Black Dre is a rising artist out of Allentown, Pa. He has only been rapping a few years but the moment he stepped on the scene he started with a bang and never showed any signs of slowing down. If your looking for music to motivate you or someone talking about things everyone can relate too look no further. This year he dropped the “Maybe Next Year” EP which has really took off due to songs like “The Recap”. Before Dre was killing mics he was known for crushing backboards. Join us this week as we get to know the artist Black Dre.
( TM ) One of my favorite songs from you is “1994” The vibe the beat the flow it was all dope. What inspired that song?
( Black Dre ) Man, I was inspired by Allentown. The retro Allentown, know what I mean? That beat just took me back to being a child, being innocent, just running free with no care in the world.
( TM ) Before you rapped I know you played basketball tell us a little bit about that?
( Black Dre ) Sure, I’ve been playing basketball since about the 5th grade but didn’t get good until 11th grade. I got a scholarship to play at Lancaster Bible College. I actually did really well there, my team won a national championship, I scored over 1000 points, and my team went 55-4 during my last 2 years. After, I had a very short stint playing basketball overseas in Spain, Lithuania, and Mexico.
( TM ) How serious do you take your music & what have you done to show you are serious about this rap game?
( Black Dre ) I take it very serious now. I can say that when I was playing ball, I was half in- half out with it, you know? But now all the chips are in. I sacrificed a lot for this music, I moved away from a very comfortable situation, went broke, scrapped up money to go to the studio, slept on floors and futons. I’ve completely stepped out of comfort zone, I was really quiet but now I love to network and perform. Just promoting myself every day, focusing on my craft every day, sending emails and texts to A&Rs everyday shows how serious I am.
( TM ) What type of feedback have you been getting on the “Maybe Next Year” EP?
( Black Dre ) Man, it’s been nothing but great feedback. Everybody is telling me it’s a smooth listen, this project has definitely upped my stock inside of the label offices. With this project I went from the kid that was just rapping, to the man that wants to be the best.
( TM ) Will you be dropping any more visuals for that album?
( Black Dre ) Yessir, I’m actually shooting the “Who You Thought” video with a videographer named @duncmadeit in November. So, can you be expecting that next month for sure.
( TM ) Outside of rapping what are some other things your involved with?
( Black Dre ) Right now, I’m 100% focused on my merch. We just got the logo drawn up so my manager and I are going to start hitting the scene hard pushing Black Dre merch. Other than that, I’ve been playing basketball in the NJ/NY/PA circuit. During the days I work as a therapist with the autistic community. I’m also in school right now finishing up my Master’s degree in Psychology.
( TM ) For the short time you been making music have you exceeded your own personal expectations of where you wanted to be within 3-5 years?
( Black Dre ) Without a doubt! Of course, when you start you say to yourself, “I want to be signed tomorrow!” “This is my year” but it doesn’t happen that way regardless of how people make it to be. It takes time and I believe that since I dropped my first project in 2017 I’m right where I need to be. I thank God I didn’t get a deal when I first started rapping because I could’ve easily been burnt out or dealt a bad deal.
( TM ) Who produced “Soul of Gold” they need some recognition?
( Black Dre ) That was produced by LONESTARRMUZIK, a producer from Dallas. Yeah he’s a soulful dude.
( TM ) What are your 5 favorite songs you made to date that you would recommend to people who are not familiar with your work?
( Black Dre ) This is a tough one. I’d say, Hail Mary, Who You Thought?, For My Set, 100 Grand, and Jesus of Allentown
( TM ) When picking Beats for songs what exactly are you looking for in the beat ?
( Black Dre ) I need something that hits my soul. I need that stank face reaction like when Timbaland first played Jay-Z the “Dirt off your Shoulder beat”. I’m a sucker for soul samples too.
Check Out His Basketball Highlights
