D-Dogg – I’m A Rider (2001) (CDS) (FLAC + 320 kbps)

This is CD-R format Acetate Test Pressing CD single from Northamptons rapper/producer Dana James.

Here’s some info on the artist: ”Most successful producer/artists have a story. An angle that generates interest and creates a buzz. Kanye(car crash), Dre(gangsta), 50(shot), Jay(hustler turn exec) Eminem(well…). Nowadays, talent, hard work & ‘a story’ quite often equate to success. What if you only have the first two? Born in 1980 to Sierra Leonean parents in Newcastle, Hip Hop producer Dama James however horned his production skills in the Midlands town of Northampton. The first 16 years of his life were spent in West Africa. 13 in Sierra Leone, the last 3 years in Benin where, while attending an American school, teenage Dama’s love for music, more specifically Rap music, grew. Early influences included Deathrow Records, Wu-Tang, Biggie, but the first CD Dama bought was Nas’ Illmatic. It was this Hip Hop classic that fuelled the musical fire that burns till this day. In the 1990s, West Africa did not serve as a hot bed for nurturing Hip Hop talent and/or artists. Couple this with the, some may say, old African mantra that to be considered a success, you had to be a recognised professional of some sort. e.g a lawyer or doctor. However, in the summer of ’96, while on holiday in London, Dama’s parents decided to let him continue school in Northampton, where he began recording & performing under the name D-Dogg. Recognising his passion and relentless drive, Dama’s parents supported and encouraged him to pursue his musical aspirations. And while at university, Dama and another student, Taz aka Truth, both 18, formed Potent Entertainment and ran it out of Dama’s room in the uni dorms. Studio, office, bed, all in one room! In 2000 they, along with two fellow students students, D’Ru and DKM, formed rap group P.O.T, with Dama as producer. With P.O.T receiving airplay and exposure, including a guest appearance on Westwood, 19 year old Dama soon realised this was what he wanted to do full time. P.O.T however disbanded, and though all the members are still cool, they pursued their own thing. Dama formed Red-dogg with his long-time Northampton brethren, Red, and in 2002, created a buzz with the EP, Recipe Fo’ Disaster, performing locally and supported acts including Task Force, Fallacy & DJ Skully at the monthly Hip Hop night “Sound Of The Streets”. “The whole Red-dogg project” says Dama “was a chance for me to sharpen my production skills and as Red and I released it ourselves, doing 100% of the legwork, we learnt quite alot about effective marketing strategies, as well as build up a network of industry contacts”. This included producing & co-producing for Hip Hop Crew, Hot Heads, female rapper Fully Loaded Tongue, remixing 50 Cent, Fabolous, Dr. Dre and engineering the UK side of the Anglo-American collabo between Mystro & Main Flow, “Mr. Know-It-All” Dama, along with Producer/Songwriter Stefante are the production team behind The Black Rat Pack(BRP) Productions based in the Midlands. In 2007, they released the ubiquitous mixtape, The Bootleg Bomb. “I’m a sound engineer by trade, from a production background, and so I’m gonna focus on the recording and the production side of things, essentially the overall creative process. I more than know my way around everything in any recording studio. Even though POT & Red-dogg were positive learning experiences, the complexities of running a Hip Hop label had little appeal to me. I’ve collaborated on tons of projects, and early on I realised I was much more comfortable behind a mixing desk or MPC, than on the phone to a distributor. I love working with creative individuals, people who are really into the music first. “I learnt UK Hip Hop the hard way” he jokes. “Me and Truth were running Potent in the days before Channel U, 1xtra and MySpace! I’m not counting on anything other than my hard work and talent to succeed because I don’t have a story”. Nuff said.”

1 I’m A Rider (Radio Edit)
2 I’m A Rider (Album Version)
3 I’m A Rider (Instrumental)
4 Real Name Dama James