When a group of old friends shared stories at a get together, one particular tale of a close call changed the whole vibe in the room.
It also led to the creation of “Money, Women and B.I.,” the newest single from Detroit native Fokie Dope who describes the track as “energetic poetry.”
“It’s like a motivational speech but it’s also like a cautionary tale about the effects of pushing to get things you want and growing up in a tough environment,” he says.
“I grew up in one of the worst cities in the world in one of the worst times in the world,” he says. “Fifty percent unemployment there. We didn’t have a Wal-Mart, we didn’t have restaurants. We had mom and pop restaurants but we could barely find McDonalds in the city of Detroit. I had to claw my way out, had to do some things I’m not so proud of but I also did some things I’m very proud of. I felt like along the way I did the least harm and made the most gains and I think that I can inspire others to do the same.”
Fokie Dope, the self-proclaimed “King of Boom Trap,” got his start in music over a decade ago in Detroit’s underground hip hop scene. His “Boom Trap” sound is a combination of poetics and a trap influence, and, just like his latest single, is best described as “energetic poetry.”
“It’s lyricism, the complexities of music from boom bap and the energy and urgency of trap,” he says, adding that it also features jazz and synth sounds – some of his favorites.
“Money, Women and B.I.” already has nearly 90,000 views on YouTube and the video for his previous single, “Sky Castles,” has nearly 120,000. Radio hosts and DJs have praised the songs’ smoothness while noting the energy has a unique vibe to it.
“A lot of people say it’s like a breath of fresh air as far as the presentation of the song,” Fokie Dope says. “To a lot of people I would be a new artist even though I’m not a new artist. It’s a breath of fresh air for a lot of people I think.”
Now living in Charlotte, North Carolina, he’s been involved in and released as many as eight projects in the last decade but has picked up the pace in the last year since releasing the three-song EP The Okami Tape. He followed that up with the five-song Christmas on Six Mile.
“My ultimate goal is getting the music in front of people and developing my core fan base,” he says. “I’ve got a nice, strong core following and I like to add new sound members to it. That’s my main goal right now. I got a lot of business, a lot of ideas but first I want to make sure that the music’s hitting first.”
Fokie Dope will be dropping a new EP in late September. In the meantime, he encourages fans to reach out to him on Instagram @fokiedope.
“Swing by, shoot me a message, tell me your favorite movies, your favorite music, let’s chat about some stuff,” he says. “I’ve got more content in other areas coming soon but mostly I want my fans to know that my whole intention is to keep you all motivated. I want you to go out and accomplish your goals, get things done, advance your life. Because life’s too short to sit around.”
Follow Fokie Dope on Twitter @cmfokie. His music is available on all streaming platforms.
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