Old Dave

About me:

Stop me if you've heard this one before: a 48 year-old White guy returns to Michigan after 12 years of banishment in the wilds of Nebraska and walks into the Cactus Lounge on 8 Mile Rd… If it sounds kind of strange…well, that's just Old Dave: an evolutionary combination of Marlboro Red smoke, weeded small-town hip-hop, and deep south sensibilities…also a former Marine nicknamed "Demolition Dave" who currently drives 118 miles a day to dig graves. With influences ranging from Johnny Cash to Aretha Franklin, and from Biggie and Tupac to Merle Haggard, Old Dave is not your average emcee. A "true White-trash bottom feeder," Old Dave's particular psychosis allows him to swing from painfully introverted to delusionally grandiose in the blink of an eye. Old Dave is the product of Arkansas and Tennessee parents, and was steeped in music from an early age; mostly country, but with a generous helping of Motown and classic soul music mixed in. He was born in Taylor, Michigan…not far at all from the musical hotbed of Detroit city. He started writing poetry as a child and gradually developed his hyper-sexed and politically subversive style at the expense of many, many composition books, notepads, and sheets of loose-leaf paper. Later on, now married with children, he stumbled onto hip-hop when he found Biggie and Tupac tapes (seriously) in a hiding place in his daughter's room. The music caught his ear and he discovered a new vehicle for his writing. He got his name at one of his first open mic sessions; there were two Daves performing. He just happened to be the "Old" one. Through fate and chance, he wandered into an open mic at the Cactus Lounge in Detroit and saw firsthand the skill and diversity that exists within Detroit's underground hip-hop scene. That's when he decided to take this music thing from hobby to career. Dave has developed a strong underground following from numerous open mic appearances and local shows. Very soon, however, the world will get a chance to hear his unique sound. He's currently finishing up his first mixtape: "Talkin' Trash: Volume One." You should expect to hear a lot from Old Dave in the coming years. In his own words, "I ain't goin' nowhere. Hell, I'm just getting started." ..