Dae Zhen
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Dae Zhen

Los Angeles, California, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2014 | SELF

Los Angeles, California, United States | SELF
Established on Jan, 2014
Solo Hip Hop R&B

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Music

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""LA’s best kept secret""

It isn’t often we here at GMAD come across an artist like Dae Zhen, known by those fortunate enough to have discovered him already as “LA’s best kept secret”, but when we do we are extremely pleased to share his distinct sound with you all. Far from the typical rapper, Dae does it all. Whether he’s delivering his clever wordplay or flawlessly transitioning from rapping to his smooth singing, he’s truly a breath of fresh air in the hip-hop genre that has become increasingly over saturated during the last 5 years.

Today we are excited to present to you the premiere of Dae’s single ’94– a radio-ready track off of his debut mixtape, Women & Wordplay. Not only is the entire EP available free for download below, but the LA emcee has dropped the visuals for the lead single as well. There is a lot to be impressed by in the video, with its top notch production which helps showcase Dae’s innate ability to tell a story through his music. He won’t remain the best kept secret of LA for long so check out more of Dae Zhen on Facebook, SoundCloud, and give him a follow on Twitter. Enjoy. - Good Music All Day


"Dae Zhen: An Upcoming Artist You Don't Want To Miss"

In an era when millions of aspiring artists can record themselves, upload their content online and instantly share it with hundreds of friends, it gets harder and harder to pick the good from the mediocre and more importantly, for the good to get the attention they deserve. I take great pride in promoting good music and THIS is good music…

Dae Zhen is a 21-year old singer/rapper from Los Angeles and is one of the handful of Internet artists that is deserving of public recognition. His mixtape Women & Wordplay can be distinguished by the old school vibe, his energetic flow, quirky lyrics and his unique tone of voice.

So what does he sound like?

I would say some combination Childish Gambino and The Pharcyde. When talking with him, he says that he is deeply influenced by Amy Winehouse, Kanye West as well as The Pharcyde. I also hear the same type of flow as Eminem, without the aggresiveness, but maybe that’s just me. Take a listen for yourself…

From marching bands to jazz bands to concert bands to singer-songwriter material, Zhen has gone through it all. He plays piano, trumpets, guitar and even some bass. He is currently pursuing his degree at Loyola Marymount University while taking his music to the next level. Zhen told me his mixtape, Women & Wordplay, simply illustrates the two most prominent things in his life – “It’s my life and the lessons I learned through experiences with women, music, and the combination of the two.” The songs on the mixtape consist of new vocal rhythmic lines on top of a blend of old school drums with new school sounds. His favourite off the mixtape is “’94” because it really displays his uniqueness as an artist – the singing as well as the rapping.

The thing that really stood out to me about Zhen is his desire to give back through music. He’s dealt with hardship as his Dad passed away when he was only seven years old, he’s been in countless bands, he’s paid his dues, now all he wants to do is give back to people, especially his mom who has supported him throughout his whole life, with his music. When asked what he enjoys most about playing and writing he responded with “taking something in my head, making it tangible, sharing it with people and then having them appreciate it.” That’s all he wants.

So what does the future hold for this hardworking aspiring artist? More music, more shows, more music videos for you to enjoy and appreciate. I encourage anyone in L.A to go out to his show with OCD Moosh & Twist and Jared Evan on May 13th at The Lyric. Visuals for the “’94” will be out very soon so make sure to keep updated with everything Dae Zhen at his website here.

And don’t worry; you can thank me for introducing his music to you later ;) - IX Daily


"Dae Zhen – Dipset"

Dae Zhen first caught our attention earlier this year with the release of his single “94,” which showcased his prowess on the mic as both a talented wordsmith and gifted singer. Returning with the first offering since the release of his mixtape Women & Wordplay, the LA native demonstrates his versatility once again on the cheery new track, “Dipset.” Produced by Mike Derenzo, “Dipset” is a lighthearted, carefree number that’s guaranteed to lift anybody’s spirits. Though the song has a throwback sound that finds itself rooted in nostalgia, Dae Zhen incorporates enough modern hip-hop flair to keep it from feeling like it’s too stuck in the past. Though we’re still not sure what the track has to do with the famed Harlem collective, we’re willing to let that detail slide in exchange for a free download. - The Music Ninja


"Dipset Review"

Dae Zhens‘ ‘Woman & Wordplay’ has been on steady rotation since it’s dropped, so some new Dae was never going to be rejected. His latest, ‘Dipset’ is a natural evolution of the sound we fell in love with in W&W just better… yes better.

