Founder & CEO

Detroit King Tape is an entrepreneur and creator who has always had a passion for music. Growing up on the hard-core streets of Detroit, his love for hip-hop evolved into gangster music, which motivated him to rap about his lifestyle and everything around him. Rapping became his outlet and therapy. Rapping since a teenager, he finally took rap seriously once he was released from prison, where he pushed one of the biggest independent movements Detroit has ever seen: DWI, Deal Witt It Records. He marketed and promoted through billboards throughout the city and sold thousands of CDs independently out of the trunks of cars and from mom-and-pop stores, advocating for independence.

Over the years, spending over one million dollars, Detroit King Tape learned the do’s and don’ts of the music industry at a time when social media was nonexistent. Artists had to hit the ground running with their street teams for marketing and promoting their music. As the CEO of his record label, he paid to open doors and build relationships during a time when Detroit was being shunned by the music industry. He noted, “No one took our music seriously,” leaving the artists and CEOs of record labels in Detroit to invest in their companies, themselves, and their dreams in order to be heard. Despite these challenges, he never gave up and continued pushing for independence across the country.

Detroit King Tape partnered with Thomas Dishaw to create Artists Deserved, a company designed to provide artists with insight and direction in the music industry. As a respected artist and OG of the Detroit music scene, Detroit King Tape offers his knowledge and experiences to both upcoming and established artists. From a hands-on perspective, he has various music projects, books, movies, documentaries, health products, a tequila brand, and also shares inspiring messages to motivate others. Through his efforts, he believes that “each one should teach one.”

His goal at Artists Deserved is to help artists learn from his mistakes and make the right moves to propel their careers in the music industry.

Contact: tape@artistdeserved.com