Spotlight on UniversalDaGod (@universaldagod)
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – UniversalDaGod is a free-spirited, laid-back guy who loves to have a good time … and it shows in his music.
The Charlotte, N.C. native has been doing music for more than 20 years, and has a distinct sound born of an eclectic taste in music and inspiration that comes from every genre of music imaginable.
“I represent a diverse culture,” UniversalDaGod said. “I don’t want to just be labeled by rap or hip-hop. I do rock. I play drums. I love reggae. I even love country music and opera. A lot of times when I’m writing I’m experimenting with sounds, and I love listening to old records and being inspired. I’ve always been drawn to a lot of older artists – like Otis Redding or Sam Cook. I just love the energy that comes off of them. I also like to sit down and listen to Prince or Michael Jackson. I even listen to the Beatles and the Eagles. The list is endless – but it’s on purpose. It gives me a universal sound, and that’s really what I’m all about.”
In fact, that’s how the name UniversalDaGod came about. Getting his start in music as a freestyle cipher artist, he says he got a lot of early feedback from fans telling him they really liked the music he was creating. He said his music has always been about the message that God is universal – though each person is individual, God is universal … and therefore God is music.
“That’s part of why I gravitated to music,” he said. “It’s a form of expression. I’m very open-minded and free, and I want to pass along to people that we’re all the same. I don’t put myself on a pedestal. I want to give my fans a different experience. I want them to collaborate with me and tell me if it sounds good. Ultimately, I just want people to be able to be free. That’s what I’m really trying to get across – it’s OK to be you, however you come. It’s a universal thing.”
UniversalDaGod has opened for some big names – including the Notorious B.I.G. – and is getting ready to return to the GMSH Tour this summer. Starting July 21, UniversalDaGod will go on tour, with his first performance in Queens, NY.
In March he released two new singles on iTunes – “I Love Music Get the Memo” and “Genie in a Bottle,” which landed No. 95 on the iTunes Top 100 R&B charts. He’s also in the studio working on a new project. And as he experiments with new sounds and styles, he invites his fans to come along for the ride and join him in creating his next record. The new website http://www.
Check out more of UniversalDaGod’s music no Twitter at www.twitter.com/universaldagod and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/