The Don Robinson

Hailing from the birthplace of Rock ‘n’ Roll, The Don Robinson aspired from a young age to be the ultimate rap artist. With influences from Rock, R&B, Jazz, and Techno, his sound is a creative meld of musical expression. We recently had the chance to chat with The Don Robinson about his musical upbringing, opening for a rap superstar, and where you can see him next.
When/How did you first start playing music?
I started back when I was about 11 years old. My older brother was a DJ and he played mostly house and techno music. He taught me how to mix and scratch. After a while I started messing around scratching and mixing hip-hop beats which led me to start producing hip-hop beats. I loved working on beats and did this for a while and eventually started to rap over my own beats. After a while I stopped producing beats and focused mainly on writing, rapping, and recording my own music, which I still do today.
What’s the best gig you ever played?
The best gig I have ever played so far was Peabody’s Down Under here in Cleveland, OH. It was a great show. I opened up for Twista which was great and myself and my DJ (DJ MOAN) killed the stage. We also met Twista and he has come back to Cleveland since then and now records at the studio I always use for mixing and mastering, Ante Up Audio.
How has social media effected the way you market/promote your music?
At first I wasn’t really big into using the internet to market and promote my music as I was use to promoting and handing out physical items to promote from my old DJ days. After seeing the power of social media through so many different websites I had to jump on the bandwagon. I have now been able to reach fans that are specifically looking for my type of hip-hop/rap music and give them the music they want to hear. This is great because these fans will point the new listeners directly to my numerous pages and help my fan base grow. If anything social media has made it easier for me to get my music to the masses.
What’s your prediction for the next big advancement in how we find/listen to/share music?
It is kind of hard to tell right now. The internet is now definitely the source for finding new music instead of places like MTV or your local record store. There is new technology in the Nintendo 3DS where the actual unit is always on and when you pass someone else that also has a 3DS you tag their system and can get information on that person’s game profile or challenge them to a game. I could see something like this being incorporated into future mp3 players where you could pass someone and ping their mp3 player and view their playlist to see what kind music the person is into or see new artists.
What’s your next big gig coming up? When/Where?
My next big show is here in Cleveland, OH with my DJ (DJ MOAN) for the Vans Warped Tour at Blossom. It’s going to be crazy. It will be the biggest show that we have done. I can’t wait to kill the stage! - Sonicbids.com

SOUND BITE: "Cleveland hip-hop is more chill" says Robinson, who regularly performs with DJ Moan. "I started out just going by Don Robinson, but then I watched 'The Godfather' and changed my name to The Don Robinson. I'm the one -- that's the whole thinking behind it." - The Plain Dealer