Dee Goodz

The Nashville native shares his story as a rising rapper and the grind it takes to see real success. - COMPLEX MEDIA

The world is a big place, with a lot of ways to find success. Every route includes believing in yourself, and real work ethic; both of which Dee Goodz understands. - The Hundreds Blog

Fresh from releasing a surprise album, Nashvillian Dee Goodz is back with fellow Nashville artist Wilx for their YochBoyz EP. - Vibe Magazine

Goodz and Services - Nashville Scene

The 16-track LP is the follow-up to Dee's Good Money project he did with Chase N. Cashe. King L, KEY!, Ree$e LaFLARE and many more are featured on Never Enough. - XXL Magazine

While many may know Nashville as the holy land for country music, Dee Goodz is ready to show the masses that Ca$hville has a stake in that old Dirty South rap label, too. - Antenna Magazine

Give us the run down on Dee Goodz, how long you been making music?

Honestly, I can say that I have been a professional artist for about a year and a half. I've been a fan of hip-hop music since birth. I bought my first album in '94, Ready To Die.

So you've been busy with preparing the Floetic Justice mixtape which was released just recently... what was that process like?

I mean to make music is easy. To make good music is the hard part. So what I did was I wanted to study the greats. What is the common factor that all of them had in common? Not even with just rap music, I'm talking music in general. I came out west to clear my mind. I read books, gained some knowledge. I also worked on the flow a bit too.

How did you end up connecting with Rocksmith to bring out FJ?

I'm a fan of the brand, I met them at one of my shows at this past SXSW. Since then the relationship was built. From there they saw me working on my end for the music and I saw how hard they go to push the brand. We met in the middle and came up with Floetic Justice.

Having such a vast array of musical influences, how have you gone about finding your own style?

I mean that's the problem I had in the beginning. There are so many dope artists out there and I'm a fan of music first, so I caught myself falling into that. Then I finally understood what I wanted to say and stand for. I felt like my story and appeal is creative in itself. Once I began to understand myself as a person is when I found myself as an artist.

People say that writers have to be big readers to be able to write, do you think that a rapper has to really be a huge hip hop fan in order to be a good rapper?

I mean you don't need to be but I believe you should. You should study the game and want to be the best. I bet Kobe is a beast at NBA trivia ya kno? I just feel like knowledge is power. Once you fully understand something, you can win off fundamentals. Also, the history behind hip-hop is so powerful! Why wouldn't you want to know the history behind something you are a part of. Everyday I find out about a new artist and become enlightened. You learn a lot about life from being cultured in that sense.

If you could collab with any producer, dead or alive, who would you want to work with? Why?

That is such a hard pick. I can't just choose one producer so I'll give you three. First, I think me and Primo would cook up several hits. He fits my style. Pharrell would allow me to talk to the ladies the way I would want to. Kanye would allow me to create something powerful and based off emotion.

Speaking on production who have you worked with on FJ?

I have production from my same team. I have traveled far and wide so I like different types of sounds, thats why my producers are from all sides of the U.S. You can here tracks from The Geekskwad (Chicago), The Congregation (DMV), The Fans (TN), ODizzy (Out of Detroit), E.P. (Louisiana) and Dark Dred (Atlanta).

You're a fairly new talent yourself, and it's good to see you're showing a lot of love and support to other new or less-known talents with College Kids & Dropouts... tell us about that, like what was the concept behind CKDO?

CKDO is actually a web site by my roommate in college. We've all been homeys for a while and just chose to support each other. The concept behind CKDO is that we have the intelligence of a college kid with the aspirations of a dropout. We just want the best for our situations.

So who, other than yourself of course, do you think could be the next best thing?

Hmmm. That's a good question. I'm a fan of everyone. I honestly have no idea.

There's always that stereotype that rappers almost always have a tough upbringing, yours was quite good... your mom was a teacher, you went to college... how do you think that this has influenced your music?

