Grammy-award winning singer and songwriter “DeP” has performed as the opening act or a supporting vocalist with many chart-topping musical artists. The genre spanning stars include Beyonce, Kanye West, John Legend, Chance The Rapper, Alicia Keys, Yolanda Adams, Kim Burrell, Andra Day, and Ne-Yo.
Born Donald Paige in Houston, Texas, DeP is also a founding member of Kanye West’s Sunday Service Collective, and he has performed at the 2016 TV Land Awards, 2016 ESPY Awards and the 57th Annual Grammy Awards.
He says he prefers to be addressed by his professional moniker; however, he is okay with being called by his birth name, too. “I recognize Donald from my childhood, friends and family,” said DeP.
Raised around the iconic Southeast Inspirational Choir, which birthed gospel legends like Yolanda Adams, DeP says his family members were original founding members of the choir.
Related Stories
Waters Salutes 40th Anniversary of Hobson’s Ariel Investments
D’Angelo Louis Makes Directorial Debut With Short Film “Shoebox”
“As heir apparent for our generation that was next in line, I was fortunate enough and… respected enough to have the opportunity to take their legacy and go to the next level on their [Southeast Inspirational Choir’s] legacy album,” said DeP.
DeP remembers when he crossed over into the secular realm and signed his first deal with music label Versatile Records, he decided to change his name to “DeP.” He says he wanted to separate his career as a gospel singer from his career as a secular performer.
“My ex-girlfriend used to call me ‘Donald Eugene.’ I don’t know where Eugene came from because my middle name is ‘Lee,”’ said DeP. “I looked at [the] initials D-E-P and read them phonetically to pronounce ‘DeP.’
“I went down this journey because ‘deep’ means to divulge lower than a surface level of meaning and understanding on any subject matter,” he explained. “That’s what I wanted my music and my art to do – be able to connect wherever people were at.”
The first time Versatile Records booked him in Vibe Magazine, DeP says he was “Donald Paige,” and the second time he appeared in Vibe he was “DeP.” The Latin macron was added over the “e” to pronounce “deep.”
DeP has since earned a Best Contemporary Christian Music Album Grammy Award as a member of Kanye West’s “Sunday Service Choir” on the album “Jesus is King.” He was also nominated for a second Grammy for his work on Beyonce’s song “Spirit,” which is on “The Lion King” soundtrack.
DeP has worked as a background singer with Beyonce for nine years and he is credited with performing on four songs on Beyonce’s current album, “Cowboy Carter.”
He says it is a project that has been years in the making. “Listening to ‘Cowboy Carter’ as a fan of the artist [Beyonce], as a fan of the art, as a fan of creativity, I listened and was surprised to hear songs that I was on,” said DeP. “Grateful, but surprised.”
DeP’s current solo project is called “This $h!t Can’t Wait.”
He said, “What’s interesting about the title [uncensored] – I remember talking to my mom about it and she said, ‘Why you gotta use the profanity?’” He replied, “Because I would use it in real life.”
DeP says it is a profound title because Black male artists are held to a different standard in music. He says that same standard does not apply to White male artists when it comes to using provocative language.
“I wanted to force the narrative that you have to say ‘This $h!t Can’t Wait,’ because the reality of where we are specifically with this political year, ‘This $h!t Can’t Wait.’ The culture is suffering,” said DeP.
Despite what he has accomplished in his career, DeP still sees it as just work. “I didn’t start doing music to get a Grammy award. I didn’t start doing music to work with Kanye West or Beyonce,” said DeP.
He finished, “However, I’m grateful for the opportunity – It’s accolades I don’t minimize at all.”
More information on DeP and his music can be found at www.thinkdep.com.