I’ve called Dae, LA’s Drake before, but I now consider that might be giving this young emcee a bit of a disservice (no disrepct to Drizzy Drake). ‘Dipset’ combines all of Dae Zhens’ sensibilities, the singing, the rapping and the cheeky personality in a tight-knit joint you’ll be playing over and over. Behind the boards we find Mike Derenzo, who crafts a dope boom-bap influenced beat full of bass, thats driven off-centre around half way when a beautiful piano phrase is introduced. Dae strangles the beat into submission in the smoothest manner possible with a stark contrast between his aggressive rapping and radio-friendly singing. The transitions between the two are seamless working both sonic-ally but more importantly lyrically with Dae using this incredibly catchy phrase, before double-timing words left right and centre.

The futures bright for Dae Zhen and hopefully Dipset is the start of a new EP on the horizon. - VRS Magazine


"'94 Music Video Review"

Like many men, Booth newcomer Dae Zhen tends to think with the wrong head when it comes to sex and romance. On ‘94, off his last independent album, the unsigned artist offers ladies fair warning of his playeristic tendencies, switching between agile flows and catchy, sung vocals as he delivers his cautionary bars. KINO and Mike Derenzo join forces behind the boards, flipping a sample from Lee Daniels’s Faithful Man, and Anthony Troli directs the official visuals. Like what you’re hearing? You can find ‘94 and much more on the artist’s Women & Wordplay LP, available for free download as of February. - DJ Booth


"Women & Wordplay"

The Newest from the LA based rapper, as he drops his first full-length solo effort. Dae Zhen brings both wordplay to match or better most rappers, and an incredible voice when he gets to singing. Dae has been previously featured for his Dead Poets Society video and his Polaroids EP with fellow rapper KATO. Women and Wordplay features COM favorite Splyt and is Executive Produced by Mike Derenzo.

Throughout Women & Wordplay Dae Zhen alternates between impressing you with his lyrical ability and catchy choruses. The project has a very upbeat feel to start out, but by the end touches on more serious matter. Dae manages to handle topics like love, drug use, and the problems of a young musician with exceptional dexterity. One song that stuck out to me was "Life." where Dae gives you a brief look into his life up to this point, and starts to delve into some of his personal struggles, "Life." is a nice balance to the other more playful tracks of Women & Wordplay.

Dae is definitely an up-and-comer your going to want to know. Be sure to listen to the album stream below. - College of Music


Discography

Women & Wordplay (2014)
Polaroids EP (Dae Zhen & Kato, 2013)

Photos

Bio

Raised on Jazz, Soul & R&B, Drew Lawrence developed a passion for music at an early age. Blessed with a phenomenal voice and the influence from a family of musicians, Drew began his musical journey by learning to play piano, trumpet, guitar and bass. Around the same time Drew fell in love with Hip Hop. By way of his older brother, Drew studied legends like The Pharcyde, Mos Def and Talib Kwelib. 

During his freshman year in college he decided to try his hand at the genre he knew and loved so dearly. Having already had a reputation for being a singer-songwriter Drew chose the moniker ‘Dae Zhen’ to release his music under, in the hopes of being taken seriously as a Hip Hop artist. The response was too good to be ignored.

In 2013, Dae Zhen released his first official project, “Polaroids”, a joint-EP with fellow Los Angeles rapper, KATO. Dae managed to use the positive response and buzz surrounded by the EP to begin his solo career. 

On February 4, 2014, Dae Zhen released his debut solo project titled “Women & Wordplay”. Here, Dae very openly and honestly allows listeners to experience the numerous struggles of his past, present, and future. Whether it was being raised by a single-mother after the death of his father, his relatable trials and tribulations of relationships and heartache, or his determination to secure a career in the music industry, he tells his story without sparing a detail. Along with his genuine lyrical content, his ambidextrous ability to transition from singing to rapping has impressed listeners of all sorts. Women & Wordplay received praise from critics and audiences alike, granting Dae Zhen the accolade of “LA’s Best Kept Secret”.

With an extensive range of musical influences, Dae Zhen produces a signature sound that easily distinguishes him from his Hip-Hop peers.  Whether it is because of his witty, unapologetic lyrics, or the smooth melodies laced throughout his hooks and verses, Dae Zhen’s music is not something you’ll soon forget.

Band Members