Daeshawn Ballard - Freshman 15

Daeshawn formally known as LiL-D Da Prince is a rapper from Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania USA. Although he’s studying a full academic scholarship at California University, he has decided to pursue a career in music, which has given him the chance to put his skills acquire on his course to good use. He see’s a bright future for himself where his is signed with a major label making money and good music and has recently had his latest song ‘Built Ford Tough’ ft Big Meach which has had airplay in two states in the USA.

I thought I’d catch up with Daeshawn to find out his inspiration, sacrifices and where it all started.

‘I rap, inspire and entertain anybody from the internet to your favorite hotspot in town. It all started with my father noticing and believing in my talent while I was 12 years old. I believe people owe it to their ears to listen to me, because what I am putting in their ear canals are beautiful vibrations, simply put... great music! By being me and giving them my all every time, I appeal to them’

He would say that he’s made a few sacrifices to fulfill his career some of which include music ‘invites to countless parties other events during high school and relationships’ He takes his music career very seriously and when he’s not writing lyrics you can find him in the studio recording. However when he’s not in the studio, you can find him ‘being a nerd, observing beautiful woman or watching endless movies’. He says ‘in the end I see what I have accomplished thus far and I see that sacrifices I made were necessary, so no regrets here’.

He’s gained a lot of his inspiration from and learn a lot through the experiences of others as well as what he’s witnessed himself. ‘I look up to my parents because there are no harder working people in my life besides me that I know of still able to support the dreams of their children and their own.’

He feels the music industry ‘has gone almost completely digital and this helps with those independent labels by having easier access to fans and providing information that had been hidden from general population’.

I never like to think I have a best, because I still am growing as a artist and young man, but a song that I am most proud of is the latest song me and father ‘Big Meach’ did ‘Built Ford Tough’. I am proud of it because it's HOT!! It’s been on the radio in 2 states and it has my father on it!

I am currently working on a mixtape 'Freshman 15' because I wanted to share, not my experiences, but the different emotions I felt in college. The last album he bought was his own mixtape ‘Good Morning Good Night’, he says I know this will sound a little self-centered but, that was actually the last album I bought iTunes. That’s what happens when I win a free iTunes gift card, I turn it into capital'.

In his opinion, ‘people should buy music because we artist are offering you a service and that service, is appealing to your emotions. For example, if you go through a break up and no one understands the situation when you talk to them, you turn on that one song that gets it just right to help cope with your heartache; we provide that one service over all other groups of people can.

In 5 years times he see’s himself ‘signed with a major label making money and good music’. He sees it as way or him to give back and also ‘love to do and see the young men I have inspired doing something positive with their lives’.

You can now contact Daeshawn via Facebook, follow him on Twitter, as well as watch all his latest his via Youtube.