#10 D.O Gibson: Guinness World Record Holding Rapper
Manage episode 296290938 series 2918140
On the next episode of Beyond the Melody Brian speaks with D.O Gibson!
D.O. Gibson has defied the odds as a rapper from Canada, becoming a certified international artist, a successful record label executive and a socially active community ambassador. He set a Guinness World Record when he freestyled for nearly nine hours in 2003, sold tens of thousands of CDs, hit #1 on U.S. College Hip Hop Radio charts and travelled the world performing for sold out crowds; D.O.’s success is defined in his own terms.
Born in Watrous, Saskatchewan with Cape Breton Nova Scotia roots, D.O. grew up in Southern Ontario before settling in Toronto.
In the Fall of 2020, D.O. released his latest single “We Lit” and performed it for the first time alongside Disney C.E.O. Bob Iger at the Dreamer Festival. “The song carries a universal message. It’s a song about a comeback, but also saying that you haven’t left yet. Although I am a veteran in the business, I feel like I’m just getting started,” says D.O.
In 2021, D.O. looks forward to releasing his second book On This Grind which details life lessons learned from the music business. In spring of 2021, D.O. is set to release Still Driven a new album that celebrates the 20th year anniversary of his first professional release Stay Driven. “I’m excited about this project because it showcases my longevity in the music industry. I’m working with so many emerging and established artists that its keeping me fresh.” The project includes production and collaboration with Mitchell Bailey, Myer Clarity, and 80 Empire.
In between recording, Gibson founded the Stay Driven program that launched in 2001. Stay Driven is based on D.O.’s own life experiences where he addresses relevant topics such as anti-bullying, peer pressure, and literacy. Gibson has spoke and performed at over one thousand schools reaching hundreds of thousands of students. Despite COVID, D.O. was still able to perform more than 80 performances in the first few months of 2020. He looks forward to using a virtual platform to deliver performances in 2021. In 2012, he released the book Stay Driven.
In addition to his career as an artist, he is also the driving force behind Northern Power Summit – regarded in the Urban community as one of the premier emerging conferences in Canada.
Somewhere between Tupac (in terms of social consciousness), Fresh Prince (in terms of appeal with youth) and Jay-Z (in terms of business sense), stands D.O., a man who is bounded only by the hours in a day.
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