Meet Marky D of Team Ready in Whittier

Today we’d like to introduce you to Marky D.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Marky. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My interest in music started when I was seven years old. I had an older cousin that was starting his music which was very inspiring considering he was self-taught. He played the drum set at our church, he sang, he rapped; your typical one-man-band. As I got older, in High school, he passed away and it left a void in my soul. That moment forward, I started feeling like my interest in music grew even more inspiring me to pursue my writing skills, making English that much more important to me. Once I graduated, I released my first ever project called “The People’s Choice Mixtape”. It was accepted well in my community and started driving buzz towards my name and music. Before long, I had my first performance at a friend’s birthday party which in hindsight, would be a life-changing performance. As I still held down a job as a bread truck driver, graveyard shifts just weren’t cutting it. It just made me even hungrier for music.

After creating a wave and sound of my own, doing shows, releasing projects, I grew as an artist and before, long got my first deal and signed to a label which so happened to be a “Spanish” label. All in this time, I still had a duty to take care of my Grandmother who raised me. She gives me words and wisdom to live by and provides that extra push to go out and get it. Unfortunately, the label and I did not have the same vision which led to my departure. Perusing tours overseas, seeing a lot of sights I would not think I would be a part of. I always wanted to lead by example thru my actions and showing people that you can come from the mud and be someone that can affect the world in a positive way. No one is perfect, we all have a story, and it’s just how you tell it.

Has it been a smooth road?
I think with any journey that you are passionate on is not an easy one. I have had many struggles from deaths in the family, moments were I felt like giving up, huge amounts of money that I earned taken from me, all lead to tough situations. I had to teach my self how to deal with these many situations, but trying to deal with it in a positive way. However, it’s not about what the struggle is, it’s about how you rise above it. My Granny always told me that, “we do not go around problems we go thru them”. So for me, I just have to embrace the struggle and keep pushing.

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
Being that it took eight years to build and own the company, it represents people that believe in working hard and respect the grind and journey on a global platform. It has no box; we welcome everyone that is in a sense, built for what we represent. I myself am an artist, songwriter, and entertainer. I specialize in making music and entertaining. I am known for my artistry. What I am most proud of as a company is developing a family within the empire. The one thing that sets me apart from the rest is the loyalty I give, the accountability I put upon myself, and being a brand that represents great vibes.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I do feel like Los Angeles provides opportunity as a whole. You can find anyone with the same vision and goals to build with. Sure, this a good place to start out. It just takes a certain work ethic and team to do anything anywhere. More so here being that there are so many resources to be tapped into. Well nothing is perfect; there is always more room for improvement. I would key in on platforms that are necessary to get you to where you are trying to go.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @markydraps
• Facebook: Markydraps
• Twitter: @markydraps

Image Credit:
Alberto Estrada

Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.