Today we’d like to introduce you to Dejuan Dangerfield.
Dejuan, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
It all started when I was born on the Southside of Chicago to Ivy R. Taylor and no father. I had two older brothers and one older sister and we grew up extremely poor. I mean below the poverty line poor. When I was young, I would do seasonal jobs to make money to buy little food for myself and sometimes my siblings even though I was the youngest. I even remember a time when I found $20 bucks and purchased a KFC family meal for my entire family. This was just the beginning of my story see my oldest brother got caught up in some mess and went to jail when I was 10 or 11 and from then on my family spiraled out of control. We were eventually evicted from out home my mother was sent to jail and I almost ended up in foster care. Thank God for my Great-grandma Johnnie Mae Taylor coming to my rescue. So, I lived with her for a year or so until my mom got out and we relocated to Baltimore. Spent a little time there, then my mom sent me on a bus across the country to live with my grandma in L.A and that’s how I arrive in California. Aside from that my story I want to talk about is music which I’ve been passionate about and doing independently since I was 15 or 16 years old with a few gaps in between. I mean I went to college didn’t finish. Started chasing my dream of music because no matter what I did, I always found myself making music. I’d been singing since I was 7 or 8 years old in the church choir. A tenor voice is what I would say I had. Music has always been a part of my life some way or another my uncle was in a band as he was growing up though I was barely born around that time I can say music is in my blood. I have thrived to be successful at what I love and relatively I am because I’m still doing it and loving every minute of it.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Well like I was saying before my family struggled a lot. I didn’t have a normal childhood both my brothers were imprisoned by the time I was sixteen. I didn’t even have a real relationship with my father and my mother was struggling to try to raise four children alone on no income when she got fired from her job when I was young. The obstacles I faced as a young kid was financial, psychological and damaging to a young mind that hadn’t yet developed.
What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of? What sets you apart from others?
I make music, I’m an R&B artist that writes, produces and sings his own song along with my co-producer Slim Duckey. I’ve released two EP and am known for those and I’m in the process of releasing a new single October 11th. The thing I’m most proud of is we’ve done it up to this point totally on our own. We distributed our music all over the world we produced our own videos we’ve booked our own shows. All this stuff being down in house, I’ve never really taken the time to sit back and realize all that we’ve accomplished up to this point I’m just grateful we’re able to keep going. I think my ambition and willingness to keep going sets me apart because I don’t quick just something inside me can’t give up on this thing I love so much.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Being able to do what you love regardless of if you’re making money or not and at the end of the day being happy with that.
Consistency, hard work, focus and dedication, those are my markers.
Contact Info:
- Website: imjustdane.com
- Instagram: @imjustdane
- Facebook: /imjustdane
- Twitter: @imjustdane28
- Other: www.soundcloud.com/imjustdane
Image Credit:
Dane. Slim Duckey (Photographer Tyray Bryant)
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