Dane Lawrence is a rap/hip-hop artist hailing from Long Island, New York. For him, music serves as a vehicle through which he uses to stimulate people’s feelings through a cohesive blend of thought-provoking lyrics and deep, cinematic beats with basslines that hit your gut like a home cooked meal.
Dane is inspired by a wide range of music, everything from the rap stylings of Jay-Z, The Fugees and Notorious B.I.G., to Bob Marley, Amy Winehouse and Motown sensation Marvin Gaye. With an eclectic appreciation that spans the vast spectrum of music, Dane is intent on carving out something that is completely his own, yet also a homage to days gone by.
Dubbing his style as ‘hip-hop soul’, you can expect his music to dig up lost gems from the soul era, which have then been sampled and mangled up with contemporary production techniques. This provides the foundation for him to lay down his brand of unique rhymes, which are often rife with themes of positivity and self-actualization. Dane is admittedly vulnerable with his audience - his music is honest, raw and built with the intention to profoundly impact his listeners, by providing them with the nourishment and inspiration they need to tackle life head-on. His lyrics are vivid and visceral, and stays true to the idea that storytelling comes from the heart. Through creative wordplay and witty lyricism, Dane reels his listeners in, transporting them into foreign worlds and landscapes.
Hip-hop has been a part of Dane’s life for as long as he can remember. From the age of 5, he was already taking DJ lessons and letting himself be consumed by breakbeat culture. He entered his first rap battle in elementary school, created and sold countless mixtapes while in high school, but it wasn’t until his freshman year of college where Dane turned his focus to writing and recording his own music.This steadfast determination to succeed is encapsulated in Dane’s spirit, and ultimately has led him on his journey of becoming the refined and impactful musician that he is today.
In 2013, Dane founded "Gourmet Everything", a culture and lifestyle brand focused on delivering the highest quality content in an effort to inspire and motivate people. According to Dane, “Gourmet is not about thinking we are better than others. Gourmet is about the realization that you too can be better and putting in that effort to be better; working and growing into being the best.” This ethos underpins the notion that consistent work will lead to prominence.
To exemplify this quality musically, Dane created The Gourmet Band, which comprises of some of the finest musicians in the New York area, taking his live performances and overall listening experience to the next level. Dubbed by many as “the best hip-hop band since The Roots”, the Gourmet Band incorporates live instrumentation and sampling and leaves the audience on a high that lasts for days on end.
With an extensive catalog including First Five EP (2013), Matchbox Dreams (2014), The Gift (2015), Sunsets in Bali (2018) and a slew of mixtapes and singles before, after and in-between - Dane Lawrence’s discography leaves people wondering where he finds time to sleep and eat. He has since taken a bit of a musical hiatus due to the relocation and restructuring of his Gourmet operations in 2018, but has been busy preparing several new releases including the highly anticipated second installments of The Gift and Matchbox Dreams.
Dane’s passion is fuelled by music’s veritable capacity to heal, unite and inspire. Music has pulled Dane out of some of his darkest days, and his hopes to bring that gift to you, the listener, ignites the fire that keeps Dane creating. To find out more about Dane Lawrence’s music and get your daily dose of inspiration, head over to his website or search Dane Lawrence on Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal, YouTube, Pandora, Soundcloud or any other major streaming services.