Get To Know Dapz on The Map As He ‘Gives Thanks’

Dapz on The Map, whose name originates from a childhood nickname his Dad gave him, is the Birmingham born rapper and singer who has been making music for over a decade, he has been influenced by the likes of Wiley, Dizzee, BBK and so many more veterans in the game, who he has collectively titled ‘The movement’, to break down the movement these are artist who have had a huge impact on the scene and Dapz’ growth as an artist. Other artists who have played a pivotal part during Dapz’ journey were Birmingham based artists Rasco, Devil Man and Midlands Maf.

While fast forwarding to the current day Dapz OTM also admires the work of newly created trio Mini Kingz, who consist of Benjiflow, Ragz Originale and Oscar#Worldpeace, the collective released the addictive summer track ‘ICED OUT SUMMER’ earlier in the year. Once again paying homage to his hometown and to someone very close to him, Dapz also added a special mention, ‘And then from Birmingham I would say Pheleba, I know that may sound biased as she’s my partner, but she's got an amazing sound and I think more people need to know about her’.

Although Dapz has been flying the Brum flag since releasing his official debut track ‘III’s a crowd’ in 2013, it was his breakout track ‘Beautiful’ featuring his partner and R’n’B songstress Pheleba in 2020, which truly put Dapz on the Map, the track is currently sitting on 1.5M streams on TikTok. Ever since then he has consistently kept his fans well fed with his organic music, with tracks like ‘Streets of Rage’, ‘Froggy’ and ‘Contingency’, which showcases the effortless talent the West Midlands artist has to offer. ‘Contingency’ is a track that reverts back to Daps’ R’N’B roots, 'It’s more for the ladies, has an R’n’B feel and is produced by Corey K, who also produced Beautiful, the two track’s will have a similar feel’.

Never one to shy away from the realities of life, Dapz consistently has themes of family, love and gratitude throughout his music, this is evident on his track 2020 hit ‘Beautiful’ featuring his partner Pheleba who is seen heavily pregnant with Dapz' third child, the visuals to the track see him and his family come to together to celebrate new life, as well as documenting Pheleba’s ‘Beautiful and intimate’ home birth. ‘Beautiful’ also see’s Dapz at his most vulnerable as he raps about the simplicities of love and life. The visuals to the track ‘Beautiful’ ultimately showcase Dapz’ versatility as an artist, in comparison to his usual word play driven sound. ‘I would describe my music as Grime ‘n’ B, which is an obvious combination of Grime and R’n’B. We all love R'n'B and Grime is naturally embedded in me. I pray that this genre of music is carried on in the years to come.’

From his early teens Dapz always knew he wanted to become a musician, despite knowing it wouldn't be an easy journey stepping into the music industry, this was a risk he was willing to take, ‘At the time I had just welcomed by first child into the world and reached out to my Mum for advice, she expressed her concerns as two monumental things were simultaneously happening to me at the same time, however she never doubted me’. From living with his Brother to working unwanted jobs, once welcoming his baby girl into the world, Dapz seemed more determined than ever to pursue his music career, while achieving ultimate success and the financial freedom he had longed for, along with that came a lot of sacrifices. Nevertheless Dapz is thankful for those moments during his earlier days, which have made him the man and musician he is today. ‘Since breaking out into the music scene and being from Birmingham, I always knew I had to go that extra mile, especially when you compare the London scene to the Birmingham scene, artists from London have always been known to set the bar high. I would currently describe my music as mutual Grime, a genre that taps into a conscious way of thinking’.

Dapz’ latest single ‘Give Thanks’ is an insight into what listeners and fans can expect from Dapz’ debut album ‘Landed’. ‘Give Thanks’ is a song of gratitude and honour, as Dapz OTM is truly thankful for his position within the music industry. The track has already received great traction and is set to be featured on the official FIFA 23 soundtrack and the blessings don’t stop there, as earlier on in the year Dapz was also approached to represent Birmingham during this year's Commonwealth games. The visuals for ‘Give Thanks’ once again amplify Dapz love for his family as he is joined by his three children and is seen enjoying a well deserved celebration in a club, as this is seemingly one of Dapz’ most successful years of his career to date. Having co-signs from the likes of Kano, Skepta and legendary tastemakers Sian Anderson and DJ Target, the future is looking bright for Dapz and it’ll be interesting to see what happens next.

Dapz' debut album which is titled ‘Landed’ is set to be released on October 28th, it’ll be a further insight into Dapz life, while showcasing his versatility as an artist and has aspects of Grime and R’n’B. ‘Landed’ will also include infamous track ‘Beautiful’ as Dapz feels there is still time to appreciate and re-shine a light on the single.

Stream 'Give Thanks' Now!