“I am the Definition of Effort and Zeal iN Ambition and Dedication to Opportunity”
— Dez Nado
Who Is Dez Nado?
Wikipedia's Dez Nado Page
LaDolceVita Press Release (Newswire/PR)
Discography as of 2017
TV
"Kindaded" appeared on Episodes 1, 2, and 9 of Life & Grind: Duval Appeard as a cast member of Life & Grind: Duval, Season 1 - CW17/BounceTV August 2014-August 2015 (4,500 households) Radio Straight Rida (2007-2008) - 105.7 FM Jacksonville FL Throw It Back (2008- Present) - 105.7 FM Jacksonville FL - 93.3 Jacksonville FL - 99.5 FM Washington, D.C. - (nationwide --> http://www.983kissfm.com/new2/artists/i/130144?psid=190979 // http://www.kyld.com/new2/artists/i/130144) Check Out My Lean (2010) // I'm Paid Now (2011) - JACKSONVILLE FL - 93.3/97.9 FMI'm Paid Now & Ride Tonight (2011/2012 - NO HANDS 2 Singles) played on:
"Reaching out to his fans, you can really feel Dez’s energy pouring out and it feels like he wants to party with the whole world till the break of dawn. This collaboration has to be one of Dez’s greatest accomplishments to date and it’s clear that he has been blessed with talent and that fame does not just come knocking at your door, you gotta DO SUMN! - Melissa Arditti, Vents Magazine
Placing a nice spin on the single, Dez Nado’s lyrics do remind me of Kanye West from the College Dropout and Late Registration albums. Influenced by many big rappers of the 90?s and early 2000?s and life around him, Dez Nado strives to stand out in the rap game for the long haul." - Matt Bible, Mattbible.com
Magazine/Blog features - Feb/March 2013
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"The hip-hop scene has been saturated over the past decade with artists who are clearly brilliant at their craft of rapping, but fail to create a memorable presence that shows the world who they really are. No doubt, Dez Nado’s acroynm: The D.efinition of E.ffort and Z.eal iN A.mbition and D.edication to O.pportunity. is a mouthful, but coming straight out of Jacksonville, Florida, he rightfully earns his title by not only perfecting his style as a lyricist/musician, but taking every opportunity he is given in life and turning it into something meaningful.
The highly-anticipated release of Dez’s new track “Do Sumn” features iconic superstar rapper Kanye West, alongside multi-talented singer/songrwriter Jana MiziK. The song has a lot of strong points, from flirtatious vocal call and answer formula with the sassy Jana to the fast guitar strumming accompanied with playful lyrical momentum. The party vibe can go all night long with this song. It has a whimsical nostalgia throwback to old skool rap of the early 90s which so many can appreciate, and Dez hits it out of the park with some wicked rapping skills to complement Kanye’s undeniable style that has gained a worldwide following.
Reaching out to his fans, you can really feel Dez’s energy pouring out and it feels like he wants to party with the whole world till the break of dawn. This collaboration has to be one of Dez’s greatest accomplishments to date and it’s clear that he has been blessed with talent and that fame does not just come knocking at your door, you gotta DO SUMN! Check out
by Melissa Arditti"
- See more at: http://ventsmagazine.com/do-sumn-by-dez-nado/#sthash.fSi5DXpy.dpuf
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Dez Nado Intent On Waking Up The Hip-hop Industry Rising Star Releases "Do Sumn" Featuring Kanye West And Jana Mizik
Jacksonville, Florida (Top40 Charts/ Grit PR) Just two semesters away from getting his Master's Degree in Mass Communication, and with three mixtapes and two albums under his belt, Hip Hop artist Dez Nado is poised to make his dreams a reality. After battling through some rough times, he is back with a new perspective on life and ready to drop his hot new single "Do Sumn," which features iconic rapper Kanye West and JANA MiZiK.
"Do Sumn" is an older track, but with a brand new spin to it. As Dez says, it's "one you can throw in ya CD player or pull up on ya computer and literally say 'this sounds like absolutely nothing else out right now.'" Creative juices were flowing throughout the process of making the single, and everyone was completely on board, including Jana, who miraculously recorded her vocals in less than an hour. Although Kanye wasn't present in the studio, the vibe was incredibly strong and the collaboration has truly set the bar high for Dez Nado in the Hip Hop community. "Regardless of distance, it's clearly an honor to have him featured on the new track, states Dez."
