Donnovan Blocker, better known to hip hop fans as Dyme-A-Duzin, has weathered the struggle of shifting between Warner Brothers Records and Atlantic Records. Proving himself as one of the new breed of young rappers to watch out for, Dyme ironically wasn’t always a rapper. “I wasn’t really a hip hop head until I got a little bit older, probably around my early teenage years,” says the 22-year-old. “So once I was allowed to listen to hip hop, Eminem was one of my favorites. You got Eminem, you got Busta Rhymes, you got Kanye West, and those guys really helped me come up to speed with what I loved.”
Between the release of his Warner Brothers EP Portrait of Donnovan and his relationship with his current label Atlantic Records, Dyme took the time between the transitions to learn about the industry while on tour, “It was interesting, it’s like I didn’t really plan on moving but it happened, I’m still adjusting,” he says. “Atlantic is new to me, Warner I dealt with people different, they dealt with me differently. It was a comfortable situation. Things change, I’m adjusting right now, but I don’t really count on the label to get what I need done. I’m just doing my own thing. They’re behind me behind the scenes, but they’re waiting to see what I can do.”
Most recently, Dyme released the track “White Girl” from his upcoming fifth mixtape Hip Hope. The album’s title sums up his goal. “The name was actually given to me when I was out in Europe, I was doing shows out there. I did a show in Zurich. Before the show I did an interview, and after seeing the show, the editor ended up naming the article “Hip Hop,” says Dyme, who’s also a brand ambassador for Puma. “I looked at it like I want to live up to this name, I want to make whoever made that proud, and if there are a lot of people who feel that way, of course let’s make that happen. I look at it like just hopeful music in general. Good music that helps you get through your day helps you get through your life just motivational, just hope that things get better.”
