Dayag

Emmanuel Dawson, better known by his stage name, Dayag, is a rapper and lyricist from Houston, TX.

Emmanuel was raised by his father after his parents divorced at the age of ten. He has one older sibling, a sister, who introduced him to many different music genres. Influenced by his sister’s love for R&B and Hip Hop music and TV shows like “Yo! MTV Raps,” Emmanuel began casually freestyling in the hallways of his middle school with his friends. By the age of 15, he teamed up with a Gospel label and his journey as a hip hop artist began, initially, as a Christian rapper. However, not wanting to be confined to the world of Christian music, Emmanuel began his quest as a main stream hip hop artist.

At the age of 24, Emmanuel released numerous mixtapes and married. It was during this time that he had chosen to take a break from music to “download new information” and “get his head together.” In September 2011, due to what Emmanuel calls “a completely chaotic and destructive” time in his life, he went searching for answers. He then came upon information that traced the ancestry of Negroes in America to the biblical Hebrews. Connecting to his roots, he adopted the Hebrew name, Dayag, which means “fisherman.”

In year 2012, after a four-year hiatus from music, Dayag released, “The Valley.” Songs such as “Waking Up,” and “Do Da Work,” were some of his most recognized songs. One year later, in 2013, Dayag released, “The Valley 2: Psalms of War.”

Dayag will present his new project, “Thoughts + Feelings” in Spring of 2018. He calls this project his, “most intimate piece of work to date.” This musical collage will have a blend of conscious Hip Hop and R&B to inspire the bond of marriage, family and strength of self.