Rolling out sat down with LGBTQ rapper Damez to discuss his new EP COVERBOY in honor of the many magazine covers he has graced. Those covers include Atlanta Magazine, Out magazine, Raynbow Affair, and Swerve. Damez was also featured in Billboard and GayTimes. He’s an emerging Atlanta artist who refuses to let people box him in and he shared as much with us during an exclusive.
How is this EP different from the four previous projects you have dropped?
I first started out 2014 with my first EP, and it was pushed on Soundcloud. My second third, and fourth projects were full-length LP’s and I wanted to make sure the music was being pushed on Apple, Tidal, Spotify, and other streaming services. With my fifth project, I wanted [it] to [be] kind of concise but really hard-hitting and real all the way through. [There are] more summer vibes and uplifting energy on this tape.
Did the pandemic inspire you to put out this new project?
Absolutely. There was a period when I truly felt stuck and stripped from my creative juices. I dropped my last EP right before the lockdown. So many ideas and plans for my rollout had come to a screeching halt. I later just had to accept what was going on and adjust. I also landed some features in magazines. So I still managed to be working.
In a video posted on your Instagram based on your new EP, you talked about 2020 being a rough year for you. What were some of the trials and tribulations you went through to still get your project out?
Yes, 2020 was a rough year for me. There was the pandemic, and social-political issues going on. I dealt with heartbreak, new friendship, and felt at my lowest far as my mental health.
Since you represent the LGBT community, do you feel as an artist you are put in a box working with other artists? Do you feel sometimes other artists are hesitant to work with you?
Yes, I feel it’s a mixture of both, but I try to not let it discourage me.
How important was it for you to be on the cover of multiple magazines to tell your story?
Very important. Those magazines helped me share my story with the younger generation, especially Black LGBT youth. Being able to show them great representation and being able to have someone to look up to.
