We were lucky to catch up with D. Lylez recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, D. thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Has your work ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized?

Sometimes being creative can also be misunderstood by people not understanding the meaning behind a certain song especially if it’s not watered down . I was always taught to cater to the audience and what they like . It’s not fun at all because people like US for our personality . When it relates to them they become super fans of the product . These past few years people who are already in the creative field sometimes have a hard time understanding where I want to go musically and its because they are not tapped in with what’s really happening in music at this current moment. I’m not talking about a specific song but the fact artist are taking their voice back with freedom of how THEY want to express THEIR music whether you like it or not . Music is a subjective language .

D., love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a Chicago native I grew up in the Beverly and Englewood neighborhood . Started singing at the age 0f 9 and began singing at his parents’ church. Yes , I am a Preacher’s Kid lolol. Music made such a big impact on my life that I began to study the greats and started performing at any open mic I could think of in Chicago. Ultimately it led me to participate in season 18 of NBC “The Voice,” where I ranked in the top 24 in the country. Shortly after that , I was nominated for the 2022 Grammys with the Chicago group duo named Ten City. I enjoy bringing people together and bridging the gap between the new and older generation. I also love creating a unique brand that uplifts and inspires. That’s something I figured out early in my career being in rooms with major artist/producers and I realized that I want to present something refreshing to the world despite what is popular .

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

When I finished my segment on The Voice , the pandemic had just began so I had to figure what I was going to do to stay relevant and seen. Especially after being seen on a national TV show people want to know what’s next . I could not perform because everything was shut down. So I came up with a social media schedule that I would make a few videos a day of me singing creatively as possible . The Voice grew my following to 9k which was very decent. Working my social media I was able to take 9k and turn it into 12.4k followers just being consistent and authentic to the audience .My advice to anyone seeking to grow a following just be active and understand that data (algorithm) changes daily. We always think about the thousands of people we want to see like a post but forget that small numbers matter first. We have to start somewhere just be original.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The absolute most rewarding aspect of being an artist is that people tell me stories about how they connect with a certain song of mine that they like and express how it helps them cope with trauma or understanding how to approach love. If I can’t impact the entire world at once then I’ll start with a few first .

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @dlylez
• Facebook: D. Lylez
• Twitter: @dlylez
• Youtube: Darious Lyles
• Soundcloud: D. Lylez
• Other: Streaming services – D. Lylez

Image Credits

Jessica Rivera – Jess D Studio
Roshawn Lyles – RLylesvision
Yolanda Chioma – Imagery by Chioma LLC
Marcos Sandoval- Cre8tiv Harmony