Going for a grassroots approach first, Dez wants to get the track out to the streets, hitting college, community, and Internet radio stations throughout the world with the goal of making the single an international hit. "Not everybody is going to like me or think I'm talented, but if they are real they will respect the grind, they will respect the hustle, and once I get that respect on a noteworthy level my mission will be accomplished because that means I earned it. Then it'll be time for part two of the plan!"
Video production is in the works for the track, as Mastermind Productions has started the shoot in Florida. The concept behind the video is one that Dez calls "crazy, but in a good way." If you actually listen to the song, you'll see the video emerge in your imagination. The debut is aimed for Spring break, where excitement is at every turn for young people across the country.
For more information on Dez Nado and his new album, please visit: www.whoisdeznado.com
http://top40-charts.com/news.php?nid=87446
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Urban Music Awards Committee Review March 2013
Our Talent Scout staff gave the song an evaluation rating of 8 out of a possible 10. It's a good song. We feel that the music is industry Standard.
We were impressed with the writing skills, lyrical skills, cadence, delivery, rapping skills, production and flow on the song.
Hence, we would like to place the song on The Underground Music Awards Artist To Watch Music Sampler, which will be hosted by Jesse Jess, sponsored by Exclusiv Vodka.
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September 2013
Appeared on 291 & Campbellton TV Show in Atlanta
Took over A-105 Atlanta Radio for an hour and did own show "VIPSquad Takeover Hour" http://www.ustream.tv/channel/a105-radio-the-voice-of-the-future Released single “Kindaded” on iTunes, Amazon, online retailers Music video for Kindaded Music video featured on Internet Music Video database and other sites Appeared on Gsnaps Radio – Las Vegas debuting Kindaded Appeared on power 106 Los Angeles GudTymezRadioShow debuting KindaDed December 2013 Cliche Magazine feature - "We loved the music and posted Dez's Vid on our Blog and Cliche TV....." – Wilson Greene, Cliché Magazine (22,000+ Likes FB) RUNTV Champion Television feature (Freestyle) http://nealheart.com/ctv/run/s1/run1.html#.Usv_jQiWhMk.twitter Power 106/Hot 89 Los Angeles/Las Vegas GudTymezRadio Awards Show Nominee for Male Artist of the Year Single of the Year “Kindaded” January 2014 Duvalfest 2014 (Jacksonville, FL) Top ten reverb nation charts week 52 2013, week 1 jan 2014, for Jacksonville FL region Duvalhiphop.com January 2014 Video of the Month “Kindaded” Feb-March 2014 Was a “focus character” and starring cast member of Jacksonville’s First and Only Reality TV Show, “Life & Grind: Duval” (Season 1; aired Fall 2014 on CW 17/Bounce Tv, yourjax.com) May-July 2014 Created, booked, and coordinated Jacksonville's largest independent Spring and Summer annual concerts, Duval Spring Fest 2014 and Duval Unity Summer Fest 2014
August-October 2014 Dez's show "Life & Grind: Duval" Season 1 airs and achieves #1 ranking for new programs in Fall 2014 on the Jacksonville network; Dez lands official sponsorship from Clique Vodka/Premier Innovations Group (Pittsburgh) for the show December 2014 Off the success of the reality TV show, Clique Vodka/Premier Innovations Group extends their sponsorship for another year and grants marketing/distribution rights to VIPSquad Entertainment (Dez's independent label) for the entire region of Florida/Georgia "Life & Grind: Duval" Season 1 picked up for additional airing on a second TV channel; local channel 18.1/Mee Mee TV Jax ( Mee Mee TV - Jax Homepage ) Dez Nado officially named a Rude Boy Clothing artist; International Magazine Rude Boy Lifestyle Magazine and Clothing Line Rude Boy Clothing officially offers Dez Nado and "Life & Grind: Duval" a clothing sponsorship (www.rudeboymag.com) Jan-Feb 2015 Featured in Void Magazine/Void Live for winning 2014 Artist of the Year http://voidlive.com/music/dez-nado-wins-artist-year-duval-music-festival/ Awarded DuvalHipHop.com’s title of 2014 ARTIST OF THE YEAR
-- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE— March 2015 Jacksonville, Florida— Jacksonville-based rapper Dez Nado notched another big win in his rapidly growing belt of successes this past Saturday night as DuvalHipHop.com awarded him the much coveted title of “2014 Artist of the Year”. The award, given to Dez during the Duval Star Awards ceremony at the 4th Annual Duval Music Festival at 1904 Music Hall in downtown Jacksonville, comes amidst an undeniable rise in buzz and regional notoriety for the rapper since he independently launched and produced Jacksonville’s first and only reality TV series “Life & Grind: Duval”, which airs locally on Comcast channel 225 (Bounce) every Saturday at 8pm EST. Dez says he’s “learned a lot” since he won his first local, music-related awards in 2008 for Performer of the Year and Rookie of the Year: “I’m not big on awards, but it means a lot to be recognized for all the work you put in,” the rapper remarked, “It’s motivation, and validation to keep the grind up…work harder and see what else you can push yourself to achieve…” While Dez Nado (www.whoisdeznado.com) is becoming known for his work ethic and his grind, he didn’t deny spending a little time celebrating at the awards show in his hometown after receiving the award Saturday night. The celebration was definitely deserved, as he won with over a third of the total votes received in a competitive group that included artists signed to both major and independent record labels. Sticking to his promise to push himself to the next level and see what else he can achieve, Dez Nado is staying busy in 2015 with several projects, including Season 2 of his Clique Vodka-sponsored cable TV reality series “Life & Grind: Duval”, which premieres Saturday March 7th at 8pm EST on Comcast channel 225 (Bounce), along with the incorporation of his own independent record label “VIPSquad Entertainment” in March, hosting of several parties and showcases for his Life & Grind movement during Jacksonville’s One Spark festival in April (250,000+ attendees expected this year), and hosting and performing in his Duval Spring Fest 2015 ( https://www.facebook.com/events/1412900665674605 ) concert, his own creation that has become North Florida/South Georgia’s biggest independent annual spring concert. If you’re just picking up on the moves Dez is making and the spectacle going on in north Florida, you’re late. We’re definitely staying tuned to see what’s next to come out of Duval county from him and his movement. March 2015 Commentary featured on International Political website DailyCaller.com Featured as an Official Rude Boy Clothing sponsored artist in international publication Rude Boy Lifestyle Magazine (via @RudeBoyAsia) April-November 2015 Appeared on ABC25/NBC12 daytime television show "The Chat" in promotion of his 2014 album "VIPSquad All-Starz" (Full Interview viewable on homepage @ www.whoisdeznado.com) Duval Spring Fest 2015 & Summer Fest 2015 host and performer (featured on jacksonville.com, Florida Times-Union, VOID Magazine, First Coast News, Folio Weekly, and more) http://events.jacksonville.com/event/duval-spring-fest-2015 2015 Mega Sum Fest (Hip Hop Stardom Mag) performer invitee 2015 BMI Hip Hop/R&B Awards special invitee (invite-only; Saban Theatre - Los Angeles) Freestyle Filez 3 (mixtape host) release - www.soundcloud.com/freestylefilez3
VIPSquad Entertainment presents #FreestyleFilez3 - a collection of exclusive and VERY rare freestyles from the hottest major and independent lyricists of all time spanning 20 years of hip hop, specially mixed and cut by up-and-coming VIPSquad DJs (Full FREE download @ www.whoisdeznado.com ) Florida's Finest 3 (mixtape host and feature artist) release - www.soundcloud.com/flasfinest3 -- FULL Free .zip MediaFire download HERE VIPSquad Ent presents #FLAsFinest3 the only mixtape bringing you the hottest all-genre indie and major music from Florida artists/bands -- soundcloud.com/flasfinest3 | whoisdeznado.com for FULL free .zip download | vipsquadent@gmail.com for inquiries mixed by VIPSquad DJs Hosted by @deznado Official 2015 BET Hip Hop Awards weekend performer (Hood Critic Magazine Feature:
http://hoodcriticmagazine.com/2015/10/07/meet-up-and-coming-indie-hip-hopreggae-artist-dez-nado/
"IMMEDIATE RELEASE – SEPTEMBER 2015 Orlando, FL
Indie up-and-coming hip hop/reggae artist Dez Nado announced earlier today that he was one of the few artists selected to perform at this year’s BET Hip Hop Awards. The event is held annually at the Atlanta Civic Center in midtown Atlanta and is part of a full weekend of highly publicized events collectively regarded as the “Super Bowl” of hip hop. Past Hip Hop Awards performers have included several big names in the hip hop world such as Lil’ Wayne, T-Pain, Outkast, Ludacris, 2 Chainz, Kanye West, Eminem, and more major artists as well as rising independent artists who are gaining the industry’s attention. Dez Nado is the first and only indie rap artist from Florida to be selected to perform at the Awards, which will be hosted by hip hop legend Snoop Dogg and televised nationally on the BET Network Tuesday, October 13th at 8pm EST.