I was just blessed to see a lot of things that most kids in the black community don't get opportunities to see. I'm actually, on one side of my family, the only grandchild to fully attend college and finish. Education got me everywhere I needed to go. My family still underwent hardships, I've also been through some things myself but being that I know I have other people depending on me to make it gives me that extra push. My family is the reason I spend 80 plus hours in the studio. My mom and dad slaved everyday to get me through college. I owe it to them to go hard!

You've cited your influences as predominantly east coast rappers like Biggie, Nas, Jay-Z... what brought you to the West Coast?

The simple fact that the West Coast has so much history within hip-hop that I knew nothing about. When I got out here it was like "Man, where have I been all my life." The culture is so rich out here; people respect the music in Los Angeles. I wanted to see the west coast. Also, the weather out here is amazing.

Has it been a big change going from Nashville, Tennessee to Inglewood, Los Angeles California?

I mean there are just traditions that I'm not used to out here. It's like being the new guy in school, you just gotta let the people see that you're cool. But I love the culture out here, being that this is where a bunch of things were started, you come here and fully understand. For my entire life I've seen so many things from TV and to actually be out here to live it is crazy. From skate culture, to Hollywood, to inner city LA, I'm learning a lot about life out here.

What's coming up next now that FJ is out?

We just going to continue to grind harder. I got about 150 records on my hard drive at this very moment. I got my next 3 mixtapes already recorded if I want those to be it. I just want people to hear the music and understand the message. Make sure y'all go download Floetic Justice and follow me on twitter.com/dgoodz. - Acclaim Mag

Nashville artist Dee Goodz is on a roll as he drops a trifecta of visuals off his upcoming project Flave Factory.​ - Respect Magazine

The same determination that would drive a person to take a mail truck across the country is what we’re seeing in Dee Goodz today. Embarking on his 2nd mixtape in just three months, DGoodz was feeling lucky with his pen so he let it do the talking for some Floetic Justice. Presented by Rocksmith Tokyo, it may be fashionable to release large quantities of music in a short time but when you focus on the flow, everything should be smooth like butter. - Smokingsection.com

Already on his second project this year, the Nashville-to-Inglewood spit kicker drops his latest in conjunction with Rocksmith Clothing. Tracklist and link down bottom. - 2Dopeboyz

I love free music like nothing else, so I hopped on this as soon as it was released. And I do mean FREE music not leaked!

After listening to ConGRADulations, I honestly had no idea. I’m going to start off by saying that if anyone doubted it, Dee Goodz can definitely rap. His rap style has an old school hip hop feel to it, with a modern twist and Jay-Z like New York influence. His voice is on par with any other rapper today.He’s got a nice, easy flow that just flows like butter. He doesn’t get too far up or down, his raps are easily clever enough to be solid and consistent without being boring. ConGRADulations is a banger because it’s a very smooth, easy listen – much like Dee Goodz himself. Lyrically his style has a sometimes humorous, yet very “real” style.

Most average artists make bad albums by over-extending themselves, but Dee Goodz stays firmly within his comfort zone here, and he ends up with a pretty good mixtape for his efforts. Look out for Dee Goodz; he’s the kind of rapper that could carve out a great niche from himself in the mainstream rap/hiphop scene. - Concrete Magazine

Nashville, meet one of your hopefuls and possible new hero. Constantly on the grind, Dee dropped his ConGRADulations mixtape yesterday and the reception was overwhelming positive. Not that it wasn’t expected because I’ve been watching him closely and he’s continually polishing his music, improving his flow and beat selection track by track. And if he keeps on @ this rate, it’ll only be a matter of time before the whole world knows about Goodz and his life of the F.L.Y. (Free Living Young) musical mantra. - Smokingsection.com

Fresh out of college, new comer Dee Goodz, is a force to be reckoned with. Already featured on popular websites such as CultureShockMag.com, HipHopDx, and The Smoking Section, his soothing production, wicked punch lines and a personality that a “college kid” can identify with, make it clear that Dee Goodz is destined for greatness. Rhyming over Roy Ayers, a legendary soul and jazz composer’s song ‘The Sunshine’, Dee Goodz talks fly and spits, “I just want the fame and the glamour, couple dames with European grammar, Jet planes with my name on the banner, so I can hit the club and get MC Hammered.”

