Meet Denai

Today we’d like to introduce you to Denai.

So, before we jump into specific questions about what you do, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
What’s up, I guess the story begins back in high school. That’s when I started gaining the confidence to start living as myself, despite the opinions from relatives or peers. I started a clothing line called nappy natives as a senior in high school, it was pretty amateur now that I look back but I had to start somewhere. Once graduation hit, I was kind of “urged” and “pressured” to attend college because, in my family, that’s the type of thing that’s expected. So, not yet having the confidence or any direction in life, I attended mgsu in 2016. I was kind of popular in high school, I guess. So, about a majority of the school knew me from Instagram & Twitter, and that’s not even mentioning the neighboring high schools. It followed me to college, & looking back now, popularity & too much attention can sometimes backfire at the worst possible moment for some.

To keep a long story short, I was jumped at a party by the promoters that threw it. However, before you get the wrong idea, it’s not like I was brutally beaten or anything, I came back to my dorm w/ a few bruises and a busted lip from the cheap shot that started the fighting, which then led to gunshots. Everyone scattered like roaches, even my so-called friends. I had to face that alone and keep my head up and face the humiliation. I ate that shit because even though I was outnumbered I didn’t fold under pressure. They were unable to break my spirit, even the people watching it knew what cowards they truly were. So, when you look at it that way who’s really the loser..? The man who was brave enough to face them, or the ones who outnumbered the one? It’s whatever, life continues. It just proves how being unprepared can fucking suck, lol. I was lost and naive back then to think people fight fair.

Shortly after that, I dropped out just because it was no purpose of me staying enrolled when its something that wasn’t for me, to begin with. Of course, as expected, nobody thought that it was a wise decision to drop out to pursue music. It was a different time for music then though, back when kids my age were making money from being themselves. That was the type of freedom I wanted for myself, so I rolled the dice and took a risk for me and nobody else. I didn’t go alone though, I dropped out w/ an old friend of mine. I was into making music and he was into buying and selling designer brands, I’ve couch-surfed and have even squatted in abandoned houses briefly just because I refused to move back in w/ my parents after dropping out. I used to want to prove everyone wrong and I hated never being able to produce the results I wanted. It was survival for me to be honest, then we found an abandoned warehouse. I continued going more and more frequently because it felt like an escape from reality. There was only silence and that brought peace of mind.

My stage name is Denai Tenkara (pronounced da-nye or den-eye). I rap and I’m also lead vocalist in a hxc band. I’m not giving out the band name just yet because I want to build a bigger rap fanbase before I try and merge the two genres/fanbases together. Sometimes, when I don’t feel like going to a studio or being around other people I make music and shoot visuals in the warehouse. The ambiance of the warehouse itself reminds me of an old basement we used to make clothes & music in before. So now, I’m doing the same thing I’ve been doing over the years, just in a different atmosphere that could turn into something more in the future hopefully. My brand teenageriot is currently under construction at the moment since I’m focusing heavy on music right now, but be on the lookout in 2020. Definitely worth the wait, because I have so much more in store. It’s only the beginning, to be honest.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Well, as we all may know, life has its fair share of ups and downs. I’ll list a timeline of my obstacles in order:

1. Getting jumped back in college: I had to face everything that came w/ that, such as a damaged reputation, & humiliation on the biggest scale in front of almost everyone. I mean the experience wasn’t really as bad as I’m making it seem, it benefitted me in the long run. I’ve developed new strengths to replace my weaknesses and still improving to this day. If I hadn’t had gone through that, I would still be living my life unprepared and ignorant.
2. Being arrested: yeah, it’s definitely not something I’m proud of but it taught me that jail isn’t somewhere you really want to be. I know it sounds kind of self-explanatory but think about how much trap music influences people. I had let it influence me to the point where I had lost sight of myself, & that experience taught me that I never want to lose myself again.
3. Falling out w/ past friends: facts are always hard to swallow but I learned that if people only support and have your back only when it’s convenient for them, they are using you. I fell off the face of the earth to see who truly supported. I stayed solid and picked myself up w/ no help, now, there are people I do business w/ and may associate w/ from time to time… but no friends, I was always better off solo anyway. Watching my own back is enough for me to be concerned w/.
4. No income/unemployment: well, at times money is consistent. At other times, it’s non-existent. It was stressful looking and I hated rejection. I now work full-time at amazon so I can work toward my savings goal in order to recreate this abandoned warehouse space into something for the Atlanta underground scene. I don’t really want to work for someone else, but until I start making enough from my music and clothing… I’ve gotta continue on this path and build my foundation w/ my own hands. Its no pressure, I’m used to it.

