Even though he was born with the talent of creating things, this Houston, Tx. native only found his love for creating music at the age of eleven. Inspired by The Geto Boys, Gangsta Nip, Tupac, Bone Thugs N Harmony, and Nine Inch Nails, "398" better known as D-Side has developed a style of rap that stands out from all others. Discouraged by the high dollar rates of established producers early in his career, he took it upon himself to master the art of production, just as he was beginning to master the craft of song writing. Understanding and appreciating the art for what it is, his lyrics are of meaningful substance and put together with much thought. Many of his lyrical subject matters consist of struggle, violence, and hard living, while on better days they pertain to sex, religion, and enjoying life. With his unique voice riding over instrumentals made like no other producer, this artist brings something completely new to the rap game.
Even as a teenager D-Side was showing his ambitions to become an entrepreneur. After dropping out of high school at the age of seventeen, he acquired his G.E.D. to further pursue his music career. He then produced, recorded, and manufactured four underground tapes in his home studio. When it was all said and done, D-Side had begun to make a name for himself in the community as a local rap legend. At the age of eighteen he started his own record label, Darkside Riders Entertainment. Trying to put out a record that would reach beyond the ears of the locals with such little money was improbable, but he would soon find out that things get worse before they are better. In 1998 he lost his brother to an epidemic. Thrown into shock, disarray, and grief, he rewrote half of the album that he had been working on. Reflecting the misery that he was suffering from, the finished product was darker and pertained more to the struggles of his life. The following year D-Side released his debut album, "398" Welcome To The Darkside. This album captured the ears of many artists and independent record labels across the country.
D-Side has been called to produce and collaborate with many other independent artists in his career. He is always looking to expand his talents and explore other genres of music. Some of his influences today consist of various artists in the genres of Rap, R&B, Jazz, Blues, Rock, Alternative, Hindi, Folk, Reggae, Classical, Rave, Techno, Middle Eastern, and Far Eastern. As far as versatility is concerned, this artist defines the very word itself. His latest release is D-Side: Untitled... Just Listen. It clearly shows his continuous development as an artist and a producer. On this album he displays a lighter side of the dark side with head banging club hits and sexually charged mellow melodies. At the same time he continues to display his thug mentality and document the dark side of his life. This album is available here at darksideriders.net, along with "398" Welcome To The Darkside, and his new book entitled, The Pages Of My Life: The Autobiography Of An Unofficial Rap Star. The Pages Of My Life is the extended version of this biography. It is like nothing you've ever read before, and like nothing you will ever read pertaining to a hip hop artist. It consists of his thoughts, ideas, and bizarre experiences from his early childhood, to the completion of his latest album. D-Side is currently promoting the album, Untitled... Just Listen.
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