Donzelly
By Paul Jimenez on May 17, 2013
Deandre Smith better known as “Donzelly” is a young, growing rapper from Bellflower, California who's currently in his senior year of high school and looking to focus on nothing but his music when he gets out. If you like old-skool, then you'll love Donzelly. On his first mixtape NINE FIVE, he used a few bangers from the 90's along with impressive production by today's Khris P (Kream Team), Jay Curry, and Michael Uzowuru. Overall, the tape was really good. Brought to mind a couple of known artists like Ice Cube and Eazy-E, because of the way they each approach their work. His next tape entitled DMS is going to be released on May 20th, which he claims will be 100% better than his first tape, NINE FIVE. The desire this kid carries to make it and do something in the hip-hop world is absolutely unmatched; he refuses defeat and won't stop bringing the fire until he gets somewhere.
Interview
Who are you?
"I'm a 17-year-old rapper from the 562, known as Donzelly."
What made Deandre Smith decide to give music a try?
"I was with my homie Layne, and I told him how I wanted to start making songs and shit, and he said he knew a guy named Jay Garcia who had a little studio. So I said fuck it, I'll give it a try."
Describe the content in your lines and the type of mood your music brings.
"I make songs based on how I'm feeling at that exact moment, like if I'm feeling down I'm going to make a song that I can vent out to. I wanna make songs that change your mood, that's the type of music I want to make."
What does Donzelly do for fun?
"What do I do for fun? I don't really do shit. If I'm not working or going to school I'm just fuckin' either in my room sleeping, working out, or playing fuckin' EA "SKATE". Oh! And fucking with my girlfriend. Fucking on my girlfriend. Shit. I don't know, life."
Describe In-N-Out in your own words.
"Ahh haha, God's gift. For real like I eat In-N-Out so much, I don't really get full no more off that shit. Like I'll eat it, then be like fuck I want more, but then I be like my pocket's is tight, like a nigga pockets be tight, but that shits to good. Number one with extra cheese, light lettuce, extra sauce, grilled onions, and your good. Well done on the fries. That shit's too good, I need a sponsorship. They need to fuck with me."
What artists are you listening to right now?
"I've been listening to Kid Cudi, the Indicud album. I've been listening to Drake too. Drake, Kid Cudi, and I've been listening to myself, that's it."
Why is DMS going to be better than NINE FIVE?
"Aww, a lot better, it's going to be better than NINE FIVE. Better beats, sounds better (engineer wise). I have better quality and just the content of what I'm rapping about is just more flowy. Everything is better about it in my opinion, everything."
When are you going to drop DMS?
"Right now I'm thinking in the middle of May. Middle of May is the time I want to drop it. I got to get it back from this dude Ty, I asked him to look over a couple of songs and shit. I also want to make sure I have a video out before I drop it."
Are you going to have any features on the mixtape?
"Naw, I don't have any features on it except for Tay. Those are all songs people have already heard."
Who's producing your beats?
"Different producers, just different people that send me beats. Jack Crosby, Chris Normandie, Yoga Flame. There's more, I can't think right now."
Tell us about your upcoming show in Bakersfield, California. You hyped?
"Yeah man, I can't wait for that shit. Only thing is like I don't know how I'm gonna get there. I told my mom, she said she was gonna take me. It's like, Bakersfield four hours away. I just found out. I thought it was closer, but I'm hyped, my first real show. I'm a get paid for it, it's crazy."