By Courtney Roberts
Dragon Echo Staff
Rodrick Whaley, also known as Darnell, is an upcoming artist out of Nacogdoches, Texas. Whaley began his singing career like many R&B artists do, within the church. He joined the Hills Chapel Choir when he was only 11 years old and has been on a roll ever since then. As time progressed, he then dove into the art of producing during his freshman year of high school. When it comes down to his creative process in the studio, Whaley has a set routine. “During the day I pick up a melody in my head and I record it on my phone. Later on I go to my notes and put down whatever I might be feeling at the time. From there I take what I wrote and lay it all down in the studio”,said Whaley. For the past two years, Rodrick has been collaborating musically with his older brother Rodney.
Now known as “LSI” or the “Lane Switchers”, the duo recently released their debut EP titled “1315 Powers St.” under the label YPM. YPM, also known as “Yah Peace Multiverse” is an independent label out of Austin, Texas. Founded and ran by Nacogdoches High School alumni, Niyah Sanders. The YPM team caught wind of Rodrick after the release of his single “Need You”, which shined a light on the recent gun violence in our community at the time. This single impressed the YPM team, especially ring leader Niyah Sanders. “I’ve known him for a very long time, and he has had a phenomenal voice for as long as I can remember. When I heard “Need You” its message, lyrics, and overall composition really touched my heart. Here at YPM, we’re all about positively impacting the world, and Rodrick is doing just that”,said Niyah. As time goes on Rodrick not only wants to inspire others with his music, he also wants to eventually generate a profit and get paid for his art. Whaley hopes within the next 5-10 years his career will be on an entirely different level! “I hope to be performing all around the world with my brother Rodney, and actually profiting off of our work and continue to inspire others”,said Whaley. Keep a look out for Whaley on the Rise!
"Need Me" - https://youtu.be/7DtFqyBWPZY
Rodrick Instagram - https://instagram.com/ypm_darnell?igshid=18d9wez3gz9lp
NiYah Sanders - https://instagram.com/ypm_niyahpeace?igshid=8mrrp81t0c5y