Photo Courtesy: Art Cash Photography
Fresh-faced rapper Desmond aka Tru Def is devastatingly dapper, cheerfully optimistic and an inspired visionary wanting to share his creativity with the world. What started as a dream for the Dallas native is becoming a reality as he steps foot on the national stage and prepares to drop his second EP titled, Aufstand.
Tru Def has had major success in his career in the past year. A campaign with Bud Light’s #whateverUSA has helped put Tru Def on the radar nationwide.
“I had three or four people tell me they envisioned me in this campaign,” said Tru Def.
That’s when the rapper auditioned with a 15 second freestyle. Soon after, he got a call that would change his life. He earned a spot in the campaign and everything took off from there.
Snoop Dogg mentored Tru Def during the experience and also led a parade with him. Desmond got the chance to perform with a superstar as well. Lil Jon spun Tru Def’s track “Do Me” and Desmond gave the performance of his life. He also got some advice from industry veteran Snoop Dogg. Snoop told me to, “do what you love and never look back.”
Desmond is taking Snoop’s advice as he continues his career and releases his new EP, Aufstand. If you can’t pronounce the name of his newest project, it’s okay. The EP’s title is German and means ‘rebel’. “We are titled as rebels when we try to be leaders,” said Tru Def. “It (the EP title) represents our brand of being outsiders and underdogs.”
Desmond remembers his earliest memories of musical influences coming from his father and uncle who had their own group titled, Asylum. “They used to put me in the studio all the time, said Tru Def with a smile as he remembered his childhood. “Just hearing the sounds and seeing the excitement on everyone’s faces and the passion they had for music, it brought me right to it.”
Somewhat of a prodigy, Tru Def has always been infatuated with music. This kid was born with music in his DNA. “People said I would always rock my head and beat on the table to the rhythm, said Desmond. “Now I’m right here and I still love music.”
Despite all of his success on the national stage, Desmond will never forget his roots. Born and raised in Dallas, he understands the importance of pleasing his hometown. “Everything here [in Dallas] inspires my music, from my parents to my family to my friends,” said the rapper. “I figured if I’m going to be a hip-hop artist I have to represent my city the right way.”
To say Desmond is talented would be an understatement. He’s immensely talented and wants to give back to the community as much as possible. “You should never give up on your dreams,” said Tru Def. “No matter where you come from. You are somebody and you can change the world.”
His invigorating personality and creative musical force supports his aspiration of soaring to new heights. Be on the lookout for Tru Def in the Bud Light commercial currently in theaters. You can also see it here. You can check out his first project the Forever ep and his album Crown on iTunes. His EP, Aufstand will release in November, keep up with Tru Def via his website: trusocietymusic.com
