A whirlwind of talent, Donnell London is blowing onto the music scene like an ice storm in July. A royally chilling tempest of pop, hip-hop, love, lust, charm, fury, and lyricism, Mr. London commands the attention of all who never even saw him coming. In his early career, that very culmination earned him the moniker Blizzard after that forcefully mystifying myriad of elements materializing from ice, sleet, wind, thunder, and lightening — inspiring both awe and trepidation from any unsuspecting figure in its path.
Born in Memphis and bred in Atlanta, Mr. London began his surge onto the music scene in his school cafeteria, penning poems that made him a high school ‘Casanova’. For him, poetry had begun as a stress reliever but soon evolved into a compulsive love for creation. From there, this musical prodigy was introduced to the rap game by his best friend who encouraged him to put his words to music. And though Mr. London loved the ladies, it was evident from that moment on that his first and true love would be hip-hop music. Adopting his mother’s flair for the stage, he began performing in 2000 with a family-based group.
1inmusic: What is unique about you and your music?
Donnell London: I honestly believe that my creativity and my diverse sound makes me unique. The fact that I sound only like myself and can be different from the way other artist may come allows me to stand out from the rest. My beat production is not the norm coming out of Memphis and what I talk about in my music is beyond drugs, killing and gang banging. I try to write songs that have good concepts and catchy choruses that can grasp the attention of listeners.
1inMusic: What shaped your music and who supports you?
DL: That’s actually a good question. I can say my love for self-expression though my art and poetry shaped my music. Of course growing up in an era where real music was created also helped mold my style and assisted me in finding my own sound when it came to rapping. As of right now I have quite a support system that backs me. My friends and family are there to constantly remind me that I have what it takes to become great and as long as I keep God in the midst my blessings will continue to grow.
1inmusic: When did you realize you were going to make music professionally?
DL: I can say after I performed two songs that I wrote at a 4th of July party in Atlanta GA was when I decided to take my music a little more seriously. I was only 17 and once I saw how the crowd responded in such excitement I knew then, that music was something wanted to pursue.
1inmusic: What type of music do you listen to?
DL: I listen to all types of music from rock, alternative, jazz, r&b hip-hop, pop and bounce music.
1inmusic: Who, to you, is the most undervalued music artist?
DL: I would have to say the most undervalued music artist to me is Lupe Fiasco. You don’t really hear too much about his music or what he is doing at the present moment. Some of my favorite songs from him is Lamborghini Angels, The Show Goes On and Super Star.
1inmusic: How do you prepare for your performances?
DL: First I say a prayer and wish all goes well and that I don’t forget my words. Lol. I usually rehearse over and over until I feel comfortable rapping my songs without messing up. Sometimes I’ll even meditate to keep my nerves calm and relaxed before hitting the stage.
1inmusic: What ignites your (song) writing flow?
DL: Being in a calm and peaceful setting allows my mind to conjure up the creativity needed to write my songs. Once I get my first couple of sentences written down on paper my mind goes into hyper drive and I can paint a nice masterpiece from that. Also, just sitting down and listening to a beat can ignite my mind and heart to spit that ice-cold flow.
1inmusic: What do you do when you don’t do music (creative or otherwise) and that you are passionate about?
DL: When I’m not doing music I like to act, read/watch anime, draw portraits, exercise, play video games and do martial arts.
1inmusic: Success to you is…
DL: Success to me is what you feel deep down is an accomplishment. Anything good that has happen in your life is considered success in my book, and if you want to obtain this success you must work diligently and effortlessly in your work ethics.
1inmusic: What do you wish you were told when you started out and that you think would help anyone who starts out?
DL: I wish I was told to have patience and to stay consistent with my craft, as well as invest in promo and marketing to get my music heard. Of course just going through the motions and experiencing how the music industry is can also be a great teacher. I would tell any artist just starting out to learn everything they can and to make sure to put nothing but quality material out, rather than settling for quantity.
1inmusic: Any upcoming projects?
DL: I am currently working on my EP titled “Ticket 2 London” and I plan to have this completed by next year sometime. It will have my single “Ain’t Havin It,” which is set to release July 18th on iTunes and every other major online store; so definitely be looking out for that.
1inmusic: Where do we find your music / music project?
DL: As of right now you can find my music on my Facebook music page: Donnell London, my Instagram: Donnell_London and Twitter: Donnell London. My official web site will be coming soon, but until then these three social media sites will be where music, photos, events and merchandise can be found.