Dee-1

**David Arnold Augustine Jr.** (born April 10, 1985), known professionally as **Dee-1**, is an American rapper from New Orleans, Louisiana. He worked as a middle school math teacher and released three mixtapes during this time before becoming a full-time rapper in 2011. He is connected with his Christian faith, reflected through his music and career. He has the mantra 'Be Real, Be Righteous, Be Relevant.' In 2021, he became the first rapper in Louisiana history to be an appointee of the governor.

## Background

Dee-1 told *Sway in the Morning* that he first met Lupe on an airplane. About six months later they ate Popeyes at his house. Sometime later in Los Angeles, he was filming a movie and had to pay hundreds of dollars for Ubers and taxis. Fiasco reached out and lent one of his cars, which Dee-1 remarked upon, was not used to hospitality from another artist in the game.

In 2013, he embarked as the opener of Fiasco's Tetsuo & Youth Preview Tour. He noted to *The Source* of how this came about:

> Lupe personally asked me to come and join the tour with him man. Lupe and I have a really good friendship. I know I use the term big brother a lot, but he's definitely like a big brother. Like a mentor in this rap game to me because we both have music that has a message in it and it has deep content. So we recognized that about one another and we built a friendship over the last pretty much year and a half and he sees that I just got signed and he sees the mixtape. He gave me a real dope shout out on the mixtape that just dropped. So he asked me to come join his tour and what was I going to tell Lupe no? Ha-ha!"
>
>

In 2016, Fiasco was featured on Dee-1's remix song for "Against Us". Dee-1 added, "I only collab with people I'm friends with." This collaboration came about spontaneously, where Dee-1 showed Fiasco the song in the studio and Fiasco jumped on the track with a freestyle off the top for its remix. He added that the advice he got from Fiasco was making sure he doesn't try so hard to help everyone else that he forgets to live life for himself.

In February 2023, Fiasco gave a speech at a concert in recognition of Dee-1 working at Harvard and pushing hip hop in the academia world. A month later in March, he and Fiasco were two of the five panelists at Harvard for the discussion of drill music and its impact in hip hop and culture.

## References

1. ↑ Elibert, Mark (November 29, 2017). "Dee-1 on His Days as a Teacher, His Relationship With God & New Album 'Slingshot David'". *Billboard*.
2. ↑ "INTERVIEWS: VIDEOHip-hop gets political: New Orleans' Dee-1 interviews Louisiana Governor Edwards in pre-election 1-on-1". *HipHopCanada*. November 14, 2019.
3. ↑ Spera, Keith (January 5, 2021). "New Orleans rapper Dee-1 'honored' to join Louisiana Council on the Success of Black Men and Boys". *NOLA*.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Dee-1 on How he Got Lupe Fiasco and Big K.R.I.T. on the "Against Us" Remix + Freestyles Live!". *Dailymotion*. May 18, 2017.
5. ↑ "Exclusive Interview: Dee-1 Talks New Mixtape, Working with Mannie Fresh & Touring with Lupe Fiasco". *The Source*. November 22, 2013.
6. ↑ Platon, Adelle (May 3, 2016). "Watch Dee-1, Lupe Fiasco & Big K.R.I.T. Squad Up In the 'Against Us' Remix Video: Premiere". *Billboard*.
7. ↑ "Dee1- Why he started rapping, improving school system, Lupe Fiasco and more!". *YouTube*. October 1, 2016.
8. ↑ "Dee-1 (@Dee1music)". *Twitter*. February 6, 2023.