Drissy Parker is a rapper turned producer currently based in Harare. Though he still dabbles in rapping and backing vocals here and there , he sees himself as more of a producer now.
The state of R & B is questionable in Zimbabwe as there isn't a strong R&B culture in the traditional sense. "There are a number of singers here that can do different things," Drissy explains. "Singers tend to sing afrobeats or house because that's what is popular, relatable and honestly it is African." But Drissy is pushing beyond those boundaries bringing an authentic R & B / Trapsoul sound to his latest project titled Thinking at 3 am: The Prelude. "Sonically I went for different elements that would evoke a soundtrack for after midnight, late night drives, roll up sessions and intimate moments," he says.
"I used samples all the way through, I wanted to show my ability to flip samples and how I can take these samples to a different place." It was only two years ago that he started to produce. He says because he already had a good understanding of the piano and drums, it came to him eventually but he practices his craft every day. "I spend my time creating. I treat it like sport," Drissy Parker says.
If you follow him on Twitter it will come as no surprise his biggest influence and dream collaboration is PARTYNEXTDOOR!
"He reminds me of Jodeci, I grew up on 90s R&B and it's a big influence in my music, producers like Babyface and Teddy Riley," Drissy says.
He also lists Simba Tagz and Mr Kamera as a source of inspiration. The two producers have been "instrumental in my development, be it advice on what to listen to, or look out for in technique, or just in sharing resources and information," he says.
By the end of the year Drissy plans to get some solid beat placements and release his first album (according to his IG it's 60 per cent done). In the meantime "Thinking at 3 am : The Prelude" is now available at drissyparker.com.