r aised in Belle Glade, Florida, Papa Duck earned the support of the streets as an artist/producer. At the age of 15, Papa Duck purchased his first keyboard and set out to make his mark in the music industry. He currently resides in Orlando where he is working on his debut self-titled album.
For those who don’t know, what’s the history behind Papa Duck? How did you get to where you are today? Hard grinding. Attacking the streets and staying consistent with what we do. Just making hot records. What have you been doing to keep your momentum going? Basically I just have passion for music. It ain’t just about money with me. It’s always something I’ve dreamed of and wanted to do. Also by me losing my partner John John, I got to do it. It’s a commitment now. Ain’t no turning back. In your opinion, what are some qualities an artist needs in order to maintain longevity? I’d say originality. Being able to make the right decisions and not spend money on the wrong things. You got to blueprint the whole situation. Be smart about it and be consistent. And make hot records. Was there ever a time you felt like giving up? How did you overcome that? Yeah, when I lost John it really made me want to say fuck it. But it went the other way around and made me go harder. What are the best qualities about yourself as an artist? I think I put together a good album. I also got a hell of a street team behind me. How does having a street team help? We blueprint the whole situation. We attack small cities…I
probably shouldn’t even be telling my blueprint. But we pretty much just attacked the streets. We targeted small cities rather than bigger cities. I make hot records, hot music, shit people want to hear. I put it out; I don’t just hold on to it. Without giving away your whole blueprint, what are some good ways to promote music? Investing in your own duplication is good. That way you cut your duplication costs. Targeting small cities at the right time is good. First of all, you got to have good music. Second of all, you got to narrow it down. Catch the hottest club in the hottest cities. You want to cater to the people in that club and pass out your music. When you done burnt that city down move on to the next one. If your music is good enough, it’ll grow legs. That’s the blueprint. You’ve been around for a while. Have you seen a lot of people come and go in this industry? Yeah, for the right and wrong reasons. I’ve seen people come and go. It’s good to pay attention to certain situations ‘cause it let’s you know what to do and what not to do. Why do you think those people didn’t make it? I would have to say it’s because of lack of hustle and lack of faith. If you want to do it, you gonna do it regardless of your financial situation or whatever. When you’re not making music, what are some things you like to do? What spots are popping in your city? Me personally, I’m a movies man. I like to go to the movies. I like to go out to eat so I like to go to City Walk. My eating spot for soul food is Johnson’s Diner. Tabu with DJ Nasty on Wednesdays is off the glass. I like Cleo’s. Firestone is popping on Sunday. Is there anything else you want to talk about? Every time I come it’s gonna be different. My album is gonna be well worth purchasing. It’s going to be something on there for you. You can just be looking out for me. You know Papa Duck go hard in the paint. I got my situation with Butter Boy Records, Lil Rock Dog Records and Island Boy Entertainment. How can people check out your music? I got PapaDuck.com and Myspace.com/PapaDuckMusic If someone wants to book you for a show, how do they reach you? My manager’s numbers are 850-210-9573 and 352231-3760. // Words: Ms. Rivercity Photo: D Suave
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