The kind of heartbreak time could never mend isn’t the person who left you after years of being together. It isn’t the person you fell in love with the second your eyes met. The kind of heartbreak time could never mend is the person that could have been. It’s the person you almost had — the person who was once at an arm’s length — but pulled away when you finally decided to take the leap. It’s the person who keeps you up at night with all the possibilities, all the what ifs, all the should’ve beens.
Meet Damon X, the emerging addition to Yonkers' often-overlooked hip-hop narrative. "The Drive" marks Damon X's first release after his name change and featuring on Tanner Peterson's single, "Break the Spell." Inspired by car culture, Damon X employs a continuous double entendre on the word "drive." Boasting an increasingly urgent lyricism over a smooth beat, "The Drive" includes themes of competition and social justice to tell a story of the self-determination required to reach one's dreams.
Hailing from Yonkers, New York, Damon X is the latest in a surprisingly long line of hip-hop/R&B artists from the "Sixth Borough." Like fellow Yonkers artists (e.g. DMX, Mary J. Blige, and The LOX), Damon X couples his phenomenal songwriting, rapping, and singing skills with an inextinguishable drive to be recognized by the pinnacles of the music world. Some may describe this as a chip on his shoulder. Damon X prefers to see it as reflecting the essence of the city of Yonkers. Being the son of a former Miami DJ granted Damon X an upbringing constantly filled with an eclectic music collection. As a result, some of Damon X's first influences include the likes of Gil Scott Heron, Bob Marley, Erykah Badu, Joni Mitchell, and 2Pac.
However, as a young listener during the famous "Blog Era" of hip-hop, Damon X's first inspirations in rap were J. Cole, Big K.R.I.T., and Kendrick Lamar. While many - to devalue the genre - enjoy distinguishing hip-hop and higher education, Damon X graduated from an Ivy League university. Staying true to his studies, Damon X brings a sociological lens to creating music. Much of his approach to songwriting focuses on themes such as race, class, life, death, love, and loss. To Damon X, the point is not just to make art; it's important to make art just.
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