From the DMV to IDK's No Label Academy at Harvard: Meet BDX the Don

Hailing from the DMV area, BDX the Don is a prolific rap artist in the early stages of his career. His appreciation for the finer things in life helps inspire his creative process with clever wordplay, smooth yet effortless flow and relentless ambition. BDX’s first major project release “Expensive Taste” amassed 100,000+ streams after the single “Fly” was featured on Spotify’s Fresh Finds playlist. BDX the Don plans to continue to create music that inspires him in an effort to gain a big enough platform to provide opportunities for the youth to chase their dreams and unapologetically be themselves, just as he has done to this day. We had the chance to speak with BDX about how he got started, who inspires him the most and what he’s currently focused on.

Let’s start at the beginning. Can you give us some details about yourself and your background?

I grew up in Hyattsville, Maryland with a single mother after my father passed away eight days before I turned nine years old. This gave me a sense of responsibility at an early age, since I was the "man of the house." I can say that music is in my blood because I learned self-expression on both sides of my family. My grandfather on my father's side was a professional gospel singer with the group "Slim & the Supreme Angels" and everyone on my mother's side of the family all played instruments for the church. My love for music and art inspired me to join the arts program at my school starting in 4th grade. I've been writing songs since I was very young but started taking rap seriously in 2012 — it was trash, but I kept going. It's been a long journey with humble beginnings, but this is what I love to do and I want to influence the world with my message.

Please tell us more about your music and what you are currently focused on.

I'm from the DMV where Go-Go music was listened to more than rap at one point. In more recent times we transitioned into hip-hop, just before the Wale era which was in 2011 from what I remember. We have a very distinct sound that relies on a certain type of flow that I love, but I make an alternative style of the DMV sound. I'm not talking about anything I haven't been through or haven't actually done [in my music]. I talk about real shit the average person goes through, like growing up different than what your environment breeds, how I felt when certain situations played out and even what I see and experience on a daily basis. Currently I'm riding off the momentum of my 2021 project "Expensive Taste." I'm focused on growing as an artist and making music that people of all demographics can feel in their souls. I'll be dropping an EP with St. Kojo this year which is an experimental project that shows me playing with different sounds and getting out of my comfort zone. This is one of my favorites because it tested my versatility, and I was more vulnerable with listeners than usual.

How has the industry changed (or stayed the same) since you first started?

When I first started out in 2012, people were still buying songs on iTunes for 99 cents or using mixtape apps to listen to leaked music or their favorite artist's new project. Now the industry relies on digital streaming platforms where independent artists are only seeing pennies — damn near. There are a lot of ways to monetize your music and get paid, but the most universal way is the DSPs. We see how TikTok blew up and now songs can go viral from just one post. I feel like there are way more resources nowadays, artists just need to think outside of the box with their branding and marketing. Take more chances. The worst that can happen is taking a loss which really turns into a lesson to learn from.

Where do you draw inspiration from?

I want to be the greatest songwriter I possibly can, so I admire the pens of the greats like Biggie, Jay, Pac, Nas, Kendrick, Cole and LL Cool J. I want to reach that level one day with songwriting and even write for other artists. With that being said, I just know what I want out of life, how I want to live and where I want to be. That inspires me every day. I had a son back in March and the thought of him alone pushes me past any limits I might've had in the past. I want to maximize my potential while I'm here, so I surround myself with like-minded people. I get inspiration from my bros — like my man in Austin has a restaurant (CaJJun Eats), my other bro is deep in the PT game (and just doubled his clientele) and others are into IT and Crypto heavy. These are the people I like talking to because their drive inspires me to be great too.

Has it been a relatively smooth road? If not, what were some of the challenges you’ve faced along the way? 

This road has been far from easy. Along the way, I've lost close friends and even close family. People openly showed envy and their disapproval of what I've been doing. I used to second guess myself to the point of wanting to quit music forever. I've really been blessed, but I also believe that you can succeed in anything if you put the work in! I knew what I was getting into when I started. I knew the risk of not going to college and already being a black man in America. I have no choice but to give this my all, especially now that I have mouths to feed. There've been a lot of “no's” along the way, a lot of fake love — a lot of days where I want to create music, but have writer's block or I'm uninspired. That's cool though, it's nothing I can't handle.

What are you most proud of so far?

Honestly, I'm just proud of how far I've come since I started making music seriously. I've been featured on Netflix's "Rhythm and Flow" as an auditionist, I've seen success with my projects, met people I thought were way out of my reach and even graduated from IDK's No Label Academy at Harvard University. Never would've thought I'd make it this far with my pen.

Is there anyone, from the past or present, you wish you could work with? 

Can't even lie, I think my biggest dream collaboration would be with Pharrell, The Alchemist or Missy Elliott. Those are the three people that come to mind right now. I've admired Pharrell's work ethic and ear for music since I was a kid. Missy doesn't get the credit she deserves in my opinion — she's top 5 women rappers all time — and she does it all. The Alchemist's production tells a story and makes you feel a certain way when it plays. It gives me that raw, grimy hip-hop sound that I love so much.

What does “success” look like to you?

Success to me is being in a position to be able to make change in communities and in people's lives. That also comes with financial freedom, but what are you really doing with that money? Success is being great at something and being recognized for it as well. There's no such thing as "making it," but there is such a thing as rising to the highest level you can reach while you're alive. Success isn't just about money to me, it's about what you do with it and how you impact society while you're here.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?

If anything, I wish I made better decisions in the past, but without those experiences I wouldn't have learned everything I know today.

You can find BDX the Don on Instagram, Spotify and at his You42 Channel for more music and videos. Check out his website for more interviews.