The BET Hip Hop Awards has become a staple event not only to the hip hop community here in the U.S. but to international music industry executives, artists, and fans throughout the world. The Awards event regularly gives several rising independent stars a chance to shine in the national spotlight between the performances of A-listers like J Cole, Drake, and Atlanta’s own breakout star Future. Dez said that he felt “blessed” and is looking forward to representing the state of Florida this year during BET’s famed Red Carpet Experience, which is one of the aforementioned segments that will be filmed and televised as the stars arrive at the Awards. The local rapper neither confirmed nor denied the rumor that being selected to perform at such a premier, red carpet event like the 2015 BET Hip Hop Awards means he’s close to inking a deal with a major label, stating that “right now anything can happen, [the independent artists selected] are competing for a chance to achieve a dream in front of the people with the power to make that happen”.
Dez, who graduated from UCF in 2013, is most known in central/north Florida for producing and starring in his own locally airing, cable reality TV series “Life & Grind” (airs Sundays at 8pm on the Bounce network). He remarked that he felt “slightly nervous, but confident and relieved” when he first heard the news.
“A year ago, I was just starting a new TV show to showcase the talent here in town, like myself, that very few people even know about, now I’m performing on national TV at the Hip Hop Awards”, he commented.
Benefitting from a noteworthy buzz that more and more people are picking up on, Dez Nado gave credit to the supporters of his TV program, “Life & Grind”, which highlights independent musicians and entertainers and gives viewers a firsthand look into their daily efforts to “make it big”. Support for Dez’s movement is evidenced by his recent accomplishments, including being named 2014 Artist of the Year over other artists like YMCMB’s T-Rone, and heavy hitter Swordz by Jacksonville’s hip hop music hub duvalhiphop.com, being nominated twice (2013 & 2014) for Best Male Hip Hop Artist at the Georgia Music Awards, and being featured on daytime television show “The Chat” (ABC25/NBC12; viewable at www.whoisdeznado.com) following the success of his TV show becoming the most watched new program on the Bounce network for Fall 2014.
Currently working on an independent project featuring Lola Monroe of Wiz Khalifa’s Taylor Gang, Caskey of YMCMB, and Super Bowl XLVIII halftime performer Bruno Mars, Dez stated that he intends to take full advantage of the opportunity to perform in front of the industry’s heavyweights as well as a national television audience, with the ultimate goal being to “put central and north Florida on the map” in the often overlooked and under-appreciated genre of indie hip hop. December 2015-January 2016 "Life & Grind" Season 3 begins filming, LaDolceVita gains press (Newswire/PR, PR.com, 1888, ArtEntertainment Breaking News, Retro Mix 107.9, ThinkYouKnowMusic.com, more)
- Street Drop: No Hands (Mixtape - Hosted by Melle Mel) - July 2010 - Indie release - DatPiff Rating: 5 Stars; 654 plays/downloads, 750 CDs distributed
- No Hands 1.5 (Mixtape - Hosted by Dez Nado) - February 2011 - Indie release - DatPiff Rating: 5 Stars; 218 plays/downloads
- No Hands 2 (Album - MTV/Island/Def Jam/VIPSquad Ent) - April 2011 - KKR/Island/Def Jam (Digital Release; Currently MTV.com) – over 1,100 units sold, Vegas Life Radio Feature Album
- Freestyle Filez: Volume 1 (Mixtape - Hosted by Dez Nado) - May 2012 - Indie release – DatPiff Rating: 3 Stars; 332 plays/downloads DatPiff/MediaFire, 500 CDs distributed – Album of the Summer 2011 (Hip Hop Stardom Magazine)
