Biography
Born and raised in the heart of New Orleans, Dee-1 shared the same struggles as the legendary artists that put the 504 on the map, but he represents the city with a different viewpoint. He is the voice for anyone on a mission to win in the game of life by maximizing their potential and grinding with a purpose.
After graduating from Louisiana State University with a bachelor's degree, Dee-1 began teaching middle school in Baton Rouge by day to help fund his music projects. The strong bond he formed with his students inspired him to be a powerful leader, but it also made it hard for him to leave. As his buzz as an artist continued to grow, he finally decided that his passion for Hip-Hop was too much to ignore and that being "Dee-1" gave him a much larger platform to be heard than being "Mr. Augustine." Sleepless nights being a full time teacher and part time rapper were now replaced by sleepless nights.
Dee-1 can't be placed in a box. His subject matter is bold, creative, and unapologetic. Dee-1's artistry is more than just music. It's about a lifestyle, a frame of mind that empowers people to live with purpose and develop what he calls "mission vision." Dee's nickname "The One Man Army" embodies his mission. "Everyone has a mission, and everyone is their own One Man or One Woman Army." In 2010, Dee-1 founded OMAR Entertainment LLC. OMAR is short for One Man Army Rebel and the name Omar literally means flourishing, long lived, and gifted speaker. Having already built a solid street buzz with his mixtapes Still We Rise and I Am Who I Am, Dee-1 catapulted to another level with the release of his critically acclaimed independent album "David & Goliath," available on iTunes and dee1music.com. From top to bottom, the album is a musical masterpiece. World famous producers Mannie Fresh and 9th Wonder even gave Dee personal phone calls praising him after hearing his music. Following the calls, he released the mixtape, "I Hope They Hear Me Vol 2" packed with 18 high energy joints that was downloaded by the thousands. Dee-1 credits this mixtape with changing his life, with several singles receiving extensive radio play, four singles receiving regular airplay on MTV Jams, and creating a huge internet and street buzz around him. Dee-1's latest project, "The Focus Tape," was released Oct. 9th 2012, hosted by legendary Dj Mannie Fresh, and has been downloaded by over 100,000 people worldwide. Dee-1 recognizes that his music resonates with almost anyone first and foremost because it's so authentic. "That's why people from the hood all the way to the classroom feel it." His message extends well beyond the stereotype of the traditional rapper, because as he says, "real recognizes real."
Most recently, Dee-1 has performed alongside nationally touring acts such as Lupe Fiasco, Drake, Lil Wayne, Trey Songz, Talib Kweli, Akon, The Roots, Curren$y, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, and more. Since 2011, Dee-1 has been on four successful nationwide tours, the "Grind and Hustle Tour," the "Too Focused to Fail Tour," the "Ridin All By Ourselves Tour," and "The Heist Tour."
