At the young age of 19, Daetrius Craig seeks to bring a new voice to Atlanta’s booming rap scene.
Daetrius’ debut project, P.E.R.C.Y. (Portrayal of Emotion in our Careless Youth) Park, is a concept album that features a tale of three urban teens. Each character seeks to define themselves during moments of celebration, vengeance, carelessness and remorse.
Daetrius recently spoke with rolling out about his new project.
What was the first album that inspired you to pursue music? What made that album important?
The first album that inspired me to pursue music was Lil Wayne’s The Block is Hot. I was about 6 years old when that album was released. I fell in love with the Hot Boys movement from the videos on “Rap City.” Although Wayne was young he was very raw and flashy which for a young boy like myself made me feel rebellious for listening to it.
What do you remember most about your first time in the studio?
The first time I stepped foot in a studio I was 9 years old, and I got an opportunity to record at former baseball player Delino Deshields’ home studio. It was a cool experience granted by Joe Douglass, manager of Frankie Beverly, a family friend. He actually gave me some beats to write to in advance so I spent a whole week writing to a beat which ended up being about my youth football playoffs. It was definitely dope.
What can listeners expect from the P.E.R.C.Y. Park Project?
Listeners can expect to find a piece of themselves that resides in P.E.R.C.Y Park. Because P.E.R.C.Y is a state of mind, it’s truly within all of us. Regardless of race, gender, age, we all struggle with choices and are equally attracted to both ends of the decision spectrum. It’s a project about duality, about being human and making mistakes, learning from them sometimes, repeating them sometimes and occasionally avoiding them.
Would you classify it as a concept album?
Absolutely. All of the content on P.E.R.C.Y Park contributes to the overall theme of duality. The battle between lust and love, the tug of war that is hope and despair. It signifies the idea that regardless of who we are, we can all be a step away from things changing dramatically. It can be either positive or negative change. Sometimes, it’s a function of the choices we make, other times it’s a function of who we choose to be around. I have this song called “College Intuition” which tells a story about a female friend of mine who’s stripping to pay her way through school. So it shows how we can be intuitive as human beings to and how, at the times, we all toe the line of will and survival. I like to tell those stories.
What do you want your legacy to be when it’s all said and done?
When it’s all said and done, I aspire to do for Percy Park, Ga., what Jay Z did for Brooklyn and that’s take an already booming city to global heights. Additionally, I want my body of work to be worthy of the legacy that started it all for the South, and that’s the legacy of the Dungeon Family. I certainly want to create my own lane, but I want to command the same global respect of a André 3000 and Cee Lo Green. These guys aren’t rappers, they are global icons who are respected and admired. I don’t want to make great rap music, I want to be known for making great music. Music that is truthful and music that stands for something.
