Today we’d like to introduce you to DSNY.
Thanks for sharing your story with us DSNY. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Coming from a musical family (father a bass player & mom with an impeccable, eclectic taste in music) music was always the most prominent and consistent thing in my life. It was our family’s norm to have instruments of all sorts in the house.
I started off taking piano lessons at a very young age and eventually turned my eye to the drums after seeing our church’s band & choir – of which my father played bass for – play on Sunday’s. So gospel, funk, neo-soul, and classic rock had become the foundation of my music discovery.
Eventually, my Casio keyboard would become my mini workstation to create five track instrumentals. At the time, I wasn’t even aware that I was producing music. I just wanted to create music. I wanted an escape. And that’s what making beats on my Casio did for me. This was my doings as a young ten years old girl.
Around this same time, I found another avenue of escape through the game of basketball. I took it very serious, so much so that I was awarded a full scholarship to play at a small D2 school in Tennessee. However, my love for the game of basketball dwindled as I realized that it no longer gave me the feeling that it once did. Instead of an escape, it became a trap and that’s when the depression hit.
It was a very isolating time in my life – living in the middle of the mountains of Tennessee with no means of outlet, except through music. That’s when I turned back to creating music but this time on my GarageBand app on my Macbook. I became obsessed. It was literally school, practice, and music. Everyday.
Always being an avid listener of music with very strong attention to detail, I began to really study the intricacies of the music I loved. I wanted to create beats like The Neptunes, Kanye, 9th wonder, Timbaland, Missy Elliott, Dj Premier, J Dilla and so many more.
After transferring schools and quitting basketball, I met a friend who was rapper. I had never played my music for anyone but took a chance and played him some of my beats. I was using a super cheap DAW (digital audio workstation) and to my surprise, he was really feeling them. So much so that he encouraged me to get more professional equipment.
Fast-forward, I worked the entire summer of 2012 to save up for my own home studio set up. At the end of that summer, I excitedly walked into Guitar Center, met a sales rep (named Bentley) who guided me on the right gear to get me started and walked out the door with my studio gear and the sale rep phone number to keep contact. Together, we started working together, and I practically lived in his studio for months, soaking in all I could learn about making music.
Eventually, Bentley and I became production partners, moved across country to Los Angeles and started a recording studio in Hollywood. It was a turbulent but very eye-opening two-year experience. I was blessed to work with amazingly talented independent artists and songwriters. But the studio eventually flopped due to a shaky foundation and our studio’s investors sold the business. It hurt. I damn near was ready to hang it up.
I moved back to Maryland and literally stopped making music for a year. But gratefully, my passion for making music was reignited by my good friend and co-founder of the creative collective THFCTRY (a creative collective based in DC made up of writers, producers, djs, curators, & photographers, positioned as a media platform showcasing the local talent and artists in the DMV area).
I was back to making music and found myself enthralled in the DMV’s music/arts scene. Through networking and just showing love to other artists by attending shows and concerts, I met my good friend, TeTheLegend who owns and operates my home studio The Trap Factory. The Trap Factory houses an amazing team of creatives including producer/engineer/videographer TeTheLegend, creative director Bria Domonique, producer extraordinaires Reggie Volume & Panama, and rapper elite Chris Allen. Individually, we mostly do our own thing but bring it all together under the roof of our home studio.
From producing records for local rap artists and singers to producing scores for film, we’ve been working together since October 2018 and haven’t looked back since.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It definitely has not been a smooth road (LOL). But that’s what makes the achievements feel even more rewarding. As a woman in the music industry, I’ve had to deal with and jump over so many different hurdles from not being credited for my work (hello publishing – artists and producers, know your rights) to having to defend myself from manipulative tactics of those who look to prey and exploit women in exchange for “opportunities”.
It’s not pretty and these challenges has certainly led me to reconsidering if this is the industry for me but my love for music and the culture cannot be overshadowed by these obstacles. If anything, it’s taught me to better protect myself, my rights, and my work. I guard it with my heart.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about The Trap Factory | THFCTRY – what should we know?
I’m fortunate to be apart of two entities/businesses known as THFCTRY and The Trap Factory. THFCTRY is my creative collective family. I am one of the music producers and engineers within both parties.
My role is to create a palette for artists to depict their stories with. I work with rappers, singers, and poets. I’ve been fortunate to also extend my work to the world of film having scored a documentary “Living A Dying Dream” (can be found on YouTube, by actress and film director Raquel Lee.
In addition, my work as a music producer and engineer has contributed to the finished product/albums of many local artists. I think what sets me apart is my ability to really listen to the artist and understand their story and point of view. Being able to score the soundtrack of their lives by setting the tone and mood for their stories to be told. I believe that’s apart of what makes a producer and great producer, which is what I’m always striving for. To get better not just for myself but for the music to be as great as possible.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I wouldn’t even be here in this position without the support of my parents first and foremost. I think it took them some time to actually see my vision but over time, with all the work I’ve put in, I think they’ve finally come to understand that this is a central part of my journey.
The support and genuine advocacy I get from my fam and teammates have played a huge role in making sure I keep going. These supporters are Matt Jackson, Ave Showell, Reggie Pr!me, Donte aka Te The Legend, Reggie Volume, Bria Domonique, Panama, Chris Allen, Nadiyah Knight, TwelveAM, and so many others have been an amazing support system especially in the last three years.
And all of these good folks have very strong opinions and just good taste in art so having them in my corner, validating my work is really the greatest feeling ever. I’m at a point that as long as they enjoy my work, I’m good. LOL. But really, I would love for whoever my music reaches to feel something from it. It’s all about the feelings.
Contact Info:
- Address: 4331 Gallatin Street, Hyattsville, MD
- Website: https://www.thetrapfactory.co/
- Phone: 202.790.2428
- Email: TRAPFACTORYBOOKING@GMAIL.COM
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deardsny/
Image Credit:
TeTheLegend
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