Dougie Kent Discusses Making It Big in Rap and Future Plans

Every year, new rappers hit the scene and try to make a name for themselves in the music industry. Some of these end up making it big, while others struggle due to a variety of reasons. One duo that has been making a consistent rise and I expect to be heard by many more listeners is Jbre x Dougie Kent. This past week I had the chance to ask Dougie Kent some questions about his personal journey in the music world and where he would like to take his talents in the near future. With nearly 75 thousand followers on Twitter, their music is no secret to a large number of people. Jbre and Dougie Kent’s unique style of music is something I think may separate them from some of the other mainstream rappers in today's market. They know it’s not easy to make it big and you can’t just mimic what other guys do. The duo provides a mix of not only mainstream music, but at the same time including underground techniques, which is not used as much as it should be in the rap world. Ultimately, you have to create a brand that is going to separate yourself from the pack. I would strongly recommend checking out what these guys got to offer, as they are catching the eye of many artists as well, with their recent showing at a concert with Chanel West Coast.

When did you first grow an interest in rap/hip-hop music and who were some of the key artist’s sparking this interest? Were there any singers that you tried to imitate or were constantly listening to when getting started?
Yeah for sure, I'm a huge Wiz Khalifa fan...so I always looked up to him being roughly 4 hours away from the state, Pennsylvania. I grew an interest mainly from being a drummer in a band back in 2008-2012. So beats made sense to me.

How has your relationship with Jbre affected you as an artist and the hip-hop tracks you have created with him?
Man...Jbre is legit my best friend. I think a lot of people try to fake stuff but we are some bros. Our whole team is...Purple Planes we all do it together and feed off positive vibes.

Explain the moment when you realized that the duo “Jbre x Dougie Kent” had the potential to rise in the ranks of the hip-hop and music industry at the quick pace it ended up happening in.
We have been workin real hard for our new album to take off titled After Hours, and it sold decent but we went back to the drawing board and really focused on the brand and what we wanted to deliver as a true sound. So I'd say when we started doing shows not just on the East Coast but West Coast and Central U.S completely independent with no agents was when stuff got real serious. 

How has opening for artists like Wale, G-Eazy, and DMX inspired yourself to continue working on your music and help spread your music to people that maybe have never heard it before?
Trying to start from the bottom is hard, but when you open for people like this it's hella inspiring because it gives you a blueprint on what to strive for. I like headlining of course the most, people show love but opening for some big acts like that is a different contagious vibe as well.

Having already produced a song with Fresh-n-Bone of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, who are some artists out there you are looking to do some collaborations with? Would fellow-Pennsylvania-bred rappers Wiz Khalifa and Mac Miller be possibilities?
If we did a song with Wiz...that'd be the moment I'd look at the Planes and be like "boys, fuck we made it!" hahaha like he's such a personal inspiration for me every day of living a positive life and being who you want to be: a free spirit. So it's a long shot to say the least, but I'm working for that day.

What do you consider separates your music from some of the mainstream rappers in today’s market?
The cultural backgrounds for sure. Its two totally separate walks of life but like that's what makes us mesh well. It's crazy to look how segregated music crowds are these days. I really admire Wiz because if you look out at the crowd, it's a nice mix. I don't want to be that white rapper that only has white fans. Ya know? Neither does him. We love people in general and we don't really see people as what their nationality we see them as a family. The fact that we are best friends from college and independent really puts us in a separate bracket. Lancaster where we are from is so DIY, it's amazing. And that's how we like to do things: Real hands on. I'd probably also add the fact that we combine mainstream with underground too. That's the main element that a lot of the fans seem to like.

What can fans look forward to from you and Jbre in the near-future? Any tours coming up?
Well, we are trying to wrap up this new album which we are stoked as hell for everyone to hear. You can expect some various tour dates in between the summer 2014 and the fall as we try and put the finishing touches on this record. But to be honest, that's part of the journey of being indie man. You don't know what the hell is going to happen! Nothing's super planned out months in advance. You just wake up some days, and there's dope show offers or collabs waiting to happen.

Do you have some advice for young rappers trying to make a name for themselves in the music industry?
I'd say follow your dreams which is way too cliche, but such a true statement. Personally speaking, I noticed that being single definitely helps because you need to really find yourself. When you find yourself your fans recognize it in your music. Connect with them on a personal level too. People are always going to peg ya and think you're cocky or whatever no matter what you do, but as long as you're doing your personal best to stay humble then the majority of people will become fans and rock with the movement. Let the work speak for itself. And no days off it’s so vital. Like if you really wanna go get it, it's there for you. Make it happen. That's the fun part, you know there's a key somewhere to unlock the door but you gotta find it.

Check out their website and @iamdougiekent on Twitter.