Life & Work with Dontrell Ratliff

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dontrell Ratliff.

Hi Dontrell, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
My introduction to the entertainment business starts with music. At the age of 18, I had a music group consisting of two rappers and myself, a singer.

To us, we were the first Pretty Ricky. We were discovered by multi-platinum producer, Mark Sparks ( credits Anthony Hamilton, Sunshine Anderson, Tupac, Will Smith, Salt-n-Pepper) but being young, the group split before anything materialized. I would go off to become a solo artist and receive the name BalladZ during a Bike Week trip to Myrtle Beach due to the resemblance of Trey Songz.

Fast forward to after my short stays in Charlotte and Virginia, I moved back to my hometown of Chesterfield, SC and my networking led me to starting a music career for a young singer named, JiOan. I became his manager and released two mixtapes and few deals negotiated and being invited to boot camp of The X-Factor 2012 and heavily respected by Simon Cowell and the judges and peers. I also became a model manager for Sade Nicole.

All of this led me to creating D.I.P. (Divine Image Productions) Magazine with Photographer Marcel Anthony and CEO Ivan Ledbetter.

I then moved to Atlanta to build the business as the marketing and creative director of the magazine. My model team grew as our quality of magazine images and other magazine placements and video placements became consistent and glorified. With all things going well, I was able to go back in the studio as TRELLBALLADZ, to work on music for my fanbase and became VP of 480 Music Group.

Today, I’m an author of IF THEIR WALLS COULD TALK which can be purchased on Amazon. I also added actor to my resume with credits to 480 Films series , 4th Quarter Season 2 ( coming soon) & a movie produced by Quasheem Herring ( Checkmate Productions) & written by Booker Snow, entitled UNTOUCHABLE, being released this Thanksgiving on Amazon Prime.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Brrrrruuuuuuuh, the road has been rocky as hell. Haha. Being an artist in early 2000’s from a small area with no opportunities, meant grind. My hustle then was completely different. After friendships dwindled once Mark Sparks moved forward with Anthony Hamilton, I only had Myspace to promote music all over walls and I spent “a whole lotta ” money on CDs to burn music on to sell copies. I was Myspace famous. Hahahaha. It was frustrating buying blank CDs only for like 12 of the 25 to actually burn without error. With that being said, Thank The Universe for Soulja Boy for helping the way music is created and distributed today.

In the model world, dealing with multiple women personalities and attitudes and trying to keep them satisfied took a big toll on my home with my own love life. The cost to be the boss doesn’t just relate to money but relationships and mental health.

I also was able to see that once you down and out, only a few faces stay loyal and care. With my entertainment business being pretty much my life, I considered each person I dealt with as family. Only to find a few to actually be friends for real once I began to focus on my own brand. That’s a lonely ass feeling to have put so much effort into helping people be the best version of themselves in whatever they wished but then don’t get that love back. But I would do it all over, again.

For me to leave the small town of Ruby SC and come dance in Atlanta as a stranger but fit in and work with local celebrities and meet those I grew up seeing on tv, I’m sure makes the the adolescent me smile inside.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Outside of acting and being an author, I opened a health, wellness and beauty store in Cheraw, SC. I named it ANGIE’S BABY after my mother, Angelia Ratliff, that way her name out lives us. My children’s children’ children will know their Grandmother. I speak generational wealth.

The fact that I can put a piece of what I do and love in Atlanta back in to my hometown makes me proud. So far , I’ve created poetry nite and pop up shops and a comedy show. All of this will be continuing as long as there is breathing available for me. And my daughters and Sun can see it being built ground up.

Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
I’m able to be contacted on social media at @trellbz on IG and Twitter. I have some music online on all platforms as TRELLBALLADZ. As stated before, my book was released ( Jan 2020) on Amazon and could definitely use more support before it becomes a script. Find it as IF THEIR WALLS COULD TALK by TrellBalladZ. On Thanksgiving Day, the movie UNTOUCHABLE premieres on Amazon Prime. Tune in and support that.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @trellbz
• Facebook: TRELLBALLADZ
• Twitter: @trellbz
• Other: https://amzn.to/2Hrxzag

Image Credits:
Marcel Anthony (@immarcelanthony | @dipmagazine)