Dope Truth is a Florida artist that now calls Atlanta home. He grew up in West Palm Beach, Fla., and went to the University of Central Florida for a little bit. He is also heavy into the songwriting, having written for Busta Rhymes, Fivio Foreign, and Rotimi. He is coming off the music video release of his latest single “Lord Forgive Me” featuring Rah Swish, and he stepped into the Star Studio to talk about his sound.
How was your time at UCF? Were you making music back then?
Yeah, I was, it was cool, to be honest, man, I was the one that used school as a path to get out the house. It’s like, a lot of people just immediately knew like I’m not going to school. I was like, “Nah, if I go to school, my mom’s, my family’s on my mom side, they got me.” It just made sense for me. And I was never slow. Like school was easy for me.
When did you start taking rapping seriously?
What happened was I used to DJ in high school. So I used to do pep rallies. My mom’s had a little lounge, so I used to try to throw my own little parties and stuff like that. And then I always had wanted to do it, but to be honest, nobody around me did music. I didn’t know any producers, engineers. All I knew was dudes that was getting to it making money. So, then I reached out to the only person I knew in Orlando, because I knew was moving out here. I was like, “Yo, you know where any studios at?” He told me there’s one right across the street from my house. I never been to it, but it’s a studio. And they always doing specials and stuff, I told him I’m moving to your neighborhood, just because he said it was a studio across the street. I didn’t even know what the apartment looked like. I didn’t know nothing. I signed a lease there and that pretty much what happened in 2012.
If you could tell people to go stream two songs that could define you or show exactly who you are, what would they be and why?
I’ll say “Wins and Losses” off the last album, Presidential Truth, just because it’s like when I listen to it, it actually reminds me of the journey, meaning, it wasn’t easy. It wasn’t easy at all. And then if we outside, I would say, “Bad Bitches.” Because it’s like, I shout out all women, like all styles. I just love them all, you know what I mean. So I think that’s my two personalities.
What’s your favorite J. Cole album?
The Dollar And A Dream was obviously my thing. But then Forest Hill Drive kind of took over for me because I just like transition music that actually shows growth. So, anything I’m like, yo. Like, you grow. You can see the growth. You can see certain things that used to matter don’t matter no more. Like those things are always something I like.
