Merging the pure vocal style of
John Legend with alt-R&B production like
Frank Ocean, London's
D/C brought bluesy grit to his neo-soul, jazz, and gospel-inspired sound. Born Daniel Caplen, the son of a
Sade-loving mother from St. Vincent and a British father,
D/C is an accomplished cellist, pianist, and singer/songwriter who studied in the U.K. and United States on multiple scholarships. After building an online fan base with a cover of
SBTRKT's "Wildfire," he was signed to Atlantic Records UK in 2015. He released the single "Longing for You" in February of the following year. That track would be included on his debut EP,
Badman, which included production from Hoost and
Dave Tozer (
John Legend). Second single "Beautiful & Fragile" was released that summer and featured London rapper
Jay Prince.
Badman arrived in late July 2016. ~ Neil Z. Yeung