D-Black

BIOGRAPHY

Identified as the King of GH-Rap and an African Hip-Hop Star, he goes by the birth name Desmond Kwesi Blackmore, better known in showbiz circles as D-Black, Ghana’s premiere Anglophone hip hop artist.

D-Black is a music business entrepreneur, executive producer and multiple award-winning Anglophone hip hop artist from Ghana.

Outside of making music, he runs his own marketing/advertising/events firm “Black Avenue Works” that specializes in corporate & social events, product/brand marketing and advertising. There are subsidiaries of Black Avenue Works, namely “Black Avenue Muzik” and “Black Avenue Films”.

Black Avenue Muzik is an Independent Record Label and Distribution outlet based in Ghana. Black Avenue Muzik is distributed internationally by Sony Music via Rockstar 4000.

D-Black da Ghana Bwouy released his debut solo album titled 'Music, Love & Life' on the 24th of September 2010 on his Black Avenue Muzik Label & Rockstar 4000/Sony Music Entertainment.

The Album‟s first single, Somebody‟ was officially released on the 2nd of May 2010 with it’s video premiered exclusively all around Africa in July. The song “Somebody” made it into the Ghanaian top 10 Charts on 9 Radio stations around the country barely 3 weeks after it’s release.

Following the huge success of his first single, D-Black followed up in September with an even bigger record “Get on da dance floor” featuring Dr. Cryme. This club banger true to its title hit the dance floors heavy all around the country and Africa almost immediately. An award winning video for this banger of a tune was released in November 2010 with a follow up remix to the song released in February 2011 where D-Black featured Nigeria’s Ice Prince & Kel, South Africa’s HHP, Efya and Dr. Cryme from Ghana.

Keeping the appetite of D-Black's fans still whet, he released the video for a grimey non-commercial hiphop track off his album “Believe” for the hiphop

D-Black fans even before dropping the video for club banger “Get On Da Dancefloor”.

The Official music video for the third single off D-Black's “Music, Love and Life” album titled “Asabone” which means Dirty Dancing dropped on the 1st of May 2011.

D-Black recently in June released two singles off his upcoming sophomore album set for release in March 2012. The Two songs titled “Ma Me Five” and “My Kinda Girl” featuring Sarkodie are creating a huge buzz around Africa now.

Before all of this ,D-Black da Ghana Bwouy between December 2008 and July 2009 dropped two major singles off his joint album, "Target Practice" with ex-big brother Africa housemate, Kwaku-T. The self executive produced album which was marketed by D-Black's “Black Avenue Works” firm boasted the singles “Move” which was nominated in the Best West African Category at the 2009 Channel O Music Awards in South Africa and “Breathe” featuring Jay So which received countless awards nominations and 4 award wins continentally.

Award in it's eleven year history, rapping in English, with their music Video Breathe‟ directed by Gyo of Phamous Philms winning the Best Video of the Year Award 2010 and nominated for Best Hip hop song of the Year.

The man voted by MNet Africa as Africa‟s 2nd Best Rapper for 2010 and 6th Most Stylish Male Celebrity for 2010, flies solo this time with a 20-track album with music he has written and recorded surrounding his life‟s experiences and the music he loves hence the album‟s title “Music, Love & Life.

“Music is the first love of my life and this album is music from the heart, mind and soul,” D-Black says. I believe in African unity and collaborations so this album has a lot of collabos with artists from around the world. This is only the beginning for me, Ghana and Africa as a whole.

"This is my first album and i‟m amazed at the response i have received so far. My first commercial release was barely 2 years ago and i give all thanks to God up above for bringing me this far.

With prominent producers like Coptic, Kwam1, Piesie, Killmatic, Jay Sleek (Nigeria), Sammi Blacc, M.A., Bra Kevin, Female producer; Chantelle Myers, Green Gafacci, Dr EL, Jounide and Waxi of Sound Republic working on the album‟s production.

The album hit stores on the 24th of September 2010 , distributed internationally by Sribuo and Rockstar 4000/Sony Music Entertainment.

