Spark Dawg’s time is now.
Persistence and skill are two critical ingredients for success. It’s hard to become someone people admire if you do not have the skill and the will to push through challenges and in the music industry, you need both to counter the constant flow of artists and people fighting for their spot. Central Texas veteran Spark Dawg is battle tested. Ever since he entered the game in 2007, he’s provided fans with quality music while keeping his brand at the top of everyone’s mind. Now aligned with legendary music producer Drumma Boy and his label Drum Squad Records, his upcoming album is drilling for the same gold he gives his customers.
Born in Panama to a Panamanian mother and black father, Spark Dawg came to Fort Hood in Killen, Texas at the behest of his father, who at the time was married to his mother.
“I was less than a year old when I moved from there. My father was from North Carolina and was in the military. They stationed him in Panama at Fort Clayton. He met my mother and had me, says Spark.
Not long after they arrived in Texas, Spark’s father left them and moved back to North Carolina. His mother, a native Spanish speaker, struggled to provide for them but did what was necessary to make sure he had a quality life.
Exposed to a mix of East Coast and Southern rap, Spark chose rap at an early age, pointing to the lyrical nature of artists like Jay-Z, DMX, Fabolous, and down south wordsmiths such as Chamillionaire, Paul Wall and Ludacris. Seeing the success of rap and the struggles of his mother instilled in him a desire to be in charge of his own destiny.
While in high school, Spark started his own business, opening up a grill shop as a senior. Over time, his reputation grew, earning him the nickname, the Hood Dentist. It wasn’t long before Spark ended up serving a crew of classmates he knew with grills.
“Senior year I got into the business. I wanted to make my own self grills first and then I got cool with a rap group known as Green City and did their grills. Then I started rapping with them later on. Selling grills saved my life and gave me a legal hustle tied into my brand.”
Green City, a collective of emcees in the Killen area, was a staple in the city’s underground scene. Through divine intervention, Texas legend Scarface heard the group’s music during a workout and was instantly impressed, offering the group a one-album deal. In 2007, they dropped their first record, “Like a Porn Star”, working alongside Scarface and his label Underground Railroad.
The deal gave Spark his first major experience in the industry and from there Spark capitalized, partnering with notable Texas musicians like Michael “5000” Watts whom he’d later tour with.
“Watts asked the local DJ who was the local star and they mentioned me. From there he heard my record and he liked it so much that he asked if he could do a Swishahouse version with his artists! That developed into a relationship where we toured together.”
Spark’s lyrical ability put him on several of the industry’s radars, including notable Desert Storm DJ, DJ Clue, who’s also of Panamanian descent. Although the situation didn’t materialize into a label deal, the experience gave Spark more hope about his path to success.
In time, all of Spark’s work paid off when the artist met Drumma Boy at SXSW in 2018. Impressed by his talent, Drumma invited him to join the label and from there the rest is history.
Skill aside, Spark credits two major things for his success as an artist.
”Back then, everything I got was from talent and relationships.”
Armed with a machine behind him and ambition, Spark’s star will ignite things and propel him to the top.
Wright World 