I think it’s safe to say that I don’t have to explain who Brookfield Duece is, or what he does for the Portland music scene. In the City of Bridges, Duece brought his talents all the way from Brookfield to share his life story through music.
I last saw Duece after performing at The Thesis: Two Year Anniversary. Since then, a lot more has happened. So much, that I can’t even explain it all in one article, but I’m going to try. Let’s just say he’s setting the tone for how to move in 2017.
In the last month, Duece has been further establishing his brand after signing to Damian Lillard’s Front Page Music Inc. The label was recently announced after a series of freestyles on Sway In The Morning, where Duece showcased his street conscious lyrics and a trap sprinkle or two.
The announcement of Front Page Music was capitalized with a 9 page feature in SLAM Magazine’s first music issue. I liked the SLAM article because it detailed the past times of Duece, Dame DOLLA and Danny From Sobrante, instead of just announcing their moves for them. Front Page didn’t just step on the scene, they set the trend with a nationally acclaimed publication, proving that they’re here for business.
I could go on about what Duece and Front Page are doing, but I have some music to share. Duece followed up the announcement with an announcement of his own. He’s assured us that his next EP is on the way. ‘One Day It’ll All Make Cents’ is Duece’s return to releasing music since putting out Boondock Saints 2 with John Blunt. This EP is a witty twist on Common’s album, titled “One Day It’ll All Make Sense”. He gave us a sample from the Cents EP with a single called ‘Unwilling’, which was premiered by a SLAM Magazine Twitter post.
The single is a fresh reminder of what it takes to make head way in the music industry. Duece simply points out that many artists “ain’t willing to die to make a killing”. This Hip-Hop reminiscent track is backed with the smooth Reggae vocals of JR Toots, who Duece has known and planned on working with for the better part of a decade.
If you’ve ever wondered about what it takes to make it, listen to this and digest. We Out Here.