This album is hands down the most successful pure hip-hop Album from Ghana continentally till date with the Music Videos for the first 3 singles “Somebody” ft. Kwabena Kwabena, “Get On Da Dancefloor” featuring Dr. Cryme and “Asabone” making massive waves across Ghana and Africa.

He is the C.E.O of his own Record label “Black Avenue Muzik” with a stable of talented artists and producers under his wing.

D-Black released his first artist, the 17 year old kid “Dee Moneey” with his first single “Kpokpo O Body” to massive response in February this year.

With Dee Moneey‟s debut album “My Time to Eat” set to drop in December this year, the video for Kpokpo O Body hits screens late July.

Having been appointed United Nations (U.N) Celebrity Ambassador in Ghana in December 2009 for the cause of Environmental degradation, D-Black collaborates with 2 face Idibia (Nigeria), J-town and Kwaku-t on “STOP IT”; a song delved around the realization of the United Nations Millennium Developmental Goals which incude HIV/AIDS awareness, Poverty and Domestic Violence/Women Empowerment.

D-Black sees this song as his message to society, Ghanaians ,Africans and the world as a whole. He says “Joint efforts like this make the world a better place to live in”. He is re-appointed this year again as United Nations Celebrity Ambassador to fight “Hunger in Africa”.

The multiply internationally nominated Ghanaian Hip hop artist D-Black has in his career graced / performed on stages with a number of international acts.

He's performed at the 2011 Ghana Music Awards, The 2010 Channel O Music Video Awards (South Africa) , The 2010 4syte Ghanaian Music Video Awards, The 2010 Busta Rhymes in Ghana Concert, The Rick Ross Blowing Money Fast Tour 2010 in Ghana and before he even had an album out performed at the Ghana Music Awards in 2007, The Jay Z Live in Ghana Concert in 2006, The 2008 Fat Joe and Omarion Concert in Ghana, 2011 Ghana Music Awards and more.

He's shared stages with the likes of Jay-z, Fat Joe, Rick Ross, Busta Rhymes, Omarion, Ja Rule ,Memphis Bleek, U.K Based Sway, Tinchy Stryder and Donaeo, K‟Naan from Somalia, Wyre from Kenya, Tear Gas from South Africa, Dama Do Bling from Mozambique, P-Square, Banky W and 2 Face Idibia from Nigeria as well as Stevie Wonder and more.

D-Black is also now the Brand Ambassador also for South African Based African Urban Clothing Label “AMA KIPKIP”.

Currently on his first Nationwide Tour of Ghana , D-Black is making massive strides across Africa. His “Yes Boss Tour” took him to all 10 regions of Ghana promoting his brand of hiphop music at sold out venues across the country in a two month period. Tour dates in Europe , The United States of America and South Africa are to be confirmed later this year.

D-Black's album is face lift for Ghanaian hiphop music on the international scene and his music is a fusion of his lyrical dexterity, right choice of beats and concepts, his life experiences and train of thought. D-Black raps mainly in the English language mixed with Pidgin English.

D-Black was featured on the 2010 BET (BLACK ENTERTAINMENT TELEVISION) HIPHOP AWARDS CYPHER with 6 other Ghanaian rappers namely Reggie Rockstone, Sarkodie, Edem, Tinny, Kwaku-t & Baby G. This was the first time in the history of the BET HIPHOP AWARDS, making them the first West African Artists to be featured on the BET CYPHER.

This historical feat was directed by BET'S Lilian Blankson and aired on the 16TH of October 2010 on the BET INTERNATIONAL NETWORK all over the world to audiences in the U.K, Ireland, Middle East, Australia and Africa. Other artists that have been featured on the BET CYPHER include Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, Eminem, Fabolous, Ace Hood, Juelz Santana, Common, KRS 1, Ice Cube, Jadakiss, K‟Naan and more.

