Donny Goines

"Donny Goines said this to me shortly after I met him for the first time. I’d been given the opportunity to hang with him when he was opening for Talib Kweli’s group Idle Warship, who all were allegedly too busy to come upstairs and hang out with the common folk. Goines, who obviously had access to move about the club at will, never abandoned the guests whom he had brought to the show to go pop his collar with the headliners. Instead, he was gregarious and always willing to talk, taking the time to introduce me to several of his industry peers and ensuring I had all my needs taken care of.

That scene really speaks to the type of person that Goines is. “I’m a man first, artist second” he said at one point during in our interview. Meet him and you’ll never experience a moment where you doubt that. He never drinks or smokes, he never seems to get angry or impatient. His motivation and his artistic hustle are pure and honest. Combine all of those personality traits with his ever-growing talent, and you have one of the most admirable budding artists out there- a man and an artist that are both easy to root for."

Excerpt. Full story here:

http://smokingsection.uproxx.com/TSS/2009/06/tss-presents-smoking-sessions-with-donny-goines


- Jesse

"Now I don’t know if that’s why this man chose this particular alias, but Donny Goines’ has been going hard with videos on the internet showcasing his ability to write bars on the spot and freestyling with your favorite underground rapper just to prove he can hold his own. For someone who just in 2006 decided to up and start rapping, he’s quite nice with the pen and pad. And like Donald, Donny uses his art to bring his view on urban living and thinking to the masses. Not to mention his flow is capable of bringing in that currency. That’s what makes Minute After Midnight necessary to a hip-hop game flooded with one-dimensional music."

Excerpt. For full story read here:

http://www.xxlmag.com/online/?p=32424

- Omar

"Rappers nowadays are a dime a dozen. You only have to look to the bootleggers on 125th Street in Harlem to understand just how over populated the blocks and streets of every town and every city are. And in New York City, the Hip-Hop Mecca, rappers, lyricists, MCs, whatever you want to call them are literally having to ‘sing for their supper.’


With Hip-Hop pretty much selling its soul to the powers that be, there are some lyricists who just refuse to give up on their so called ‘constitutional rights’ and deny their creativity. Donny Goines stands firm in that group.


Co-signs aren’t something Donny Goines dwells on, but he has them, mixtapes and showcases weren’t his path of choice to get his name out there, but he isn’t adverse to them. This New Yorker just grinds. Using the Internet as his means to an end, doesn’t necessarily make him an Internet rapper as some might think, he was just dead set on making his mark using whatever means possible. Songs like


He knows he has a battle on his hands being from a city that fights with its own ego every time the day dawns, but that doesn’t make him falter. He came into the game with a mission on his mind and nothing is going to stop him from shedding the stigmatism that surrounds Hip-Hop and the somewhat forgotten soldiers of New York City."

Excerpt. For full story read here:

http://allhiphop.com/stories/breedingground/archive/2007/05/21/18137026.aspx

- Melanie Cornish

"If people respect the hustle, NYC MC Donny Goines has enough due. After a three year sting in the Navy, Donny hit the music scene with a vengence."My drive, especially for music is relentless" he explains "And I won't stop to I achieve all my goals...

Excerpt. For full story read here:

http://donnygoines.blogspot.com/2009/02/off-rader-in-march-issue-of-source.html - The Source

"Donny Goines' new video for "Ricky's Story" is a throwback golden age ghetto tale -- more proof that he is more than capable of living up to his namesake. Donny is backed by the production of undergrond giant Statik Selektah on this one, over which he spits another heart-breaking tale about the wrong path."

Excerpt. For full story read here:

http://www.urb.com/permalink/4473/VIDEO:-Donny-Goines:-Ricky's-Story.html - URB.COM

"Donny Goines, not to be confused with Donald Goines, wants to get his message out and to be heard however possible. A New York City-bred rapper who has been featured on allhiphop.com, sohh.com and other publications, he spares no one when it comes to speaking his mind.

No stranger to struggle, unlike some, his was real. Growing up with parents in and out of prison and losing his close friend and mentor Disco D, have taken a toll on him but still he rises. Steering away from the typical hood life scenario and other negative happenstances that can happen very easily, he continues to remain positive and pursue his dream of music. I caught up with him in an instant messenger interview and found out more about this talented young artist."

Excerpt. For full story read here:

http://www.hiphopdx.com/blogs/2007/08/donny-goines-real-talk/ - Starr

"Donny Goines is an easy man to root for. Like his literary namesake, the up and coming NYC rapper draws from his personal struggles on unforgiving streets to paint urgent, often cathartic word pictures. Minutes After Midnight stands out as a project of passion in a climate of commercial pragmatism."

Excerpt. For full story read here:

http://www.okayplayer.com/reviews/january-2009/donny-goines-200901127140/ - Jeff Harvey

But the top dog? Donny Goines. The energy that the man I call “On The Grind” projected was crazy. You know the chicks that come to the party, like Hip-Hop but aren’t gonna really exert themselves by even throwing their hands in the air? Yeah, Donny had them going and never missed a beat while stumbling, tripping & recovering. Words won’t suffice, even video may not. Catch Donny live if he ever hits your city.

Read the Full story here:

http://smokingsection.uproxx.com/TSS/2009/10/your-brief-a3c-perfect-attendance-recap-night-one - Gotty

With the conclusion of another quick set, Donny Goines came to perform another high-energy set. This was another first time act for me, but once again I was quite impressed by his prowess on stage. He ran through what appeared to be a few cuts from his most recent album, The Breakfast Club. Donny killed it like a veteran, just him and his DJ, as he wheeled through a bunch of banging tracks, almost as if the threat of rain was non-existent.

Read the full story here:

http://potholesinmyblog.com/concert-review-brooklyn-hip-hop-festival-empire-fulton-ferry-state-park/ - POTHOLES IN MY BLOG