Donnis
| Donnis | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Ladonnis DeCurtis Crump |
| Born |
June 2, 1984 Montclair, California, United States |
| Origin | Atlanta, Georgia, United States |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Occupation(s) | Rapper |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Labels | Atlantic/Fool's Gold |
| Associated acts | Kidz in the Hall, A-Trak, Estelle, Jim Jones |
| Website | http://www.donnismusic.com/ |
Ladonnis Decurtis Crump (born June 2, 1984), better known by the stage name Donnis, is an American rapper based in Atlanta, Georgia. He released his debut mixtape, Diary of an ATL Brave, in 2009, and signed to Atlantic Records in 2010.
Donnis was born in Montclair, California before moving to Atlanta. His inspiration to begin rapping was sparked by listening to Kris Kross, Kilo Ali, and the Dungeon Family while he was younger. He started to create and craft his own rhymes at the young age of 9 years old. After high school he joined the Air Force and was stationed in Tokyo, Japan. While on base he began performing and recording music, earning spots opening for such acts as T.I., Chingy, 112, and Erykah Badu. After roughly 2 and a half years in the Air Force, he stopped so he could finally pursue rapping as a full on career. Donnis stated in an interview with Amanda Bassa that his time in Japan helped to influence his sound and help him craft it into something a little bit different. Being around an entire new culture gave his sound a bit of an edge; saying that, "The Japanese are always a few steps ahead, that's why I love looking to them for what's next."
In an interview with Honey Mag, Donnis explained that he stays humble and keeps an underdog mindstate. He stated that, "I always keep an underdog mentality. I try not to act like I’m winning so much because I have idols out there that I watch kill it every day. I just saw John Mayer and said ‘Wow I hope I can fill up the Garden one day.’ And I watch Kanye and Andre 3000… these people get so much respect and were at one point the underdogs. And at the end of the day I want that same respect as one of the greatest, so I follow that lead."
Donnis released his first mixtape, Diary of an ATL Brave, in 2009 with the backing of streetwear brand 10 Deep. The mixtape led to a one single deal with Fool's Gold Records to release his single “Gone”. The success with this mixtape also earned Donnis on the very sought-after spot on XXL Magazine's 2010 Freshmen list. With one mixtape Donnis was shot into a bit of a spotlight.
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