Meet Djembe, the Maryland-born artist who blends hip-hop, R&B, rock, and alternative into a sound that’s uniquely his. From Silver Spring to the underground music scene, Djembe’s journey to where he is today wasn’t exactly linear—there was plenty of procrastination, some trial and error, and a fair share of vape breaks along the way. Oh, and don’t forget his love for glizzies, which might just be his number one snack obsession.
With his genre-bending style and no-holds-barred attitude, Djembe’s music is as unpredictable as his personality. Whether he’s in the studio or taking a break with his favorite vape flavor—grape Blow Pop, of course—he’s always keeping it real. Let’s dive in and find out more about the man behind the music!
DS: First off, tell us about Djembe—where are you from? How old are you? And describe yourself in 10 words or less.
DJ: “Wassup, I’m Djembe. I grew up in Maryland, in a town called Silver Spring. If I had to describe myself in 10 words or less, I’d probably say, ‘I’m an expert procrastinator.’ For some reason, I always wait until the last possible second to do everything.”
DS: When did you start making music? And how would you describe your sound?
DJ: “I started making music in 2018, but I was super scared to actually record my own stuff, so I got into producing instead. After a year of that, and realizing I was straight-up trash at it, I hung it up. Then around 2020/2021, I was kicking it with my homie Jeff (thank God for Jeff). He literally forced me to record my first song on GarageBand. After that, I quit being scary and have been recording ever since.
I hate trying to describe my music because I make so many different styles. When I first started, it was the whole Juice WRLD era, and I took a lot of inspiration from him, The Kid LAROI, and Kenji. Everyone I showed my music to was trying to put me in that box. I don’t think that was necessarily a bad thing, but it felt like people were trying to tell me that’s all I was or would be. So, I took that as a challenge and decided to push myself out of my comfort zone and experiment with everything.”
DS: I noticed you’re a very versatile artist, blending hip-hop, alternative, R&B, and rock into your records. What or who influences your sound?
DJ: “Over the last couple of years, one of my biggest influences has probably been my homie Whit. He’s been my favorite artist for a minute, dude’s psychotic with it (in a good way, though). But other than that, there’s so much good music coming out in the underground right now that the list is always changing. Lately, I’ve been really into 2hollis and Kurtains. A lot of my favorite songs I’ve made this year definitely fall into that vibe.”
DS: Where do you hope to be in the next 5 years?
DJ: “In the next 5 years, I’m probably gonna be on a boat somewhere in Monaco with Rubi Rose, chilling by the fire, eating fondue. You know, just living the dream.”
DS: What’s something your fans and listeners online don’t know about you?
DJ: “One thing people probably don’t know about me is I have a serious glizzy addiction—no joke. Hot dogs are probably my favorite food in the world.”
DS: COD or Fortnite?
DJ: “Honestly, I’m taking Brawlhalla over both of them. Don’t @ me.”
DS: I see you vaping in some of your promo videos on Instagram. As a fellow nicotine enthusiast, what’s your go-to brand and flavor? The people gotta know.
DJ: “Geek Bars have been kicking my ass lately. My favorite flavor is probably the Grape Blow Pop.”
DS: What can we expect from you for the rest of this year and into 2025?
DJ: “For the next couple of months, I don’t really know what to expect. I’m trying to fall in love so I have something to talk about in the new year.