- Freestyle Filez: Volume 2 (Mixtape - Hosted by Dez Nado) - October 2012 - DatPiff Rating: 5 Stars; 1,302 plays/downloads, 350 CDs distributed
- #FLAsFinest (Mixtape - Hosted by VIPSquad Entertainment) - June 2013 - DatPiff Rating: 5 Stars; 128,210 plays/downloads | www.soundcloud.com/flasfinest
- NO HANDS: IRIE - (Mixtape - Hosted by Dez Nado, Bob Marley) - December 2013 - DatPiff Rating: 5 Stars; 3,104 plays/downloads, 1,200 CDs distributed www.soundcloud.com/nohandsirie
- #FLAsFinest2 (Mixtape - Hosted by VIPSquad Entertainment) - July 2014 - Indie - DatPiff Rating: 3 Stars; 11,751 plays/downloads | www.soundcloud.com/flasfinest2
- VIPSquad All-Starz: The Album - Volume 3 - November 2014 - Indie ALBUM – DatPiff Rating: 5 Stars; 3,024 plays/downloads | www.soundcloud.com/vipsquadas3
- Freestyle Filez: Volume 3 (Double Mixtape - Hosted by Dez Nado & VIPSquad DJs) - Sept 2015 - Indie - DatPiff Rating: 5 Stars; 9,616 plays/downloads www.soundcloud.com/freestylefilez3
- Florida's Finest 3 (Double Album - Hosted by Dez Nado & VIPSquad DJs) - Nov 2015 - DatPiff Rating: 5 Stars; 177,985 plays/downloads www.audiomack.com/artist/flasfinest3/
- LaDolceVita (Album)/Futuristic A-Side; Duele B-Side Singles - March 2016 - Universal Music Group/VIPSquad Entertainment 85,000 Sound Exchange/Pandora streams, 1,113 Spotify Streams/Downloads, 719 iTunes/Amazon Streams/Downloads, Indie Digi/Physical Distribution: 13,560 (Digiwaxx/PlayMPE Int'l distribution); 389 Total DJ downloads, global www.soundcloud.com/DezNadoLaDolceVita
- Freestyle Filez: Volume 4 (Double Mixtape - Hosted by Dez Nado & VIPSquad DJs) - Sept 2016 - Indie - Independent Release; 6,558 https://www.audiomack.com/artist/freestylefilez4
- Florida's Finest Vol. 4 (Double Mixtape - Hosted by Dez Nado & VIPSquad DJs) - Nov 2016 - Indie - VibeMixtapes/Independent Release Rating: 5 Stars; 2,113 Independent Downloads (Media Fire) 9,407 plays https://www.audiomack.com/artist/flasfinest4
- Freestyle Filez Vol. 5 (Double Mixtape - Released Independently & Hosted by 1017 Brick Squad Mafia Gang Nation Artist Seerious Penny & Dez Nado) - Oct 2017 - MEDIAFIRE Secure Full Download - SoundCloud -- 425 Independent Downloads, 5,885 multi-platform plays/streams Total
- Freestyle Filez Vol. 6 (Double Mixtape - Released Independently & Hosted by Dez Nado) - Sept 2018 - MEDIAFIRE Secure Full Download - SoundCloud -- 296 Independent Downloads, 6,989 multi-platform plays/streams Total | Stream FREE on AUDIOMACK here: https://audiomack.com/artist/dez-nado-1
- Florida's Finest Vol. 6 (Double Mixtape - Released Independently & Hosted by Dez Nado & DJ Purfiya) - Oct 2018 - MEDIAFIRE Secure Full Download - SoundCloud -- 175 Independent Downloads, 9,612 multi-platform plays/streams Total Stream FREE on AUDIOMACK here: https://audiomack.com/artist/flasfinest6
- Shoot Ya Shot LP (Album)/Shoot Ya Shot A-Side; Squad Goals/What U Tellum B-Side Singles - March-Oct 2019 - VIPSquad Entertainment 254,318 Spotify/Pandora/Apple Music streams + Sales as of Sept 19 2019 | Purchase FULL Album at VIPSquadNation.com | Stream the New Music Video for "Shoot Ya Shot" and New Visuals as they Release at YouTube.com/DezNado
- Freestyle Filez Vol. 5 (Double Mixtape - Released Independently & Hosted by 1017 Brick Squad Mafia Gang Nation Artist Seerious Penny & Dez Nado) - Oct 2017 - MEDIAFIRE Secure Full Download - SoundCloud -- 425 Independent Downloads, 5,885 multi-platform plays/streams Total
"Kindaded" appeared on Episodes 1, 2, and 9 of Life & Grind: Duval Appeard as a cast member of Life & Grind: Duval, Season 1 - CW17/BounceTV August 2014-August 2015 (4,500 households) Radio Straight Rida (2007-2008) - 105.7 FM Jacksonville FL Throw It Back (2008- Present) - 105.7 FM Jacksonville FL - 93.3 Jacksonville FL - 99.5 FM Washington, D.C. - (nationwide --> http://www.983kissfm.com/new2/artists/i/130144?psid=190979 // http://www.kyld.com/new2/artists/i/130144) Check Out My Lean (2010) // I'm Paid Now (2011) - JACKSONVILLE FL - 93.3/97.9 FM
- Light It Up Radio - Edmonton, Canada
- Simply Radio - Orlando, FL, USA
- ADO 97.8 FM - Paris, France
- Flava - Auckland, New Zealand
- Vegas Life Radio - Las Vegas, NV, USA
- MyRadioNetwork - Charleston, VA, USA
- http://www.youtube.com/deznado
- http://www.twitter.com/deznado
- http://www.whoisdeznado.com
- Clear Channel Home
- KLASSIC KLIQ Records Home
- Pure Cash Magazine Feature
- International Hip Hop Feature
- FACEBOOK MUSIC PAGE
- http://www.numberonemusic.com/deznado
- http://www.datpiff.com/profile/deznado
- Indie Charts NATIONAL
- FREE DEZ NADO RINGTONES
Took over A-105 Atlanta Radio for an hour and did own show "VIPSquad Takeover Hour" http://www.ustream.tv/channel/a105-radio-the-voice-of-the-future Released single “Kindaded” on iTunes, Amazon, online retailers Music video for Kindaded Music video featured on Internet Music Video database and other sites Appeared on Gsnaps Radio – Las Vegas debuting Kindaded Appeared on power 106 Los Angeles GudTymezRadioShow debuting KindaDed December 2013 Cliche Magazine feature - "We loved the music and posted Dez's Vid on our Blog and Cliche TV....." – Wilson Greene, Cliché Magazine (22,000+ Likes FB) RUNTV Champion Television feature (Freestyle) http://nealheart.com/ctv/run/s1/run1.html#.Usv_jQiWhMk.twitter Power 106/Hot 89 Los Angeles/Las Vegas GudTymezRadio Awards Show Nominee for Male Artist of the Year Single of the Year “Kindaded” January 2014 Duvalfest 2014 (Jacksonville, FL) Top ten reverb nation charts week 52 2013, week 1 jan 2014, for Jacksonville FL region Duvalhiphop.com January 2014 Video of the Month “Kindaded” Feb-March 2014 Was a “focus character” and starring cast member of Jacksonville’s First and Only Reality TV Show, “Life & Grind: Duval” (Season 1; aired Fall 2014 on CW 17/Bounce Tv, yourjax.com) May-July 2014 Created, booked, and coordinated Jacksonville's largest independent Spring and Summer annual concerts, Duval Spring Fest 2014 and Duval Unity Summer Fest 2014
August-October 2014 Dez's show "Life & Grind: Duval" Season 1 airs and achieves #1 ranking for new programs in Fall 2014 on the Jacksonville network; Dez lands official sponsorship from Clique Vodka/Premier Innovations Group (Pittsburgh) for the show December 2014 Off the success of the reality TV show, Clique Vodka/Premier Innovations Group extends their sponsorship for another year and grants marketing/distribution rights to VIPSquad Entertainment (Dez's independent label) for the entire region of Florida/Georgia "Life & Grind: Duval" Season 1 picked up for additional airing on a second TV channel; local channel 18.1/Mee Mee TV Jax ( Mee Mee TV - Jax Homepage ) Dez Nado officially named a Rude Boy Clothing artist; International Magazine Rude Boy Lifestyle Magazine and Clothing Line Rude Boy Clothing officially offers Dez Nado and "Life & Grind: Duval" a clothing sponsorship (www.rudeboymag.com) Jan-Feb 2015 Featured in Void Magazine/Void Live for winning 2014 Artist of the Year http://voidlive.com/music/dez-nado-wins-artist-year-duval-music-festival/ Awarded DuvalHipHop.com’s title of 2014 ARTIST OF THE YEAR
-- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE— March 2015 Jacksonville, Florida— Jacksonville-based rapper Dez Nado notched another big win in his rapidly growing belt of successes this past Saturday night as DuvalHipHop.com awarded him the much coveted title of “2014 Artist of the Year”. The award, given to Dez during the Duval Star Awards ceremony at the 4th Annual Duval Music Festival at 1904 Music Hall in downtown Jacksonville, comes amidst an undeniable rise in buzz and regional notoriety for the rapper since he independently launched and produced Jacksonville’s first and only reality TV series “Life & Grind: Duval”, which airs locally on Comcast channel 225 (Bounce) every Saturday at 8pm EST. Dez says he’s “learned a lot” since he won his first local, music-related awards in 2008 for Performer of the Year and Rookie of the Year: “I’m not big on awards, but it means a lot to be recognized for all the work you put in,” the rapper remarked, “It’s motivation, and validation to keep the grind up…work harder and see what else you can push yourself to achieve…” While Dez Nado (www.whoisdeznado.com) is becoming known for his work ethic and his grind, he didn’t deny spending a little time celebrating at the awards show in his hometown after receiving the award Saturday night. The celebration was definitely deserved, as he won with over a third of the total votes received in a competitive group that included artists signed to both major and independent record labels. Sticking to his promise to push himself to the next level and see what else he can achieve, Dez Nado is staying busy in 2015 with several projects, including Season 2 of his Clique Vodka-sponsored cable TV reality series “Life & Grind: Duval”, which premieres Saturday March 7th at 8pm EST on Comcast channel 225 (Bounce), along with the incorporation of his own independent record label “VIPSquad Entertainment” in March, hosting of several parties and showcases for his Life & Grind movement during Jacksonville’s One Spark festival in April (250,000+ attendees expected this year), and hosting and performing in his Duval Spring Fest 2015 ( https://www.facebook.com/events/1412900665674605 ) concert, his own creation that has become North Florida/South Georgia’s biggest independent annual spring concert. If you’re just picking up on the moves Dez is making and the spectacle going on in north Florida, you’re late. We’re definitely staying tuned to see what’s next to come out of Duval county from him and his movement. March 2015 Commentary featured on International Political website DailyCaller.com Featured as an Official Rude Boy Clothing sponsored artist in international publication Rude Boy Lifestyle Magazine (via @RudeBoyAsia) April-November 2015 Appeared on ABC25/NBC12 daytime television show "The Chat" in promotion of his 2014 album "VIPSquad All-Starz" (Full Interview viewable on homepage @ www.whoisdeznado.com) Duval Spring Fest 2015 & Summer Fest 2015 host and performer (featured on jacksonville.com, Florida Times-Union, VOID Magazine, First Coast News, Folio Weekly, and more) http://events.jacksonville.com/event/duval-spring-fest-2015 2015 Mega Sum Fest (Hip Hop Stardom Mag) performer invitee 2015 BMI Hip Hop/R&B Awards special invitee (invite-only; Saban Theatre - Los Angeles) Freestyle Filez 3 (mixtape host) release - www.soundcloud.com/freestylefilez3
VIPSquad Entertainment presents #FreestyleFilez3 - a collection of exclusive and VERY rare freestyles from the hottest major and independent lyricists of all time spanning 20 years of hip hop, specially mixed and cut by up-and-coming VIPSquad DJs (Full FREE download @ www.whoisdeznado.com ) Florida's Finest 3 (mixtape host and feature artist) release - www.soundcloud.com/flasfinest3 -- FULL Free .zip MediaFire download HERE VIPSquad Ent presents #FLAsFinest3 the only mixtape bringing you the hottest all-genre indie and major music from Florida artists/bands -- soundcloud.com/flasfinest3 | whoisdeznado.com for FULL free .zip download | vipsquadent@gmail.com for inquiries mixed by VIPSquad DJs Hosted by @deznado Official 2015 BET Hip Hop Awards weekend performer (Hood Critic Magazine Feature:
http://hoodcriticmagazine.com/2015/10/07/meet-up-and-coming-indie-hip-hopreggae-artist-dez-nado/
"IMMEDIATE RELEASE – SEPTEMBER 2015 Orlando, FL
Indie up-and-coming hip hop/reggae artist Dez Nado announced earlier today that he was one of the few artists selected to perform at this year’s BET Hip Hop Awards. The event is held annually at the Atlanta Civic Center in midtown Atlanta and is part of a full weekend of highly publicized events collectively regarded as the “Super Bowl” of hip hop. Past Hip Hop Awards performers have included several big names in the hip hop world such as Lil’ Wayne, T-Pain, Outkast, Ludacris, 2 Chainz, Kanye West, Eminem, and more major artists as well as rising independent artists who are gaining the industry’s attention. Dez Nado is the first and only indie rap artist from Florida to be selected to perform at the Awards, which will be hosted by hip hop legend Snoop Dogg and televised nationally on the BET Network Tuesday, October 13th at 8pm EST.
The BET Hip Hop Awards has become a staple event not only to the hip hop community here in the U.S. but to international music industry executives, artists, and fans throughout the world. The Awards event regularly gives several rising independent stars a chance to shine in the national spotlight between the performances of A-listers like J Cole, Drake, and Atlanta’s own breakout star Future. Dez said that he felt “blessed” and is looking forward to representing the state of Florida this year during BET’s famed Red Carpet Experience, which is one of the aforementioned segments that will be filmed and televised as the stars arrive at the Awards. The local rapper neither confirmed nor denied the rumor that being selected to perform at such a premier, red carpet event like the 2015 BET Hip Hop Awards means he’s close to inking a deal with a major label, stating that “right now anything can happen, [the independent artists selected] are competing for a chance to achieve a dream in front of the people with the power to make that happen”.
Dez, who graduated from UCF in 2013, is most known in central/north Florida for producing and starring in his own locally airing, cable reality TV series “Life & Grind” (airs Sundays at 8pm on the Bounce network). He remarked that he felt “slightly nervous, but confident and relieved” when he first heard the news.
“A year ago, I was just starting a new TV show to showcase the talent here in town, like myself, that very few people even know about, now I’m performing on national TV at the Hip Hop Awards”, he commented.
Benefitting from a noteworthy buzz that more and more people are picking up on, Dez Nado gave credit to the supporters of his TV program, “Life & Grind”, which highlights independent musicians and entertainers and gives viewers a firsthand look into their daily efforts to “make it big”. Support for Dez’s movement is evidenced by his recent accomplishments, including being named 2014 Artist of the Year over other artists like YMCMB’s T-Rone, and heavy hitter Swordz by Jacksonville’s hip hop music hub duvalhiphop.com, being nominated twice (2013 & 2014) for Best Male Hip Hop Artist at the Georgia Music Awards, and being featured on daytime television show “The Chat” (ABC25/NBC12; viewable at www.whoisdeznado.com) following the success of his TV show becoming the most watched new program on the Bounce network for Fall 2014.
Currently working on an independent project featuring Lola Monroe of Wiz Khalifa’s Taylor Gang, Caskey of YMCMB, and Super Bowl XLVIII halftime performer Bruno Mars, Dez stated that he intends to take full advantage of the opportunity to perform in front of the industry’s heavyweights as well as a national television audience, with the ultimate goal being to “put central and north Florida on the map” in the often overlooked and under-appreciated genre of indie hip hop. December 2015-January 2016 "Life & Grind" Season 3 begins filming, LaDolceVita gains press (Newswire/PR, PR.com, 1888, ArtEntertainment Breaking News, Retro Mix 107.9, ThinkYouKnowMusic.com, more)