Sitting down with Dee Goodz it was obvious he was pushing the college stance. “Life wasn’t always parties and girls; I’m from Baltimore, Maryland the inner city, not the best education system at all.” Dee Goodz said his mother wasn’t going to let him become a statistic. They later relocated to ‘Music City’, Nashville, Tennessee, for a change of scenery and better living. “Leaving Baltimore and coming to Nashville had a huge influence on my music, I’ll always be from the north but T.I. is one of my favorite along with others here in the south,” said Dee. “Baltimore is close to Washington D.C which is known for a lot of Go-Go music, groups like E.U. were popular way back then, but we also had Young Buck. There was a mixture of everything because everybody was from all over.”

Presently residing in Nashville, Tennessee or Cashville, Ten-A-Key, Dee Goodz describes the music scene as different than a lot of places. “This is music city and there is plenty of talent but people just don’t like to work with each other or trust each other but it has its own sound. You have your real gritty side where it’s like the trap rapping kind of like Jeezy than there’s me, I mix it all, I’m not a “trapper rapper,” I rap what I know.”

Listeners will agree hearing Dee Goodz freestyle on 90s group, Camp Lo’s ‘Luchini’ beat was quiet amazing and surprising at the same time, he says, “Yeah, I mean that was a hot beat cats like Camp Lo, Snoop, and of course Jay-Z , T.I. and Biggie were big influences. That made it look easy, it was real it was them. So I had to get on that joint and give myself.”

But with the new breed of MC’s equipped with back packs what makes this recent graduate stand out? “Well, I’m not Kanye West hence the name, ‘College Dropout’. I didn’t drop out, I graduated but I did feel that whole mentality at one time.” Unlike his predecessor, Kanye West, a famous college drop out, Dee Goodz made it a priority to graduate all while pursuing his music. Alabama A&M University graduate, Dee Goodz explains, “School itself is a hustle.” Studying, booking shows and still being an active member in the college community, he made it work. “I used the whole mentality as my brand, ‘College Kids Dropout’; it’s my crew, a blog, a lifestyle.” It’s even got him featured on Jameel of Eighty81 and DJ Steph Floss’ ‘Vol. 3 of I’m the DJ He’s the Blogger’, he showcased his best of best lyrics amongst other up and coming artists that are setting trends as far as music goes.

So what can we see Dee Goodz pushing now and what’s next? “I’m currently pushing my second mixtape release, College Kid Dropout Vol. 1 hosted DJ Crisis, it’s a on the 23 track musical escape.” When asked how the collaboration for ‘CKDO Vol.1 with DJ Crisis’ came about he explains, "It was only right to collaborate with the hottest DJ in Nashville.” Mixtape drops from raps best, DJ Drama, Jim Jones and even mixtape king Fabolous, makes him a something to watch, nothing to stop, unstoppable as Jay-Z would say. He also keeps himself relevant, visually. “Yeah, I shot two videos, ‘Demons’ and ‘Special’ with Whit B, it was cool because it was something that we can all identify with in college, the sets, the parties just coolin’.” - MTVUK

Dee Goodz — College Kids and Dropouts [Via Z-Share]
He doesn't have a new tape out yet — he lost Cooly High in the flood — but he did drop a new video where he freestyles on Lupe's "Beamin' " beat from the forthcoming tape ConGrADulations. It's already been picked up by 2DopeBoyz and HipHopDX, so it seems appropriate to give it a shout. I'm sure that you've already downloaded College Kids and Dropouts (and you've seen the video for "50 Pairs" that was on The Smoking Section, right?). Dee's got a super stoney delivery and laid-back flow that I really like. Stoner rap can get pretty stupid pretty quick, but Dee manages to keep it classy and cool. - The Nashville Scene