Brandon Scott on Life, Lessons & Legacy

We recently had the chance to connect with Brandon Scott and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Brandon, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What do you think is misunderstood about your business? 
I think what’s misunderstood about the music business is that it takes a lot of work in any capacity. There’s a lot of long hours, long nights, and early mornings. Especially if you have a 9-5 and are avidly trying to make music a full time thing. You have to use your time wisely, you have to plan, write songs (if you’re an artist), curate aesthetics and be in tune with what’s going on in the world at all times to even have a chance to succeed. There’s no cutting corners, you really have to put in the 10,000+ hours and master your craft. I think a lot of people chase going viral instead of building a solid foundation that’ll make a lasting impact.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Brandon “BDX the Don” Scott. I founded an independent record label by the name of Dontourage Records based in DC and Austin, TX. I’ve been taking music seriously since 2012 and have had the pleasure of being featured on Netflix, learn music business at Harvard, get invited to NBA All Star Weekend, etc because of my pen. I currently manage Kia Jena who you’ll hear of soon, make hip hop/neosoul music of my own, and throw events that bring the community together for networking opportunities or a breath of fresh air. What makes Dontourage Records special is our ability to stand out in the oversaturated field of music. We shoot for 200% effort in everything we do, consider all aspects of what we do, and execute our endeavors flawlessly. Quality over quantity has always been our thing and I’m proud of all the artists that are under our umbrella. I founded the label back in 2022 in an effort to provide more performance opportunities for local artists as there was an outcry from creatives at the time. That evolved into plugging artists in with people/companies they wouldn’t have imagined out of love. These artists deserve way more than they’re given and I want to assist in any capacity I can. If I can save someone that’s deserving the 13 year journey I had to take, then I will. Recently I took everybody on a three city tour to celebrate my album, “Golden Child.” I’ll be dropping the deluxe on 11/11 to keep the momentum of the tour going and to set us up for the new year. Kia, Devo, Domo they’ll be dropping shortly after as well so look out for that.

Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
I believed that my opinion didn’t matter and that I had nothing of value to contribute to my class. That was definitely not the case at all, what I’ve learned to recognize is that my perspective is unique. I can see all sides of the ball and understand people from multiple walks of life. I see where they’re coming from and can even relate in most cases, this allows me to be in any room and receive respect from anybody which is huge as an entrepreneur.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
I think we all fear the unknown to a certain extent. I’ve quit music multiple times, but God brought me back every single time. I know it’s my purpose to spread a message through music and gain a platform that pushes our culture forward. That’s what I intend to do once I achieve that goal of mine. It’s really hard when you’re going through that rough patch where it feels like nothing is going right. What I’ve learned is to keep going strong because it’s better to give it our all and know for certain that it didn’t work out. I’d rather do that than live with regret once I’m older.

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Whom do you admire for their character, not their power?
I admire my mother a lot! She’s the strongest woman I know, I owe her everything. She’s been there for me through every hardship and was a positive light that gave me hope when I thought there was a permanent dead end. Growing up it was really us against the world, she made sure to instill principles in me that would set me up for success and I’m thankful to have been brought up that way. She’s an amazing person and a bright light in this dark world. Love her to pieces.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope people tell the story of how impactful I was. I want to leave a mark on this world that’ll never be forgotten. I want to change lives and mentalities for the better, especially for people that come from where I’m from. I want people to know that there’s so much to explore in this world and that it’s ok to take risks. The worst that can happen is that it’s a loss. We must learn from our mistakes and never let it happen that way again. I also want to be recognized as a legendary musician, I have a natural gift that I want to maximize. I actually plan on it for sure, I trust the process 100%.

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@ambitiousambreia

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