Mar 01 2010
D.C. Don Juan: Cut From A Different Cloth
D.C. Don Juan
In an industry where it is the norm for rappers to boast about violence, drugs, riches, and to devalue women, there are exceptions. Amongst the select few lies NU Ent/Battery/Jive recording artist D.C. Don Juan; an energetic, personality-filled emcee hailing from the DMV (D.C, Maryland, Virginia) area by way of the Bronx, NY.
Before we get into the deets, we must first tell you why D.C. Don Juan is a Glit favorite. From the top of our conversation, his humility struck a chord with us. One of the first things that stood out was his respect for women. “One thing the world better know is that I love women to death and I believe that ladies need to be respected more… that’s what I’m trying to bring back to the game.”
His reverence for women is portrayed in his lyrics, his actions, and even in his name.
It is a common misconception that the emcee’s stage name derives from the representation of where he is from, and although the misunderstanding is a reasonable one, the true origin of his stage name has an even more relevant meaning. “As a child my mother always called me Don Juan because my middle name is Dejuan…and me growing up I always had a way with women, I always respected women. I lived up to the name Don Juan, but I always want to set myself aside from being a pimp,” he explains. “I tried to add something before the name Don Juan which is DC and people will swear that it’s DC because it’s Washington DC, or they think Denver Colorado…but it actually stands for my government name, Don Campbell.”
Although his name does not correlate directly with Washington, D.C., the city is a large part of his identity as a rapper—but it is only a fraction of it. The fact that he originates from the mecca of Hip-Hop, the Bronx, NY, also influences his rap style. Don Juan also pulls sounds from the various places that he has spent time in such as Denver, ATL, and L.A.—to name a few.
Ironically, his versatility has caused a bit of controversy in the DMV area. He is often criticized for being born outside of the region. “Because my mother didn’t lay down on a D.C. hospital bed and give birth to me, they consider me an outsider.” But this has not stopped D.C. Don Juan from gaining recognition on a national level. On a broader scale, his versatility has played as a catalyst to his success which ultimately helped him land his recording deal. “I was tired of just being hot in my town. When I realized that this is what I wanted to do as a career, I started putting myself in career-making situations. I started hanging out with DerMarr Johnson which got me acquainted with Carmello Anthony, Allen Iverson and all these other people which got me a lot of notoriety, but at the end of the day I didn’t want to be a basketball player,” he explains. This encouraged him to search for individuals in his own arena. He started working with people in the music industry including Polo Da Don, Boo & Gotti, and Cap One, and later created “Lookie Looky,” which became his first single. Eventually he sparked the interest of many major labels. Don Juan does not attribute any single event to the closing of his deal with Jive—he simply sees it as a work of God which has kept him humble. It is that same humility alongside his undeniable talent and Glit factor, that makes him distinguishable.
Download Congraduation:Twit Tape 2 Here
His single “Lookie Looky” is not only a song, but a movement that inspires confidence and self appreciation. The success of “Lookie Looky” serves as motivation for Don Juan to go harder on all of his future projects. His current mixtape Congraduation: Twit-Tape 2—RELEASED FOR DOWLOAD TODAY—has a few surprises including pop, rock, and R&B remixes.
Q&A Quickie:
The Glit: Who are some of your favorite rap artists?
D.C. Don Juan: “Growing I favored Ludacris, Lil’ Wayne, and Nelly. Those where my three top rappers growing up that I listened to…I guess that’s where I get my swag from.”
The Glit: Can you tell us a few artists that you would like to work with?
D.C. Don Juan: “I love those who love me.”
The Glit: What would you be if you weren’t a rapper?
D.C. Don Juan: “I would be a R&B singer…lol. Seriously, if I wasn’t rapping I would probably be directing videos because everything ya’ll see footage wise on me on YouTube and everything, believe, I did and I edited myself. I edited a lot of peoples videos out here: Oy Boyz, Top Dog hill…I did a lot of people’s videos out here in D.C. before I did this rap thing. I’m great with computers period…or I’d be a preacher still trying to tell these knucklehead men out here to treat their women better.”
For more information on D.C. Don Juan visit:
