Photo via Facebook / DaveKevinAdam
Three names, one rapper, plenty of personality. Rapper DaveKevinAdam has put out a string of releases in the past year, and is already on his fourth project of the 2021 with his latest EP, Detroit Kev 3. All three volumes of his Detroit Kev series have come out since the beginning of the year, as well as an album, The Formula, which dropped in February.
While DaveKevinAdam has roots in Milwaukee, he currently resides in Toledo, Ohio with his family. The name originates from his background in poetry, where he got his start, and just a bit of infidelity.
“Well the true story is that when I was a poet, I had three girlfriends at the time” explains DaveKevinAdam. “My buddy thought it was funny to have two more common names added to mine. I needed the names to match the girlfriends. Someone introduced me and said ‘DaveKevinAdam’ and I was like ‘that’s cool, I’m gonna run with that.’ Eventually the girlfriends caught onto the names, and I stopped having those girlfriends after that (laughs).”
From a sonic standpoint, the Detroit Kev tapes capitalize on the rising popularity of the Midwest slap sound, with hyped up beats and flows that feel more like slick talk than true rap bars. While the series is named for the Motor City, the slap sound has been prevalent in Milwaukee’s underground for some time as well, and the origin of the sound can be debated to the heart’s content of any Midwestern rap fan. Nevertheless, DaveKevinAdam puts his own spin on the sound, opting to stay on beat and invoke quotable lines and hooks, something many underground rappers often to merely dabble with. For DaveKevinAdam, however, the sound is merely just a facet of his game.
“Toledo is 45 minutes away from Detroit” said DaveKevinAdam. “It’s kind of a riff on people in Detroit thinking that Toledo dudes are claiming Detroit. Plus that sound is getting popular, so I was like ‘you know what? I’m about to become Detroit Kev.’ I do it for fun, because it’s really easy to do. I made Detroit Kev 2 in like five days or something.”
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Although Ohio is home for DaveKevinAdam, he’s back in Milwaukee regularly through the summer for performances and bookings. He has trips around the country planned for various reasons, but is able to keep himself geographically centered in terms of his location on the map.
“I’m everywhere I’m supposed to be” said DaveKevinAdam. “I have to go to Atlanta soon to write music for a different artist. If you need me, I’m coming.”
You can check out Detroit Kev 3 right now on all streaming services.