Please tell us about TeenageRiot.
I am an underground recording artist (hardcore punk, rap, & no wave), but I also have a clothing line which is teenageriot™. I am known more for my music because that’s all I’ve been pushing so far. I started focusing on clothes back in high school. I saw other people doing it and since I knew how to draw already, I thought I’d give it a try. Over the years, I’ve developed my craft and I’m continuing to do so now. I have kept teenageriot™ under the radar for a while now, I actually came up w/ it the same year, I dropped out in 2016.

It originated in a basement, located in Clayton County. Back then, I only did custom patchwork on moto jeans, but now, I focus on brands overseas when it comes to pants. I also have connections to wholesale distributors in places like Japan, Thailand, and Cambodia that also assist me in screen-printing until my plans for the warehouse space develop a bit more. They’re people apart of my network who I trust and they give me the quality I’m looking for each & every time. I only do that type of thing for fun though. Everything I make concerning custom patchwork and sewing wouldn’t be available for sale. I don’t want to do that type of thing for anybody but myself, and that’s nothing personal. If it’s meant, then you’ll stay down long enough to figure it out and DIY. That’s just how I look at it. However, I will be releasing t-shirts along w/ some of my song releases in the near future, so if you wanna find out more follow my twitter (@bainryuu). But to be fair, I should warn you… if you aren’t comfortable w/ distorted images, teenageriot™ probably isn’t the brand for you.

I’m proud of the vision that my brand will portray. Teenageriot™ represents resistance. It’s okay to not be satisfied w/ the way things are & it’s okay to speak out about them. It’s almost 2020 and I feel that this is the year of the youth. Honestly, not just the year of the youth but the year for the people. I want to inspire people w/ my music and my brand to stick to whatever they believe in no matter how anyone else feels about it. Sometimes to me, it feels like mainstream media outlets are constantly forcing information down the people’s throats. There are literally numerous issues and I understand all of them won’t be solved immediately, but we can all take advantage of the present and do what we can now.

Teenageriot™ focuses on promoting the hardcore punk lifestyle while sticking to morals and promising to never lose sight of yourself. My brand has the power to encourage those who can stay down, to be apart of the teenage riot. However isn’t another “trend” on Instagram, this is a lifestyle that only the strong can survive. Its really more of a movement, not just a brand. That’s how my brand sets itself apart from others, it has a lasting purpose. To Educate, Encourage And Possibly Empower You.

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Now, this might sound crazy… but my favorite childhood memory was actually a near-death experience. I remember I was like four or five years old. I was at this park and while riding my bike I went down this steep hill. So, steep I lost control. I remember my mom trying to chase after me but she couldn’t catch up since my little brother was only one.

So, here I was, going down this hill. I suddenly see a drop that led to a creek or something. It had boulders at the bottom. I honestly thought I was going to die but I didn’t scream and was surprisingly calm. It was as if something told me subconsciously to not fear. So, I used my better judgment and acted at that moment and jumped off the bike. I managed to land on my face w/ a face full of dirt. I ditched the bike as it rolled down the hill until it fell into the creek w/ boulders at the bottom. My bike was completely destroyed, I was in shock but didn’t really have a reaction. I was silent when my mother started crying and other parents who witnessed me hit the dirt started expressing their relief. Even on the ride back home, I only thought of the voice that told me to not have any fear and named me a soldier of god.

I honestly don’t think I have any more favorite childhood memories because my childhood wasn’t really anything spectacular, but this was definitely a story worth mentioning. I refer back to it from time to time to reassure me that God is alive and present in my life & I’m thankful for that.

Contact Info:

• Email: depressedfracture@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denaitenkara
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/bainryuu
• Other: https://soundcloud.com/denaitenkara

Image Credit:
Song Cover Art Credits Go To [@OnSumDonShit], On Twitter And Instagram

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