Santa Clara, California, born Darnell Maiden–better known as Dj-V–doesn’t claim any particular place as his home, due to the countless number of times he moved around as a child. As a youngster, he was considered an outcast, as he rarely had friends and stayed in his room a lot–drawing, writing, and even burning action figures faces with his lamp [frfr].
His fascination with music began in 4th grade when his father introduced him to artists such as George Clinton, NWA, Snoop Dogg, and his primary influence, Eminem. His gritty, realistic (self-described as ‘film-style’) approach to rap he’s since adopted was inspired by Quentin Tarantino. As he explains, his rap style is like a new-age Pulp Fiction, “except with a sense of lyricism and flow.”
His SoundCloud is chock full of heaters such as “Young Black And Dangerous,” a poignant commentary on racial inequality in the United States of America, and the off-kilter love song “Loser.” Check out the playlist below, and if you’re feeling him, get more familiar.
