Damien Paradise

My name is Damon Gillespie, I am Nineteen and my dream is to be in music. I dont know what it is but when I hear music I feel that I can be a part of it. When I was entering middle school I always heard kids across the lunch room free styling and I found myself rapping along with them. The more I rapped, the better I got at finding words. I even took music back home to my family (cousins), always wanting to freestyle with them but the never wanted to participate. Just wanted to listen so I ended up rapping basically performing for them. I loved it because I was able to make family and friends laugh and smile and at the end and get positive feedback in the end. Something like damn Damon that shit when hard or I wish I could do that. Now High School, thats a different story. This is where I improved the most, even though I moved to a new school my sophomore year.
I loved High School because when we had projects, we were able to present some of them the way we wanted to. Some of them I performed during music no matter what the topic was about. I remember when it was my senior year; whenever we had free time in class I would have the teacher play an instrumental for me so that I could freestyle. I swear everyone loved to listen even the nerds who didnt listen to rap. I always had a way of showing my talent that everyone keeps reminding me of. Close to my senior year I starting getting into recording in my friends home made closet. Never had my own beats because it was hard to find good beats so I had to use other artists. I started expanding a little bit more after I put some songs out. I even had people that I was beefing(Haters) with message me and tell me that my music was good. Now that put a bigger smile on my dream.
When it was time for me to graduate my mom basically gave me two choices, either join the military or get out my house. As Im thinking I have nowhere to go so I decide that Im going to join the military.. They questioned me about my medical condition and I told them it was because of an internal injury. Even though I had a doctors note stating that Im ok to live my life the way I want to and that theres nothing wrong with me. I can still live me daily life, they didnt accept me neither did the navy, coast guard, or air force. For some odd reason the marines accepted me but in order for me to join I have to get this tattoo removed on my chest which Im doing now. My tattoo removal is a year process, but every day I wake thinking I dont want to join the military. Only reason why Im following through with it is because I have no choice I think. I only have a few true friends I hang out with. Derick, Lloyd, and Rob, recently me and Derick did a song together. Remix to the original song Pop It by yg.

After that he left for the army and I uploaded the song to Facebook. I have never in my life had that many likes and comments to my music. I honestly have fans where I live; I uploaded it to YouTube and got 4600 views in literally two days. Felt like the happiest man that day, and everyone keeps telling me that this is my future and that I will make it in life. It feels good to hear that every day from friends and non-immediately family. Why I say non-immediately is because my mom and dad feel that music should be my back up. I get told every week by freinds that it would be stupid if I didnt try or if I gave up in music. My friend told me a while ago that When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe than you will be successful.
This we got to live by.

All I have is positive energy around me that just keeps pushing me to make my dream. What they dont understand is that its better to start early than to be late in the music industry. I dont want to be 30 years old and just now getting signed to a group I dont like. I am determined and confident that I will make it; its not an option for me I have to do this. I have a lot going for me. I have a lot of friends talking to people who know producers. The feedback that Im getting is a positive mood for me; Music is what I wake up to and fall asleep on. All I need is a little help from anyone really so that I can be known faster. I cant do it by myself.
Accomplishment
4600 youtube views in 1 day
Selected to perform at house of blues in dallas tx
Got an interview with WWS magazine
Selected for slip n slide feature on their web page