D-Black in May 2011 made history again as he emerged as the first Ghanaian Hiphop artist to be nominated at the prestigious BET AWARDS for BEST INTERNATIONAL ACT (AFRICA) 2011 with just one album to his credit. He is up against artists from Nigeria,South Africa,Benin and Congo namely 2 Face Idibia, DBanj, Tear Gas, Angelique Kidzo and Fally Ipupa.

Around Ghana including stadiums, Auditoriums and outdoor parks. Thousands of fans thronged to see D-Black anytime he hit their city on his Yes Boss Tour.

Chase, Ruff n Smooth, J-Town,Sarkodie, Yaa Pono, Trigmatic, Stay Jay, Dee Moneey, Efya, Dr. Cryme, Bradez and more joined the tour. This historical tour was organized by his marketing and events firm “Black Avenue Works”. D-Black is set to tour the Europe, South Africa, U.S.A and Nigeria soon promoting his album.

The extremely industrious C.E.O/artist and enteprenuer is also a graduate of the University of Ghana, Legon where he studied Theatre Arts/ Film Directing and Music.

Dubbed Ghana's hardest working entertainer ; D-black also has future plans to release a free mixtape “United States of Africa” later on this year and would feature music he recorded featuring various artists from his travels around the world such as M.I & Ice Prince from Nigeria, U.S.A's Jim Jones and Memphis Bleek under production from Coptic, Segal from Gabon, Tay Grin from Malawi, Sauce Kid from Nigeria, Kel from Nigeria, Thembi Seete from South Africa, 2 Face Idibia from Nigeria, Wyre from Kenya, Dama Do Bling from Mozambique, Banky W from Nigeria, Zara from Nigeria, HHP and Tear Gas from South Africa, Buffalo Souljah from Zimabwe, Rachel K from Uganda and more.

Also Various Remixes off his Album including “Somebody” featuring Ayigbe Edem, Iwan and Kwabena Kwabena and “Get on da dance floor” featuring Nigeria's Ice Prince and Kel and South Africa's HHP have just recently been released.

DISCOGRAPHY

Target Practice, (Black Avenue Works), 2009

Music, Love & Life, (Black Avenue Musik), 2010

2010 Ghana Music Awards - Hiphop/Hiplife Song of the Year

2010 Ghana Music Awards - Music Video of the Year – Breathe

2010 African Music Awards (UK) - Music Video of the Year – Breathe

2010 4SYTE Music Video Awards – Best Storyline in a Video – Breathe

2010 4SYTE Music Video Awards – Best Collaboration in a Video – Breathe

MNet Africa 2nd Best Rapper

2010 MNet 6th Most Stylish Male Celebrity

2011 Ghana Music Awards – Hip hop Song of the Year – Get On Da Dancefloor

NOMINATIONS

2009 Channel O Music Video Awards - Best West African – Move

2010 Ghana Music Awards - Discovery of the Year

2010 Ghana Music Awards - Hip-Hop/Hiplife Song of the Year – Breathe

2010 Museke African Music Awards - Music Video of the Year – Breathe

2010 Channel O Music Video Awards - Best HipHop – Breathe

2010 Channel O Music Video Awards - Best Music Video – Breathe

2010 Sound City Music Awards – Best Collaboration – D-Black feat. Kwabena Kwabena -Somebody

2010 Sound City Music Awards – Best New Video – D-Black – Believe

2010 4SYTE Music Video Awards – Best Overall Video – Breathe

2010 4SYTE Music Video Awards – Best Directed Video – Breathe

2010 4SYTE Music Video Awards – Best Group Video – D-Black & Kwaku-T – Breathe

2011 Ghana Music Awards – Hip hop/ Hiplife Artist of the Year –D-Black

2011 Ghana Music Awards – Songwriter of the Year – Somebody – D-Black

2011 Ghana Music Awards – Collaboration of the Year – Somebody ft. Kwabena Kwabena

2011 Ghana Music Awards – Album of the Year – Music, Love & Life by D-Black

2011 BET Awards – Best International Artist of the Year (Africa) – D-Black

2011 Channel O Music Video Awards – Most Gifted African West Video Artiste - D-Black ft. Dr. Cryme - Get On The Dance Floor