ARN: Where are you from?
DG: I’m from Monroe, Louisiana. But hey, it’s a bit more complicated than that lol. I pretty much moved around most of my life.
ARN: Army kid?
DG: Nah. My family just liked new scenery I suppose. I’ve lived in Atlanta and Decatur, Georgia. I’ve stayed in Wisconsin and Iowa briefly. I’ve spent time in Agg Town, Texas. My upbringing was very diverse.
ARN: How did you come up with your stage name, Don Gramur?
DG: Well, Gramur is an alias I used back in the day when I first started getting serious about writing. I was trying to find something clever to name myself that fit what I was doing at the time. I was a part of a few writing communities. It was perfect. I believe Don Gramur came about around 2015. I added Don to the name after recording a smooth song titled “Don Gramur.” I wanted to show that Gramur was a smooth operator lol well, after that I decided to make the name change.
ARN: Why did you first start making music?
DG: I was heavily influenced by music from a young age. My dad was into music. I was singing in choirs and talent shows since I was a small child. Eventually, I decided that I was talented enough to write my own music. Most importantly, I had always dreamed of being a mega star musician.
ARN: Who would you say inspired you the most as an artist?
DG: Easy. My Pops for sure. He was the I’d seen with a true passion for music. I watched him as I grew up. But honestly, I didn’t truly realize my spiritual gift for what it was until I got much older. There’s definitely some remnants of talent passed down.
ARN: Talk me through your creative process.
DG: Hmmm. There’s no true formula to beautiful music. The method to my madness is simply following the flow of the holy spirit that guides me. Not forcing anything and letting my energy flow naturally. That’s how you get your best work done. When I’m in this mode, it doesn’t take long to get my ideas out. Fun fact. My last 15 singles were individually written, recorded, and mastered in less than 4 hours each. I was always quick at writing but not this quick. And we are talking about recording and mastering a song too in that time. Yea, I’m sticking with my process. It works well for me.
ARN: Have you heard the theory that some musicians write their best music while they’re depressed or going through a rough time?
DG: Absolutely. I believe that music can be healing. To the performer and the crowd. Sometimes it can be more powerful.
ARN: What’s the best advice you ever received?
DG: Don’t react. Respond.
ARN: Are you religious?
DG: I don’t really like titles. I do believe in the most high and his son for sure. However, I think that religion and denomination have been turned into something that they’re not. So I don’t identify in a specific section. I just love the the Lord and remain grateful through the times. Besides, we can’t truly understand everything in this life. If we could predict it all, we’d be perfect. But as you can see, we’re not.
ARN: What were your grades like in school?
DG: Umm. They were good. I was your 3.0 student that could have done much better if I was fully tuned in. When you’re younger, you don’t notice how much your surroundings affect you.
ARN: What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received about your music?
DG: Someone told me that they love my music and message. It was interesting because the person was Agnostic and I was talking about the most high and his message heavily at that time. That’s powerful ya know
ARN: What would you have done differently if you knew then what you know now?
DG: well. I would have started doing what I’m doing now back then lol I’d be very wealthy today. But everything happens for a purpose. I would have worked harder at not being distracted by the world and issues of life.
ARN: What’s your latest release?
DG: I recently dropped “The League of Injustice.” It was a response song to everything that has been happening with Covid and the death of George Floyd.
ARN: How do you currently feel about the state of Hip Hop in general?
DG: Hip Hop is ever changing. There’s a new wave of Hip Hop. I like some of the styles I hear, but not so much of the lyrical content. I’m a fan of guys like J. Cole, Kendrick, J.I.D. Hopefully, I can influence something different in the culture.
ARN: What do you want your legacy to be? How do you want to be remembered?
DG: I want to be remembered for glorifying the power of the most high. I want people to know how glorious the Lord’s power was through my works.
Artist`s website: https://clic.ly/dongramur