DEEMI KNOWS 'IT'S COOL TO BE SMART'

05.08.07

After reading and hearing the controversy attacking within the last month of the Hip-Hop Community; It's Cool To Be Smart Music Mentor Program for teen girls continues to make positive collaborative strides with the industry. In this collaboration effort, Atlantic Records has introduced a new inspirational Atlantic/Family Ties/Dangerous Recording Artist Deemi, to join the efforts of reinforcing to our young ladies positive role models and community values. Deemi’s new CD called "SOUNDTRACK OF MY LIFE" is important for our teen girls here and serves as inspiration for them to be strong young women through the ups and downs of life,’ stated Curtis B. Executive Director.


‘Deemi has taken her truly remarkable real life experience and turned it into a riveting personal soundtrack with universal appeal,’ said Atlantic Records Chairman/CEO Craig Kallman. ‘Since signing her to Atlantic, we have watched her channel her personal stories of deep struggle and ultimate survival into the creation of a moving album of extraordinary power, spirit, and emotion. This is a landmark premiere that we believe will establish Deemi as one of the most important new and compelling voices in modern music.’


Deemi will be partnering with the efforts of HOT 97 in NY with the It's Cool To Be Smart/ CRUNK!!! Energy Drink Music Mentoring Program ‘Real Talk’ series, telling teen girls from the Boys & Girls Clubs and the Foster Care system about her story. She’ll also do a personal Public Service Announcement supporting the organization's primary mission of ‘showing a different side of the music industry’ that is available for teen girls. Deemi joins an accomplished list of artist that have sponsored the organization's efforts for girls; Lil Jon/CRUNK!!!Energy Drink, Lyfe Jennings, LeToya Luckett, Yung Joc, Paul Wall, T.I., Lil Kim, Sunshine Anderson, and Song Writer/Producer Sean Garrett.

WHY DEEMI WILL INSPIRE OUR TEEN GIRLS

Transforming her wounds into a source of strength, Deemi crafts songs that speak to the perseverance of the human spirit. This is a true story - Deemi’s story.

Act I - A Star Is Born

Born into a single-mother household in the Bedford-Stuyvesant (Bed-Stuy) area of Brooklyn, Deemi became aware of her gift for singing at age 7, when she won first place at a neighborhood talent show with her rendition of Whitney Houston’s ‘Greatest Love Of All.’

‘I still have the video from that day,’ Deemi says with a laugh. ‘I look like a little worm wiggling back and forth onstage with my little braid to the side, a yellow jumpsuit on, and some yellow jelly sandals.’

At 13, Deemi began to formally pursue her craft, enrolling in Manhattan’s prestigious Talent Unlimited High School, where she studied chorus and mastered the art of harmonizing. Despite her excellent academic performance, Deemi’s singing aspirations would soon be derailed.
Act II - Growing Pains

At 17, Deemi became pregnant with her first child, Nathan. At her mother’s request, she transferred to another high school and continued her studies. But, a year later, when she became pregnant with her daughter Felicity, Deemi was left with no choice but to quit school and obtain her GED.

To make matters worse, her already tumultuous relationship with her children’s father was quickly deteriorating. ‘The verbal abuse came first,’ Deemi recalls, ‘and then it led to pushing, choking, and hitting.’

When the couple relocated to Richmond, Virginia, the situation became dire. ‘That’s when everything got worse,’ Deemi says. ‘I didn’t have any family there, and I wasn’t allowed to go out or make friends.’ Beyond her man’s controlling ways, his physical abuse had worsened, and it was becoming increasingly difficult for Deemi to hide her bruised face.

Act III - Rebirth

In 2000, when her daughter was six months old, Deemi finally summoned up the courage to leave the abusive relationship and return to New York City. Three weeks later, her children’s father was arrested for drug dealing and was imprisoned for two years (in January 2004, he was fatally shot in a drug-related incident in Virginia).

Upon her return to Brooklyn, Deemi focused on establishing her independence and rebuilding her self-confidence. She rented her own apartment, landed a job as a dentist’s assistant, and attempted to piece together a new life for herself and her children. ‘For a while, I didn’t know who I was, ‘Deemi confesses. ‘I had to learn myself all over again.’

Act IV - The Next Episode

Back in NYC, Deemi formed the girl group DNA with some neighborhood friends and poured herself into her music. Her life took a fortuitous turn when, during an impromptu performance at a get-together held at one of the member’s homes, she caught the ear of producer Chris Styles, who eventually signed her to his production company, Dangerous, LLC. Styles introduced her to Bruce Waynne, one half of production duo Midi Mafia (who would go on to craft hits like 50 Cent’s ‘21 Questions’), and they soon began working on a demo.

After Deemi finished some musically impressive but lyrically generic songs, Styles urged her to sing about the struggles she’d endured. Styles’s instincts proved spot-on: 2004’s ‘So Hood,’ which featured a cruder, more earnest Deemi, was quickly embraced by mixtape heavyweights like DJ Envy and DJ Famous. ‘We were getting so many accolades that I knew it was the route we needed to take,’ Styles says. ‘Deemi’s been through so much, but she’s able to take all of that ugliness and make it beautiful.’ Finally, in 2004, Deemi was signed to Atlantic Records through Midi Mafia’s Family Ties imprint.

Act V - The Takeover

With the completion of the aptly titled SOUNDTRACK OF MY LIFE, Deemi has delivered an impressive, powerful, and moving debut. As the album unfolds, Deemi leads audiences deeper into her world, walking them through a mosaic of experiences and emotions.

Deemi revisits old wounds in ‘How Do I,’ in which she speaks openly of a life of physical abuse, while she professes her loyalty to her incarcerated love in the ballad ‘I Don’t Care.’ Meanwhile, ‘Little Girl,’ featuring Remy Ma, finds Deemi cautioning against the streets’ allure over ominous drums and frenetic keys that create an urgent feel.

Free of smoke and mirrors, Soundtrack’s power lies in Deemi’s vocal prowess, her gift for relaying graphic detail, and her ability to channel emotion through each note. Says Deemi, ‘I’m not a victim - I’m a survivor.’ And with her poignant debut, she provides all of us with a soundtrack for our own survival.

For More Info on Deemi click here

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