Long Beach, California is home to J. Dange, an up and coming rap artist and gifted lyricist that you need to know about. He challenges the limits of creativity in order to speak his truth through music and pours his soul into every release.
Most recently, J. Dange collaborated with Rif Raf to drop “Can’t Finesse Me”. J. Dange drives with a smooth sound and a conceptually self-aware writing style on this latest release. Both J. Dange and Rif Raf deliver with confidence and determination, adding in pace and grit but never so much so that it takes away from the fluidity of the music. In terms of character and being memorable, recognizable, the hook throughout “Can’t Finesse Me” definitely is. The upbeat flow and flawless, witty bars make “Can’t Finesse Me” unparalleled in today’s hip-hop scene. Getting a message across, effortlessly reciting perfect lyrics, and finding/creating beats to match is J. Dange’s specialty. I think that these guys are incredibly talented and skilled at connecting with fans. They write lyrics that speak to the listeners and music for anyone to vibe to. No stranger to success, this single “Can’t Finesse Me” is yet another big step in the right direction for J.Dange and Rif Raf.
Listen to “Can’t Finesse Me” here and read more with J.Dange below!
Welcome to BuzzMusic J.Dange! How did your collaboration with Rif Raf come to fruition? Can we expect to see more of you two together in the future?
My brother-in-law was working on his project and wanted me to feature on a song with him. He recorded it at Rif-Raf’s studio which was the first time he heard me. He wanted me to jump on a song after that for his upcoming project “Get Like Me.. Vol. 3”. So I did a collab with another artist Zoe Kidd out of Florida called “Drip” and it came out the fire! So Rif-Raf said he had another song he wanted me to hop on and that is what you are hearing in “Can’t Finesse Me”. So yes, more is to come with myself and Rif-Raf and you all will love it!
You delivered powerful lyrics in “Can’t Finesse Me”, can you tell us about the inspiration behind your words?
I’ve never wanted to be a follower or mediocre. Everyone is going after the “bag” but the bag is short term money, I’m trying to have wealth that will take care of my family for generations! I’m going to be the catalyst for my family’s success. I was given a talent that I hid for a while, now I’m going all out in my own lane no matter what anyone says. I’m here to take over and show the right way to do things and the right message to deliver. I lost everything and was homeless, I never want to be there again so I grind with everything in me and know that God will get me to where I need to be! Hard work and talent together are unstoppable!
Who has had the biggest influence on your life musically thus far? Can you describe the impact this particular individual has had in terms of your new song “Can’t Finesse Me”?
My grandmother has had the biggest influence on my life in every aspect of myself. She has been the rock of my family and has worked hard her entire life, never giving up for anything! She beat an amazing amount of challenges and she raised me since I was an infant because my parents were never there. So when I wrote this song, all I could think about was making it beyond my wildest dreams and making sure my grandmother is shown the appreciation for her sacrifice and make sure my family is good! Also, show people that you can defeat the struggle as long as you believe it and work hard towards it. Don’t stop for anything!
What are some of your ultimate goals as an artist? Are any of these goals currently being put into place/being worked on?
My ultimate goal is to let the world hear another perspective from a person that lived through some of the toughest challenges a person could face. I never joined a gang or sell drugs or been to jail and to me that’s harder than taking the easy way out doing all of those things. I respect everyone and people have to make their own choices but not following the crowd is a tough thing. Showing kids and people that it’s possible will be my ultimate I’m here moment. I want to impact the lives of the world and let them know through my songs that they are not alone. I just released my first solo EP “ALPHA: The Beginning...” across all digital outlets and I’m just trying to market and promote it. You can check it out and see exactly what I’m about. Also, I’m in the studio dang near everyday working on new music for the follow-up and trust me, it’s all fire!!
It was great having you here on BuzzMusic! Tell us more about what's next for you after this song release? Any shows in the near future?!
It was an honor and a pleasure to be here! Next is working on getting “ALPHA” out to everyone so they can breathe that fresh air, I’m working on putting together some performances so be on the lookout for J. Dange in your city! New music is constantly in the works so keep your ears to the street because I’m coming with a vengeance!
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