Artist Spotlight: R&B Artist Dryx Interview!

Written By: Philip Johnson

Los Angeles-based R&B singer/songwriter, Dryx, just dropped his hot new single ‘I Bet’ featuring Manfire, Terrence Léon, The Ju and GodisMikey. Hitting the Top 40 on iTunes R&B/Soul charts the day of its release, this undeniable bop feels like an exciting ‘Motorsport’ moment for our black gay community. I got the chance to interview Dryx about his music and career. Click the photos to be linked directly to Dryx’s social media pages and music to purchase. Enjoy!

Where are you from?

I am from Enterprise, Alabama with some roots in Daytona Beach, Florida. Definitely a southern boy at heart! My daddy is 100% Alabama.

I checked out all your music dating back as far as 2016. Your songs are BEAUTIFUL! When did you first start singing?

Thank you so much! I first started singing in the choir at my home church. Although my grandmother gave me no choice, I thank her for it because it literally gave me my voice.

Your new single ‘I Bet’ featuring Manfre, Terrence Léon, The Ju and GodisMikey just dropped! How did this dope collab come to be?

I'm very known to preview upcoming music on Twitter so when I posted the clip of "I Bet", pretty much everyone involved asked to hop on the track. It was very fun putting it all together over the past few months. This will actually be Manfire's first song on streaming services, so I'm very proud to be able to give him that platform because he is so talented, just like everyone involved with this record. CLICK HERE to stream/buy this hit single ‘I Bet’

On top of your mesmerizing production, your voice STANDS OUT! How did you develop your vocal talent so well?

Being in band really helped me develop my ear for melody & timbre, as well as condition good breath support. All of this is important to developing YOUR sound as a singer. Gospel choir is also an underrated vocal training tool. Band/choir teaches you blend, intonation, melody, backgrounds, etc.

Describe your R&B/Soul style and its inspiration.

My R&B/Soul style is a mix of 00s & contemporary sounds without being completely complacent & retaining my identity. I love Musiq Soulchild, Ne-Yo, Usher, Jhene Aiko (who happens to be my cousin), Beyoncé, and Frank Ocean, but it's not enough to mimic them. I want my own lane & identity and with my latest EP, purification., I've solidified that sound. You can say "That's a DRYX record."

What artists do you hope to make music with in the future?

My bucket list would be all of the artists I just mentioned of course! I know that I can make hit hooks for Kendrick Lamar, Big Sean, and Megan Thee Stallion. Lenny Kravitz is definitely top 5, though.

What are your favorite songs from your albums ‘Players 3’ and ‘Therapy Session’?

"Proposal" & "Scared of Love" resonate with me the most from Player 3 because they are super personal. "Into You" and "Shapeshifter" from Therapy Session because those songs are more of a darker flavor for me.

Who creates your top-notch cover arts?

My partner Nicholas Davison helps a lot with my cover art, assisting with the beautiful purification. - EP cover. Ronnie Rockets created the iconic Player 3 cover. David Jackson also helps me with cover art and promotion material. It's a group effort, and I'm so thankful for each one of them. Cover art is so undervalued yet so important to drawing in first time listeners.

What message do you hope to spread with your art?

The biggest message I hope to spread is that change & growth are going to be a constant. One day you will be really confident in yourself ala "I Bet." Two weeks later, you may feel defeated like in "Scared of Love." It's important to maintain a balance and accept where you are in life so that you can navigate appropriately, and my goal is to provide a soundtrack making this rollercoaster a bit easier to ride.

What do you envision the next era of your music career looking like?

Next era is going to focus on getting my music to the ears it needs to be. Whether it's creating a new body of work, more singles, or getting placements on TV shows, podcasts, ect., I know that I have what a lot of people feel is missing in R&B. I'm proud of continue the linage of artists who give a damn, and I hope to inspire those behind me.