By Marcus A. Williams
Special to the AFRO
David E. Beats blends hip hop and rock-inspired guitar to create a sound all his own. (Courtesy Photo)
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(October 7, 2009) - Twenty-one year-old Washingtonian David E. Beats is on his way to fame, thanks to a unique combination of rapping, producing and guitar playing. Beats, who grew up on 14th and Irving streets in the District’s northeast corridor, blends his love of hip hop with classical and rock-inspired guitar playing to create a dynamic sound all his own.
“I know it sounds weird, but usually I do a lot of electric guitar solos over the instrumentals,” said Beats. “Essentially, I would rap like normal for the first two verses with a catchy hook with the violin back beat and then the third verse I break into the guitar solo.”
But studio recordings only capture a fraction of Beats’ skills. The real excitement begins when he takes the stage with bass-heavy hip-hop rhythms, electrifying guitar riffs and clever lyrics. According to the up-and-coming artist, it’s not uncommon for DJs to stop his background music track to see if he is, in fact, playing the guitar.
Beats said his ability to converge seemingly disparate musical genres is due largely to his eclectic musical upbringing.
“Growing up I was exposed to rock and metal music and things like that and I didn’t even know what hip hop was, but I heard it when I was 15 years old and just fell in love,” said Beats. “I have always wanted to learn guitar but never could afford it. So, in high school when I could finally afford one I went out and bough it and put all of my passions together.”
Beats released his debut mixtape, David E. Beats Blvd., in May 2009 and is gearing-up to showcase his sophomore album, Exit. The follow-up effort explores his transition from life in the District to the hustle and bustle of New York City, the world’s entertainment capital. Still struggling to feel at home in New York, Beats admits he’s somewhat culture shocked.
“What a lot of people don’t understand about New York is that it is really a culture shock from what I was used to in D.C.,” said Beats. “You know, it’s fun to visit but when I came to live I noticed that the place was so fast that I felt lost. But you know, once you catch your groove the city can be fun.”
Beats is still carving out his spot in the Big Apple and shopping his hip-hop guitarist image to major industry labels. Although he’s still an unsigned artist, Beats has seen encouraging success online, thanks to album sales on ITunes, Amazon and Rhapsody.
Beats sophomore album, ‘Exit,’ will hit CD shelves during the last quarter of 2010.