparing to release a new visual album that has become to one of the most talked about and highly anticipated projects within the community. We here at the Flyy-Life thought it was well beyond time for Damien to sit down with us and have a chat. Here is what he had to say…..

FL– Wassup Damien! You are known as the “Prince of Urban Pop”, please explain what that means to you and how profound has that moniker been in your life?
DC- Wassup Flyy-Life! Thanks for the opportunity. I think it’s a pretty fascinating title. When I put out my first project I infused elements of hip hop and pop in my music. When I began doing interviews, I was naming my genre Urban Pop. One blog in particular started referring to me as the prince of urban pop. It had a pretty cool ring to it and it kind of stuck with me throughout my career.

FL- You’ve headlined national tours for the likes of Brandy, K.Michelle, Keke Wyatt and Neon Nitch. What was that experience like?

DC- These were definitely humbling experiences. It is extremely difficult opening for a well- known, superstar artist because everyone is there to see them. Sometimes the crowd just wants to fast forward through the openers and get the main event. So it takes a lot of strength, passion and courage to captivate an audience as an opener. All of the ladies I opened for were amazing! I am fans of them all.

FL- Describe the real Damien Crawford using 7 adjectives?
DC- Passionate, outgoing, sensitive, driven, humble, modest, determined.

FL-What is the biggest insecurity that the real Damien possess?
DC- I can be insecure about my body at times. I love food and I can eat a lot of it lol. So sometimes I need to push that plate away and hit the gym. I’ve been doing well lately and I’ve been inspired by a lot of my fitness buddies. Hoping I can show it all off in my next video!

FL- If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
DC- I wish I wasn’t so sensitive. I’m a cancer and we’re programed to be overly sensitive about everything. I’m also an artist and I’m sensitive about my work.

FL- You are very musically inclined. How many instruments do you play and which is your favorite and why?
DC- Well thank you Sir. I play the trumpet, saxophone, French horn, and piano. My favorite is the sax because it’s the first one I learned to play. My grandmother used to love to hear me play for the family during the holidays.

FL- Your debut 2011 EP “The Crawford Chronicles” gained you critical acclaim and a huge national following. How have you grown since this project?
DC- Absolutely, after this project dropped, I was able to tour and get my name out there. This project changed my life. It allowed me to be fearless and live out my dream.

FL- You’re currently working on a visual album in which your single Love Over Life is the first to be released. What is the inspiration behind this piece and what would you like your audience to gain from it?
DC- Everything has become so oversexualized in recent times. Ever since sex became easier to get love became harder to find. I wanted people to see and hear a love story that would evoke an emotion that sexuality can’t provide. I believe love heals all wounds and I wanted the viewers to see a positive visual that would set me apart from the rest.

FL-A while back you collaborated with R&B artist Metrell Hurst and released a dope song called I Can Do Better. It was most controversial and gained a lot of internet attention. What was the concept behind that song and how did it propel your music career.
DC- I think this record helped solidify both of our places as singers and songwriters. Metrell and I became best friends after doing this record. Our friendship has always been a friendly competitive one, so we wanted to do a song about us competing for someone and see who could do it better. We both are lovers of R&B so we wanted to have a 90’s flare to the track. We also wanted to do some acting so we had a female in the video to change it up a bit. Fans wanted to see all male interaction but we felt that was too predictable. We wanted people to have opinions about the video whether it was good or bad. As long as people were talking, we did our jobs.

FL- Many of your fans would like to know, are you single or are you dating?
DC- I am currently single and open to dating. I know people thought the video for Love over Life was real but it’s just a fantasy that I hope will become reality one day.

FL- What attracts you to a guy? What qualities tends to catch your eye first?
DC– Great positive energy, modesty, clean cut, confidence, good hygiene. The first thing that catches my eyes is a great smile.

FL- You’re on the popular reality web series THE CIRCLE NYC which shows the lives on NYC artists and socialites. Give us some insight on the show and how it’s doing?

DC– The show is doing well and creating more and more buzz each day. Even though it can sometimes focus on negativity and cattiness, I try to be the voice of reason. I signed on to show my journey as an artist and the ups and downs that come along with that. You’ll see me in the studio, doing shows, photo shoots etc. Sometimes there are good shows, and sometimes there are not so good shows. I wanted people to see what it’s like to be an independent artist making it happen all on my own.

FL- What is the most challenging aspect of living a life in the spotlight?
DC- The criticism. Sometimes after having a hard day, it sucks to see some negative comments about something you’ve worked hard on. However, I look at Beyoncé videos and even she has people saying negative things about her. I’ve learned that you can’t please everyone so at the end of the day, you just need to make sure you are pleased and everything will fall into place.

FL- You have a lot on your plate. What can we expect from you in 2016?
DC-In 2016 I’m releasing my compilation album which has new songs and all my hits. I’m also releasing 5 more videos and working on putting together a small tour.

FL- Where do you see your brand in 5 years?
DC- I want Damien Crawford to be a house hold name. Singer/Songwriter/producer/mogul

FL- Gay rappers/musicians tend to be the popular trend. How do you differentiate yourself from those whom lack true talent?
DC-I try to stay true to the music. I like to make records that can be timeless and high quality. I put a lot of time, energy, and money into my records to make sure they sound radio ready. I always want my product to be represented in the brightest of lights.

FL- What last words would you like to leave to your followers and supporters?
DC- Are you working to live or Living to work? Once you can answer that, you will truly know what you need to change in your life. I wasn’t born to sit in an office and make somebody else rich. I encourage everyone to get out there and live their dream no matter what.

You can follow and get more of Damien at:

IG/Twitter: @DAMIENCRAWFORD
Facebook.com/Dcrawford720
Music website: www.damiencrawford.bandcamp.com
All music on Apple music, ITunes, Spotify and rhapsody