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There is so much more to Washington Heights than meets the front page of the news. Long considered the cocaine capital of the world, a breeding ground for crime corruption and untamed youth, the borough’s contributions to the world of Hip Hop culture have traditionally gone without notice- but they’re there. Some of the greatest graffiti artists ever to grace the walls of NYC hailed from this area not to mention the countless pioneering DJs the brought hip-hop to the masses through the classic phenomenon known as mix-tapes. Now finally a lyrical presentation has emerged, in the form of Dark.
Who is Dark? Dark is the embodiment of Hip-Hop’s origin as a voice of a desperate people. He is an authentic ghetto story teller whose rhymes are derived from pain, anger lust and love which exists in the hearts of young men and women today, the manifestation of the “infamy” the precedes “The Heights”.
With the release of his first project “Lights Out,” Dark cemented his position as an emerging artist that would not be denied. Through an aggressive street based campaign and relentless effort to create awareness Dark solidified himself as The General of The Heights.
He continued this on his second release, “The Money Zone.” Legendary emcee/producer Erick Sermon of EPMD fame felt Dark possessed a genuineness that so many of today’s emcees lack and contributed 4 cuts to the project. The project was well received by Djs and bloggers alike and broadened Dark’s fan-base to new levels.
That momentum was followed up 8 months later with “The Money Zone II.” The project featured guest appearances from Vado, Fat Trel, & Audubon as well as production from Vinylz, Chase N. Cashe, The SecretSociety & The Knockoutkingz. With TMZII Dark showed the versatile ability to not only convey the street based content that makes up much of his inspiration but also the aptitude to make music that resonated with a much broader general fan base. The pinnacle was Dark’s Black Friday Remix, which featured Chinx & Bodega Bamz, winning Hot97’s famed Battle of The Beats 5 nights in a row and having it retired from the contest. That in turn led to the opportunity to Headline HOT97’s heralded “Who’s Next Live” Showcase which was a sold out success.
Now with “Drug Dealer Chic: The Spade Era EP” the goal is to continue showing the world that Darks story is one that needs to be told and heard. The project is a conceptual EP that details the hustler lifestyle that was prominent in the golden late 80’s/early 90s era of NYC that was influential to the artist that is Dark. Sonically the project possesses a soulful tone reminiscent of much of the music that was being made during that era. With The Spade Era EP Dark has continued to maintain the consistent message that’s defined him as an emcee thus far.
“I just want the world to see our perspective and understand where we come from,” says Dark. For Dominican people living in America, Washington Heights is their own little Santo Domingo. For Dark, it’s a source of strength and creation in his music.