Guinness World Record-Setting Rapper Duane “D.O” Unveils New EP In The Midst of 2024 Black Canadian School Tour
Two-time Guinness World Record-setting rapper Duane “D.O.” Gibson has unveiled his new EP Songs of Freedom.
Produced by Beatchild (Drake, Glenn Lewis, Gary Beals) and Saukrates (Nelly Furtado, Nas, Kardinal Offishall), Sounds of Freedom is a collection of four tracks that focus on resilience and freedom inspired by Gibson’s commitment to educating others about Black Canadian History.
The EP features the Bob Marley-inspired track, “Redemption Song,” a collaboration with multiple-time JUNO nominee, Ammoye. D.O. will delve into the Cape Breton connection that served as inspiration for Marley’s iconic composition. Also included on the EP is the song “Black Music 365,” which pays homage to Black musicians.
First off, what have you been up to since we last spoke?
How much time do you have? I’m joking, but yes, it has been a busy last few months, and excited for the next few!
I’ve been working hard on my new music and it has been great to kick off the first two weeks of the tour in British Columbia.
In the Fall, I flew to Nova Scotia to shoot the music video for “Freetown” one of the upcoming singles from the EP, so it has been very busy, but great to travel from coast to coast.
Can you share the inspiration behind your new EP, Songs of Freedom, and how the collaboration with producers Beatchild and Saukrates came about?
I’ve enjoyed working with Beatchild and Saukrates for over a decade. They are producers in the true sense of the word – they don’t just make beats, but they approach music by making great songs. I knew that they were the top options for me to work with.
They really brought their A-game on this so I’m excited for people to hear.
The track “Redemption Song” on your EP is described as Bob Marley-inspired. Can you delve into the Cape Breton connection that served as inspiration for Marley’s iconic composition?
Bob Marley spent a lot of time in Canada. He actually broke through here first before making it big in the US and internationally. One day he was reading a magazine of a speech given by Marcus Garvey. Garvey said the words “Emancipate yourself from mental slavery” and Marley included it in the iconic song “Redemption Song.” The cool thing is, that the speech was delivered in Sydney, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia which is where my father’s family is from. The location of the speech was right beside the church that my Great Grandfather co-founded so I thought it was a cool connection!
“Black Music 365” is a song on your EP that pays homage to Black musicians. Could you talk about the significance of celebrating Black music and its influence on your own musical journey?
Canada is recognized as having some of the best musicians in the World. We have international success stories from Celene Dion to Justin Bieber to Nickelback. However, Black voices haven’t been as recognized in mainstream media. It’s been encouraging to see that change over the last few years with Deborah Cox being inducted into the Canada Music Hall of Fame, and this March Maestro Fresh Wes will be inducted as well. I think it’s important for youth to learn about musicians such as Oscar Peterson and Jully Black because they are some of the best in the World.
In addition to your new EP, you’ve announced the 2024 Black Canadian School Tour. What can audiences expect from this tour, and how does it tie into your commitment to educating others about Black Canadian History?
I’m excited to share stories of Black Canadian history with students across the Country.
It’s been great that kids now know who Viola Desmond is, but I find that most kids don’t know the full story, so it’s great for them to be able to learn more.
But I also want them to know why we celebrate Black History Month in Canada so I share the story of how Jean Augustine introduced this motion in the House of Commons in 1995. For kids, the ’90s are a long time ago, but it is less than 30 years that we have celebrated Black History Month in Canada.
The motion passed 305-0 – it’s not often that you have a unanimous vote in politics, so I tell kids that it shows the power of being a leader.
Your virtual Black 365 Conference happened on February 13th. Can you give us a peek into what topics you explored during the conference and the significance of highlighting the history of Birchtown in Nova Scotia?
Doing virtual performances was great during COVID / Virtual learning as I was able to connect with youth across the Country. This is the third year that I will be doing the conference. I like that it is different from my in-person visits as each year I cover additional stories in Black Canadian History. I will be talking about the Bob Marley Cape Breton connection, and then I will tell the story of Birchtown, Nova Scotia. It’s an interesting story because Blacks from the area decided to migrate to Sierra Leone, Africa due to the poor conditions and treatment in Nova Scotia.
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