Soufside Dre shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Good morning Soufside , we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
My career the reason I chose this is because everyone sees the highlights but they don’t see the grind nor the pain just the glitz and glamour. I built this up from ground zero. It’s been an amazing journey and It isn’t stopping anytime soon. I started this journey with literally nothing no friends, no money, no hope and I built it into something and became somebody. I have my own collective, Im a person that inspires people and helps them become the best version of themselves.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Born De’Andre Shields-Walker, Dre grew up listening to Lil Wayne, Future, Chief Keef, Michael Jackson, and Lil Uzi Vert as his inspirations. He grew up surrounded by people in the scene & he always dreamed about getting started in the industry. The motivation Dre needed to focus on music was the comment made by now-manager JayBender, who told Dre that he had his own “swag” and uniqueness to his voice. Following this, he met and worked with artists Clayco & R2H. Dre released his first official album “Mr. Soufside” on June 17th, 2022. Prior to the drop, Dre’s mother passed away, he became homeless, and he went through his first heartbreak. This motivated him for the project. His single “maDmaXX” scored his first breakthrough in the underground. Around Mr. Soufside’s drop, Dre formed the collective Get Bands, which featured artists Pmoney & Yung Speed. Shortly after, he developed a new persona whom he named “Krashhh”. This persona is an energetic, reckless-and aggressive alter ego. Krashhh’s success could be observed in songs like “D3MN” and “Evel”, and after this he began to put all his focus into his music.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
My manager Jay Bender, I wouldn’t imagine I could accomplish any of the things I did if he didn’t sit and tell me what he saw in me. I was out here just roaming around dreaming of what i’m doing now today and I know Im nowhere near where I want to be. This journey is a long one and he believed in me before i ever even touched a mic. I appreciate him for showing me the ropes of this game and showing me clearly how to fulfill my purpose.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
It has been plenty of times that I almost gave up. The time I found out my mom passed I was about to throw all this away but my support system came strong. Its been times dealing with legal issues where I was about to throw it all away but my support system always come through and gets me back on track thats why its so important to build a team with a foundation also a team where everyone has the same goals/vision. We all may have different pathways but the end results are all the same
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
Yes, I don’t do the facade its one of the key elements of my brand raw authenticity. Thats how the persona Krashhh was built it shows a side of me that I personally don’t bring out unless I have to. Dre is the person that everyone loves, He is the life of the party. I wanted my image to be a full representation of me because I know its people who can relate to just me as a person so I felt It’s no reason to fake it.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What do you think people will most misunderstand about your legacy?
I think the thing most people will most misunderstand about my legacy is the difference between my personalities. I lowkey have a dual personality which sounds insane but the Krashhh & Soufside Dre are lowkey 2 different people and people always confuse the 2. Only the real days one understands what I mean. You had to be here for a while to understand that and most people catch on when It’s too late.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://link.me/soufsidedre
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soufsidedre1?igsh=OHowd3hsaWNlMnQ=
- Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/soufside-dre-222bb735b
- Twitter: https://x.com/soufsidedre1?s=21
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@soufsidedre?si=tFclKvb_dLdvcifM
- Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/mbmbLO5H9eIhpbEm1H
Image Credits
@diorsucks
@tildeathcome
@isflyy
