I'm so blessed to be breaking through right now because, how do you break through now? It took a clothing line to make people recognize me, you know what I mean? So the next kid that doesn't have that opportunity what is he suppose to do? It's really hard to break through right now. You just have to keep dreaming and keep pushing and take those right opportunities. I can't express that enough. It's crazy.
DonnisI was a Air Force kid. I got out of high school and I decided to join the military. I traveled and I was international before I got home. I did my thing in Japan, and I did it on big stages.
DonnisI'm not going to go in and get some hooks from some niggas who don't know me, or know what I'm about.
DonnisThe people in Atlanta, they're not really up on the blogs. A few people are, but it's not super crazy. In Atlanta it's still very much radio. When they hear it on the radio, that's what it is.
DonnisIf you can make the hits, then you won't be an Internet rapper anymore. It's good for hip-hop.
DonnisMe rapping over other people's beats doesn't mean as much as when Lil Wayne does it - no matter how hard I'm going in.
DonnisI've got my girl records that are real feel-good and could be a radio crossover. But it's not me going in that direction, and being like, "We need this huge pop crossover record where we need this girl on the hook."
DonnisJapanese music was so crazy! The J-pop and everything. I never scooped up an album or anything.
DonnisIt's cool to have a personal relationship with someone who's your idol. Someone whose music you used to constantly listen to, when you were hoping you could make it one day.
DonnisI hate when any rapper would just use "Rapper X" because "Rapper X" is hot at the time and put them on the record. That's not how I do my thing. I work with my friends and people I consider fam.
DonnisI feel like I kind of got my own lane, but I think if you mix T.I., Andre3000, Hov and Kanye you kinda get who I am. And I'm a huge fan of all of those artists, I grew up on a little bit of all them.
DonnisI basically lived through what could have been my downfall and survived it, so whatever comes my way, I'm ready.
DonnisI don't want to be in the spotlight so bad that I'm going to sell my soul, or sell my creativity short.
Donnis