Kat Harlton
Photos provided via PR team
Two-time Guinness World Record-setting rapper Duane “D.O.” Gibson recently released his new EP Songs of Freedom on February 16th via all streaming platforms.
Produced by Beatchild (Drake, Glenn Lewis, Gary Beals) and Saukrates (Nelly Furtado, Nas, Kardinal Offishall), Sounds of Freedom is a collection of four tracks that focus on resilience and freedom inspired from Gibson’s commitment to educating others about Black Canadian History.
The EP features the Bob Marley-inspired track, “Redemption Song,” a collaboration with multiple-time JUNO nominee, Ammoye. Released on January 19th, D.O. will delve into the Cape Breton connection that served as inspiration for Marley’s iconic composition. Also included on the EP is the song “Black Music 365,” which pays homage to Black musicians.
In addition to the new EP, D.O. recently completed his 2024 Black Canadian School Tour. The tour culminated for his third annual virtual Black 365 Conference in support of Black History Month which pulled in an expected audience of over 50,000 students nationwide. A highlight of the conference was Gibson’s exploration of the rich history of Birchtown in Nova Scotia, where the community embarked on a journey to Sierra Leone, Africa.
Born in Watrous, Saskatchewan, with Cape Breton Nova Scotia roots, D.O. grew up in Southern Ontario before settling in Toronto. He has defied the odds as a rapper from Canada, becoming an international artist, a successful record label executive and an active community ambassador. He set a Guinness World Record when he freestyled for nearly nine hours in 2003, sold tens of thousands of albums, hit #1 on U.S. college hip-hop radio charts and travelled the world performing for sold-out crowds.
Additionally, D.O. serves as the co-founder of the Northern Power Summit, an urban conference located in Toronto, and has positively impacted hundreds of thousands of individuals through his empowering Stay Driven program that addresses relevant topics such as anti-bullying, peer pressure and literacy. Furthermore, he is an accomplished author, having published his books “Stay Driven: Can’t Nobody Hold You Down” in 2012 and “On This Grind” in 2021.
I had the opportunity to chat with Duane about his musical journey, his new EP and what’s next.
Kat: Can you share with us a bit about the inspiration behind your Songs of Freedom EP?
Duane: I’ve always been a Bob Marley fan but when I learned that his song “Redemption Song” had a Cape Breton connection, I wanted to remake it. Marley was inspired by a speech that Marcus Garvey did in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. One of the iconic lines in the song is “Songs of Freedom” – and I thought that would make for a great name because these are songs with a message. I think it sums it up perfectly.
Kat: What do you hope fans take from this new release?
Duane: I like making classic Hip-Hop music, but I also like making music that has a message. I thought that this would be a great project to do both – especially because the music is coming out in Black History month so I’m glad that I can educate fans on Black history by using music.
Kat: What do you find is the most challenging part of your creative process?
Duane: When you make music with a message the biggest challenge is just making sure its good music. What I mean by that is, it’s great to have a message in the music but at the end of the day the listener is looking for a good song. So sometimes you have to simplify the message, but that is okay too because if you can make it catchy enough, the listener will not only be bobbing their head, but they’ll be learning at the same time.
Kat: What have you learned along the way that you would like to share with other aspiring artists and creators?
Duane: I’ve had a lot of young artists tell me over the years that they didn’t want to make “positive” music because people don’t listen to it. They tell me that they need to make hardcore music because that’s what people want. I completely disagree. I tell artists that finding an niche is the most important thing you can do as an artist. You have to separate yourself from the pack. It’s okay to be different – it’s actually better. That’s the Hip-Hop I grew up on. Being different and being confident and cool in your own skin.
Kat: In addition to the new EP, you also recently completed your 2024 Black Canadian School Tour and virtual Black 365 Conference, which drew an expected audience of over 50,000 students nationwide. Can you tell us more about the tour and how it felt to be visiting over 50 schools across Canada?
Duane: I’m doing this interview early this morning in Nanaimo, BC. I love being able to get across the country and connecting with youth from coast to coast.
When I started out, I enjoyed being able to visit new cities and learn about them. As I continued on the journey, I realized how much connecting with people from these different places would really impact and influence my music.
Kat: What else can fans expect from you for the balance of 2024?
Duane: I’m really excited to be performing in South Africa in May. It will be my first time travelling to the continent and can’t wait to see what they think of my music out there!
Aside from that, I’m always looking forward to more shows and recording an releasing new music. Ah yeah!
Connect:
Instagram: @iamdogibson
Facebook: /iamdogibson
Twitter: @iamdogibson
Website: https://iamdogibson.com/