Artist to Watch: Chicago’s D2X

courtesy of Timmy Risden

D2X has a story to tell and has the perfect voice for his mission. The emcee, né Demauris Dixon, is straight out of Chicago and was formerly a Division 1 basketball prospect before he pursued his music dreams.

The switch from hardcourt honors to microphone madness transpired while he was still in college, attending Western Illinois University. But once the transformation was finalized, Dixon took on the stage name D2X, inspired by the late great DMX, and dedicated his spirit and athletic tenacity to rhyming.

Since dropping his first album, The Color Blue, in 2021, D2X has gone on to release two additional LPs and two EPs, with the latest offering, Boy in the Blue Hoodie, released earlier this month.

And it was the Boy in the Blue Hoodie that made me a true believer in the Dixon diction on the mic; songs like the intro track "'Twas The Day" showcase the rapper's innate ability to bring life to his words while the closing track, "Blue Ocean Water" demonstrates D2X's relentless hunger for rap greatness.

D2X should be on your radar, not only for Hip-Hop heads but for people who love raw dedication in their art.

D has a bright career of him fasho.