Have you ever witnessed an oak tree grow? Most of the time, we stumble upon giant oak trees, not realizing that it takes many sunrises and sunsets to have a strong bark and flourish evergreen. Creative Soul, Deraj, is an admirable artist whose journey took divine timing and wholehearted dedication to become the mighty oak he is today.
Deraj is a Hip-Hop artist, singer-songwriter, music producer, graphic designer, voice actor, coach, and mentor, founder of See & HearⓇ and rep.indieⓇ. He’s a creative entrepreneur and top-liner music sync artist, with one of his songs featured in the trailer for Marvel’s Black Panther.
Inspired by creating things that catch our eyes and ears, Deraj established See & HearⓇ, a one-stop music house for Hip-Hop, R&B, and Pop for TV and Film, serving as a sync agency for indie musicians. Together with his team, Deraj caters songs for trailers, commercials, and games, having landed placements with Fortnite, NBA, Samsung, Armani, and Call of Duty, to mention a few.
Music was merely a hobby for Deraj, who wrote his first rap at age 9. Born and raised in Maryland, Deraj grew up witnessing music through his older brother, who was part of a rap group. In middle school, joined by his step-brother, Deraj started creating beats and having fun with music. When his family moved to Virginia, Deraj continued making music as a high schooler. He began performing at the youth group talent nights at his church, showcasing his music for the first time to an audience. His music was well-received, and he started releasing records and having a feel for live shows.
Deraj took on sketching for a little while and doing some photography as well. Appreciating how fond Deraj felt towards the creative arts, his father guided him to attend Full Sail University in Orlando, Florida, where he earned a degree in digital arts and design.
Connected with a broader group of creatives in Orlando, Deraj continued making Christian Hip-Hop, performing at churches and open mics. He got inevitable recognition, standing out with his self-made and well-represented brand.
After graduating from the university, Deraj got a job with Reflection Music Group as a branding designer for other artists. At the time, the label was unaware of the fruitfulness of Deraj’s music. A few years after working for the label, the first artist he designed for saw Deraj rap and mentioned to the label to check him out. In 2014, Deraj officially signed with the label.
A smart-minded-creative, Deraj was working full time as a graphic and brand designer for a church and balancing his performances. His music was streaming well, providing some revenue, but not enough to leave his day job. “I don’t know all that I did, but it is working now, but back then it was a question lingering, trying to figure it out: Who was I in relation to my music,” Deraj explains that although things unfolded organically for him, he was trying to see the big picture of his life, along with his wife, trying to put the pieces together for his music career. “Figuring out how to get ahead. I wanted to develop and max my talents, noticing patterns that were not helping to max my potential.” With strategy, development, and kin admin skills, Deraj worked on the next chapter of his life, creating music that resonated with his soul.
Being with the music label exposed Deraj to all the details behind the music business, helping him hone his skills as an artist and entrepreneur. His first sync placement came as a surprise to everyone, including the label, when he landed a song with ESPN from the first EP recorded and produced by him. “This was a light-bulb moment for me,” Deraj recalls, realizing the potential to grow even more with his music.
Even though Deraj had a positive experience and relationship with Reflection Music Group, in 2019, he left the label and became an independent artist. “I was growing and had new goals in mind,” expresses Deraj, whose focus shifted to synchronized motion to picture (SYNC), researching all he could to get his music to the right people for sync placements. Deraj later joined a course by Cathy Heller, learning about music sync licensing, and receiving the right tools to keep moving forward. “It was perfect timing, and it really helped me build a solid foundation of what this industry is, what type of music I need to be creating, how I needed to be thinking in this space?” Soon thereafter, Deraj started making music for briefs, reaching out to music supervisors and agencies, attending conferences, and submitting songs to music libraries.
Within a year and a half, Deraj landed placements on projects such as Law & Order, Cruella, Lucifer, All American, and many more. No longer a sapling, Deraj had reached the sky with his flourishing branches, earning a sustainable income which allowed him to leave his job of 11 years to dedicate all his time to his music path. When he got to earning six figures with music placements, Deraj thought of offering his formula to success to indie musicians. In 2020, he built an audience in Club House, expanding his next work independently, mentoring, coaching, and being there for artists step by step on how to get placements on TV and film.
“I like results, and not just results for myself but results for those who are a part of my community. I don’t want us to get excited about the idea of licensing because that’s fleeting. We need something substantive where artists know how to become businesses and actually figure out how to make it sustainable,” explains Deraj, who launched rep.indieⓇ to welcome indie artists to join a solid community where they receive a well-rounded system and education to align with their music, vision, and goals. “I would just bring more into the fold and help artists really understand and be able to partake in this space that we call SYNC, and be able to find the type of sustainability for a music career I know everybody is looking for, and to be able to do that with some like-minded artists and have a clear path and clear mentorship to get there.”
Besides music, indie artists can benefit from Deraj ventures by affiliating with concept art.Ⓡ, a contemporary clothing brand that embodies the essence of the modern creative*. This online store features hats, t-shirts, hoodies, and sweatshirts expressing positive messages.
With each sunrise and sunset, Derja takes conscious action to keep sprouting, honoring his family and faith with the colors and sounds within his core. Deraj is a keystone for the creative arts community, inspiring us to build strong roots, See ourselves, Hear the calling of our souls, and become the majestic oak trees we are here to be.
“Not to relent from the things that you’re hoping for. Don’t ignore those things that you are sensing inwardly. They are there for a reason. Don’t let the internal or external conversations discourage you from what’s possible. It seems so cliché, but the only thing that prevents us from getting it is ourselves. Be relentless, with encouragement and grace, know that everything is absolutely possible.” -Deraj
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*About the brand: *concept art.* is a contemporary clothing brand that embodies the essence of the modern creative. Concept Art’s designs seamlessly blend simplicity and a classic feel, offering a unique fusion of style and artistic expression. Why does the brand exist: The vision of concept art. is to be more than just a clothing brand; it’s a celebration of creativity and individual expression. Our brand is inspired by creative people in their daily lives and manifested through contemporary design. Brand Mission: Our mission is to empower self-expression through fashion and to build a creative community of like-minded individuals. Ideal clients: The modern creative. Items are currently all men’s pieces / unisex. VISIT HERE
