Raw Facts

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About Raw Facts: Raised by a Trinidadian woman and New York native in upstate New York, the Rochester New York native has been through what is considered more than enough to handle for your average person. Coming from a place that was virtually unknown to some and overlooked by others, the reputation of his hometown is much like the reputation carried by Facts himself. Originally, Dallas Bell had no intentions of a career in music or even creating musical selections that gained him recognition. He started off the product of his city and the people around him. Doing what every other kid in the neighborhood did simply trying to fit in. He was quoted as saying “I never took rapping seriously as a kid, like you know how dudes come up with the classic story of the comb in hand looking in the mirror imagining that they were killing a crowd? Yeah well that wasn’t me at all (laughs)” Facts, like others had dreams and aspirations that many shared but it wasn’t a dream pertaining to music. “I wanted to be a football star” He says, “I was ok at it but it I never got it the skill as naturally as some of the other athletes. I just remember working 50x harder to keep up with some people who could do what I did, with ease.” As a young boy, hard work and determination in something good was rarely found, and many people around him doubted that he could ever lock in and decide what the outcome of his story would be. Being influenced by some of the most positive people was a luxury, but being tempted by some of the worst, not to mention the city life, ended up being disastrous for many. A series of events life threatening happened and changes needed to be made in his life. This put his life on a different path forever.

Facts moved in with his distant father located in Richmond, Virginia. Packing up, leaving his mother and the only place he could call home, he settled in a place he had seldom visited beforehand. Living in a very urban area before hand, the lifestyle he was accustomed to was nowhere near the same once he reached the DMV. Little did he know, he would get very acquainted with the DMV and eventually be able to settle in it as his new home. But not before a few things were established first. He said “I chased that football shit hard down there man, At the time I was so locked in to that goal of playing college ball that nothing else really mattered.” Then on the first day of his sophomore year while in the gymnasium with a group of friends and a boom box, his friends and he started in on a group session of dances and fun. “All of a sudden my boy Tre had some other dudes had a beat tape with industry beats on it, and they started the cypher up. I was like hell no! I’m not rapping, I don’t do that stuff, but they convinced me to just do as one of those spur of the moment type deals ya know? ” He says. Facts then goes on to recall his first attempt at rapping as a not so memorable one, “I was horrible yall (laughs) I mean at the time I’m just saying the first thing that came to my head thinking I’m being cool. But if I could go back and see a video of it I’d probably be disgusted with it (laughs) but you know how it goes with new shit.” The gymnasium eventually stretched to the lunchroom, where the bulk of people hung out and listened to the schools MC’s spit freestyle rhymes. He goes on to say “Yo you would have thought I was in Madison square garden the first time I stepped up to all my friends and started rapping. I was nervous as you could be (laughs) dudes was out there throwing out 20 bars at a time and I was content with 6 bars and a couple head nods from the crowd. Once I got that it just became fun. Then eventually what kept me up at night ya know?” Eventually leaving Richmond and heading north to Baltimore, Maryland he decided to give up his first love; football. “It was really hard, I cried after that shit, like you can’t forget your first love, football was an amazing experience for me but I had to do what I felt was right at the time. Now I don’t regret it.” From that point on, he started writing verses to fill the void that football left and feel a little closer to his friends back in Virginia. He would soon realize that a passion would develop for it and become much more than 16 bar verses and songs over beats. It became his testimony to life. Where many overlooked small aspects that made what a good song is, Facts studied it and continues to do the same today. Working on music is now a regular routine and he is now coming into his own as a fully polished artist to compete with the likes of other acts he grew up watching. “It’s going to be tough, but I’m ready for it” he says. The future is unknown to all of us but nevertheless, it looks to be bright for the kid that once only saw darkness. “I just want people to really love what I do, not because it fits a style or a trend but because they feel that in their soul. If I get one person to say I’ve accomplished that then I’m good.” Some people are made to do things. Others are developed. Special people are made to do things and develop into a stronger person at what they do. That is Raw Facts.