Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to DropTop. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

DropTop, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

A big life changing risk for myself was deciding to quit my job, move to Charlotte and become a full time artist/ Entrepreneur. In 2020 I was working for this company and I was working a 9-5 but they offered over time. I was always down for trying to get extra money so some weeks ill put 50-55 hrs in. Come Check time I felt like I was working all these hours not having much time for myself or my music or any of my side hustles. I was feeling uninspired at times because I wasn’t doing much and felt come studio time I would get writers block because only thing I could think to talk about or I’ve been doing is just working at my job. I ended up coming up with a way to elevate my side hustles Selling shoes, and my clothing brand LandShark Clothing. Came up with a plan and saved up as much money as I could doing shows, features, flipping shoes, clothes anything that had profit. Until I got to a point I felt like I could go to a bigger city and have rent for at least a year or two so I can really live and pursue some of the interest I had. Once I hit that number I started making trips to Charlotte to look at spots, came back to Durham and I put my two weeks in and I moved to Charlotte.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

For Folks who don’t know me Im Ducee’ DropTop. Im From Durham, NC but I have been living in Charlotte for the past 3 years. I am a Rap Artist/ Entrepreneur. The type of music I make is like a mellow hype, swag music. I really be talking about stuff that I be doing or I seen, like getting money, getting fly but being your own self without faking for the public or to be accepted. My Entrepreneur side I have 2 businesses LandShark Clothing LLC and SkyBoxCLT LLC. For land shark which almost like my Merch but recently we dropped a smokers Capsule. Which consisted of products such as; 100% Hemp rolling papers, Ash tray, rolling tray, torch lighters and car air fresheners. SkyboxCLT is a Sneaker page me and my 2 business partners created to help people get shoes that they have hard times with getting, aka the sneaker plug. These 3 things have always been hobbies of mines growing up so to be able to do all of these full time really makes me feel like I’m on the right track to success.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

A Lesson I had to learn was it was ok to not be working a regular 9-5 or to not be doing what people look at as correct. For a while getting my parents to understand that you can really make money and live off yourself if you really apply yourself was hard until I showed them. I had to shut out what everyone is saying and I realized at the end of they day I was selling my Hour for a fixed rate and I felt like no rate really could match what my hour is really worth. Life is short and at the end of the day I don’t want to go out and look back and I didn’t really get to do anything I wanted to do because I was working super hard to pay bills and have extra money after. I felt like I was working for a company that someone had to take a risk to create and now look they have thousands of workers. If I took a risk and put the same amount of time Im putting in for the persons dream that I was working for into my own I could have the same results. Basically I had to unlearn the stigma that I had to work a job to be successful and really switch my thinking to how to figure out how to work for myself.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I really wish the school system would teach us more about business and finances growing up vs algorithms that we really use in everyday life. I feel like with the right components taught to the youth that we actually would use as adults. Will better prepare them for the real world. Also the youths mind are so amazing that we really don’t know what or who is the next dot in human advancement. Kids are learning faster and with the right keys their future can be bright.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.landsharkclothing.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealdroptop
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yungdroptop
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/yungdroptop
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Sk8erDevin182
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/Landshark_Clothing https://www.instagram.com/Skyboxclt