From his music to his achievements and fashion, Dre-Ski, the independent, groundbreaking artist is dedicated to say the least! During an interview with him, he got personal about his passions, motivations, and upcoming projects.
Always dreaming and being a true hustler is something that always keeps him going, especially when he first began making music as a teenager. Always quoting his favorite movie, ‘Paid In Full’, when the character Money Mitch says, “A n*gga like me man, I love the game. I love the hustle.” DRE-SKI jokes that “it’s not always about the money, but it’s always about the money.”
For Dre-Ski, music has always been a passion, but things began to get much more serious when he switched to an entrepreneurial mindset. Through creating his music label, “XB Music Group,” DRE-SKI realized that being his boss and having control over all aspects of his artistry is something that he likes the freedom of, especially as an artist creating something that he loves. Getting involved in real estate helped fund his music career although he was unsure about how the economy and the housing market would survive due to the pandemic.
Alongside doing music, he currently owns four businesses, one being his record label, “XB Music Group”, his trucking company, “MXB Transports LL”, real estate investments, “Barnes & Key Investors”, and his trucking brokerage company, “Bullnose Logistics”. Passionate about all of his business ventures, he loves learning how to expand a brand or move a business forward.
Desiring to succeed, praying up, and keeping his head to the sky, he believes that if you truly put your mind to something, regardless of the outcome, you will always prevail. During the beginning stages of creating his label in 2015, people joked saying that he was “trying to be the next Russell Simmons,” and that was enough for him to want to prove everyone wrong. There have been ups and downs, however, as he had the opportunity to sign three different artists to the label but due to creative differences, they decided to part ways. When asked what it taught him he said “It did teach me that it is always business and sometimes in business, you either grow together or apart.” But he certainly has proved everyone wrong… He has gained recognition from Forbes, iHeartRadio and has even earned a spot on Billboard’s Hip-Hop List in February 2022!
“It felt amazing! I mean it honestly felt surreal. Getting recognition is one of the best feelings as an artist because we put so much time into our craft.” He mentions. Because of this, so many music doors have opened for him including a distribution deal that’s currently in the works and some more high-level interviews!
Humble, but excited, he talked more about his mentions by Forbes and upcoming iHeartRadio interviews, “Getting mentioned in Forbes was a huge accomplishment for me! I mean it’s freaking FORBES! I am looking forward to more iHeartRadio in-person interviews and really tapping in with more major blogs and websites to continue to spread my music.”
Planning is something that DRE-SKI mentions often that is extreemly important to him and helped him come up with the concept of his “4 Real Ones Only” series. His series “4 Real Ones Only” is an introspective project/EP that consists of only 4 songs (a play on words) that only the real can relate to. By creating this series, he wanted to change not only his approach but his direction in music as well. At the end of 2020, he and his team realized that they wanted to demonstrate his artistic and individual growth and that’s how “4 Real Ones Only Pt. 2,” came about. During the second part, he wanted to show a more serious side and let people know that his spot is taken and he’s not going anywhere.
His recent single and visual, “Not In the Mood,” doubles as an introduction and a debut for his upcoming new album, “For What It’s Worth,” which shows his creativity and range as not only an artist but as an individual. Being inspired by countless tumultuous feelings towards people or situations in his life, he wants people to know that he no longer wants to deal with any level of BS or messiness. By working with his videographer, “Virtue The Artist”, who has helped produce video content for him for the last six years, visuals and artistic direction were captured perfectly.
Inspired by artists and business owners including Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Nipsey Hussle, and countless others, he admits that juggling these ventures can get quite overwhelming and that by going to the gym, spending time with loved ones, and trying his hardest to stay grounded have exponentially helped.
Make sure to check out his album “For What It’s Worth” out on September 2nd and follow him on social media @thereal_dreski
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