Meet D. Marcel

We recently connected with D. Marcel and have shared our conversation below.

D., thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?

I’d like to think it was passed down. Years watching my Mom work multiple jobs, go back to school, and start her own business all while raising my brothers and I made me want to be something in life. Like many young boys I just wanted to alleviate some of her stress. I watched her grow and in many ways grew with her. We struggled, things weren’t always easy, but we never went without. Most importantly she never gave up. To this day she shows up for me and that’s all I can ask for. In short, it was my Mom who showed me how to really go for something and never allow life’s ups and downs to stop you.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I had a friend recently ask me what it is exactly that I do and I found it hard to explain. My initial response was a little bit of everything to get the job done. One could say that I’m an artist, songwriter, and performer finishing up a mixtape that I absolutely love. I like to think of myself as a man striving to make the best out of his God given gifts. I started writing songs in High School with my brothers and for my friends. I kept at it seeing how they responded to it. There’s also nothing like hearing your voice back for the first time. I’ve been blessed with a tremendous support system that believes in the music I make. What started as a dream is slowly becoming a reality as I simply keep one foot in front of the other.

I’m currently waiting on mixes, storyboarding music videos, and learning how to cut through this thing we call the algorithm in today’s music industry. I’m finding that what works best for me is to follow my heart. Of course, that’s easier said than done in a world full of comments, but the most important thing is showing up. No one seems to have the answers but I tend to get the best responses when I create what we want to see and hear. Thanks to my little brother’s film expertise, my older brother’s beat production, and plenty of helping hands, the sky has been the limit.

We just wrapped on shooting a video for a song titled 3476, named after the address of the home we grew up in. Kontra, my big brother, made the beat. Devin, my younger brother, directed the music video. I wrote and recorded it in my bedroom. My cousin Bink helped with camera operation and capturing behind the scenes footage. As soon as I finish this interview I plan on strategizing our release for it next month. My Mom always stressed the importance of having a plan.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

As funny as it may sound, delusion has to be the number one quality. I personally don’t know anyone in the music industry or any rapper that has “made it”. I just believe like a child believes in Santa Claus that I make music that connects with the World. Regardless of any social media or streaming numbers, I have to trust in the reactions I’m getting in my own backyard. I think it was Kendrick that said “the World that I’m in is a cul-de-sac”.

That bleeds into the second quality of deep listening. I have to listen to myself first and then the opinions of those who matter. I also have to know who not to listen to as a lot of people tend to project their own fears and insecurities. When embarking on something so unorthodox the most difficult part is blocking out the noise from the sidelines.

That’s why the final quality of finding a support system brings it all home. You need people who are going to tell you what you don’t want to hear, as well as encourage you to be better. Those people for me are my brothers, Kontra and Devin, and my mixing engineer, Vince. They want to see me succeed so bad that they celebrate my wins as their own. Sometimes they think that they want it for me more than I do for myself and makes me put in overtime to prove them wrong.

Therefore, my advice to anyone looking for their path is to take a second and assess what your loved one’s are asking of you. I don’t know if I would’ve took it this far if it wasn’t for Devin getting so excited over my first songs. If it wasn’t for Kontra telling me where I need to get better. If it weren’t for Vince believing in and allowing me to record at the studio for practically free. Trust the people that Trust you and allow God to handle the rest.

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?

Shoutout my cousin Bink for stressing the importance of a third space when things get too much. I used to smoke a lot when I felt overwhelmed but due to life’s current circumstances I started getting more anxious when I smoked, having to cut back on my intake all together. Now instead of smoking I’ll go to a park or coffee shop. Sometimes I’ll even just go for a drive. I recently found a nearby park with a river that’s become my happy place. I like to sit by the water and listen to my upcoming mixtape whenever the doubtful thoughts get too loud. Something about the music with the backdrop of the park makes me feel like everything is going to be alright.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

All images captured and edit by Devin of DachiMedia.

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