DtK’s Biography DtK or "daveth3king", is a Lumbee Native American and was born on November 21, 1989 in the city of charm, Baltimore, MD. However, at an early age he relocated to the South—North Carolina to be exact. This self-motivated musician from the South began to establish himself as a talented artist, who strives to reach his highest potential musically. However, it has not always been this way. For a long time, after joining the military, DtK put his musical career on hold in order to pursue other aspects of his life. But this quickly changed once he discovered that he was going to be the father of twins. DtK’s life was not always simple, and he aims to provide his family with everything that they need and want, leading him to continue with his musical career. DtK’s true passion in life derives directly from music—various forms of music. Most importantly, his aspiration to create music has always been a major part of his life. While studying literature in college, Dave was able to further discover his true love—writing in all forms. One main aspect that DtK enjoys the most about creating music is the process of songwriting. While in NC, DtK released several mixtapes, which gained him a reputation as a gifted and quick-thinking songwriter/singer. His catchy and upbeat songs have even gained him recognition from fans in surrounding states. DtK’s first project entitled “Strictly 4 the Ladies,” was a very low-budget mix tape that released in June 2008 and became popular seemingly overnight. DtK was able to move over 5000 units in a three-month span. This project—more specifically his song “One Chance”—propelled him to instant stardom on social networks, such as MySpace, where DtK accumulated thousands of plays. DtK gained enough notoriety from this project that he was able to open for rapper Plies. DtK performed his version of Young Jeezy and Kanye’s “Put On,” which led to a controversial licensing issue, but was later dismissed. DtK wowed the crowd so much that Foxy 99.1’s Jane Dough was quoted, “That should have just been DtK’s song to begin with, because it’s his now.” DtK’s second project, which began as the “King of the Sheets” album, was scrapped due to copyright issues and instead released as the “Reminiscing” mix tape in March 2009. This project is most notable for DtK because it was a digital-only mix tape but reached over 7,500 downloads in just 2 weeks. DtK took over the radio air waves at this time for his “Real Music” movement, which consisted of songs like “Reminiscing,” a song about his high school sweetheart and fiancé that passed away during a night house fire and “Out of Touch,” which he sampled the classic Hall and Oates and also rapped about his long lost love whom he was out of touch with. DtK’s third project “Picture Perfect,” released on April 1, 2010, began as an album and featured all the key elements of an album. The only problem is that at this time, DtK was going through a lot of family troubles such as; his father going to jail, his mother being in a coma, his grandmother passing away, and one of his best friends, who was a guest speaker on the album committed suicide before its release—hence it never received an official release. Despite the odds and the lack of motivation, DtK still managed to tally over 1500 downloads in the first month, as well as pushing more than 500 physical units. “Picture Perfect” also created many singles that were featured on later projects such as “Writerz Block” and “Up Next.” DtK announces his alliance with Conquer Entertainment, an independent record label under Market America, on this project. DtK also states, “The reason this album is a mix tape and not an album, is because I did not want to take away from the official release of my debut album. Besides, I am just dealing with too much at this time.” DtK finally released his debut album “Writerz Block,” on July 7, 2011, an album that he dedicated to his unborn twins. On this album he discusses the finer things in life. He believes that this CD will truly reach fans from all populations, as this CD incorporates different sounds for different people. Wildy Haskell had this to say, “Sumter, South Carolina rhyme slinger Dave The King, AKA DtK, has shown the sort of drive in his young musical career that breeds success. Born in Charm, Maryland and raised in part in North Carolina, DtK keeps moving south as his musical barometer moves north. DtK has developed quite an underground reputation in the Carolinas based on a series of popular mix tapes. 2011 sees DtK releasing a more formal project in the form of the album Writerz Block. ” DtK’s favorite song on the album is “Living Luxury” because all people are able to relate to this lifestyle, as most people desire to reach this plateau. “Living Luxury sounds as extravagant as the materialistic bars that Dave drops throughout the song, featuring an arsenal of summery and shiny synthesizer melodies. Never has being so money hungry sounded so positive, and due to the strength of its instrumental, listeners will be too busy nodding their heads to argue otherwise,” says Jason Randall Smith. Overall, the song is fun and upbeat. “Writerz Block” is currently receiving around 140 plays per week on southern terrestrial and internet radio stations. As of January 2013, DtK has successfully sold over 1500 units of Writerz Block. Over time the music of DtK has evolved from strictly rap into rap/pop crossovers and R&B. His music has changed, just as he has over time. DtK’s second album was entitled, “Up Next,” which he reminds his fans repetitively that he is up next in the music industry. When asked why he is releasing another album within two months of his last one DtK had this to say, “Look I am trying to make it, understand? Your work ethic determines what kind of artist you are. It will be hard to promote two albums at once as an independent artist, but I am already averaging three hours of sleep per night so I have nothing to lose.” DtK has yet again amassed another cd full of singles. His first single “Keep On Pushin,” is a song that is dedicated to his mother who in early 2010 suffered a heart attack and flat-lined for over 45 minutes. She was eventually resuscitated, but deprivation of oxygen to her brain left her brain-dead and in a coma. She has since came out of her coma and is now on a slow road to recovery from her vegetative state. DtK had this to say about his mother, “My Mom and I never had a good relationship. She walked out on our family when we were young. I never got the opportunity to give her a second chance because she was an excessive alcoholic. I pray that God raises her up so that our family can be reunited.” His second single “Celebration,” is a very lyrical song in which DtK plainly states that he himself is a celebration. His wordplay is steady and he delivers powerful lines such as “Please no sympathy, I’d rather keep my dignity than make it in the industry,” over a very catchy piano based instrumental. DtK’s third single “In My Backseat” is sure to be one of the catchiest tunes of the year as DtK and Lil Hughes constantly decimate the track with their lyrical presence. A music video for “In My Backseat” was recorded in South Carolina and is currently in circulation on DtK’s YouTube channel. As of January 2013, DtK has successfully sold over 300 physical units and more than 1200 digital units of “Up Next.” DtK’s current work in progress is his third studio album, “Less Than Three.” DtK relocated to Baltimore, MD from South Carolina in late 2012, and plans to use this project to develop his fan base in the Northeast. DtK’s first single is entitled, “Baltimore’s Very Own,” a song in which DtK targets Baltimoreans and demands their recognition. DtK’s second single is entitled “F*ck’em,” a song in which DtK expresses his feelings about Baltimore radio, artists, and DJs that are overlooking his talent. When asked about his new album, DtK had this to say, “You know what to expect. I always deliver quality music and that is never going to change. Baltimore is sleeping on me, but I am about to make this city mine—no matter the cost.” “Less Than Three” has a projected release date of November 2014, and will be DtK’s first official release in the state of his birth. DtK is renowned for creating real music. When asked to explain the meaning of real music, he replies, “I love all music of all genres...but I am a fan of real music, music with emotion, passion, music that has deeper meaning. Music that addresses issues, distributes passion, and sounds good simultaneously!” It is obvious that this artist derives artistic creativity from various facets of life. There is only one way to describe the vocal presence of DtK—lyrically intense, a true literary master sighing on a microphone. Because to DtK, music just comes naturally. **Social Media** www.facebook.com/teeteeem IG-@daveth3king Twitter-@daveth3king