Dominic Fike: Rising Phenom

Rising star Dominic Fike, hailing from Naples Florida, is becoming a phenomenon, both in the alternative and mainstream music industries. The 24-year-old artist has already achieved a dream deal with Columbia Records. The legendary label decided to bet on him following the success of his self-released EP “Don’t Forget About Me, Demos”, that garnered widespread acclaim from listeners on Soundcloud and Spotify. He was also able to gain praise from critics with his single “3 Nights”, landing excellent reviews on Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, and Billboard. But not all that glitters is gold and behind this story of incredible success, there is incredible strife with alcoholism, drugs, and family issues.

The somewhat tragic upbringing of Dominic Fike has contributed heavily to the writing of his distinctly honest and eye opening lyrics: “Lookin’ for somebody different ’cause my daddy was a pimp/my mama had her issues but I miss her anyway”. Music and creativity have played a huge role in Dominic’s adolescence serving as an effective way to escape the tough reality he lived in and a way to express himself to the world.

Since a very young age, he had learned how to play his favorite songs by Blink 182 and Red Hot Chili Peppers on his guitar. These rock influences are still clearly perceivable in his work, especially in songs like “She Wants My Money” or “Baby Doll”. Later on, amidst underage drunken parties at a friend’s guest house, soon called the “Backhouse”, Fike discovered freestyling and started devoting his life to rap.
The Backhouse surely contributed to his success, as it steadily became a local landmark in the music scene. A formal rap collective, that included prominent Naples artists such as Slyte, Ike Lysergic, and Seno, developed right among the walls of the Backhouse, offering Fike a prolific artistic environment where to grow. His life, however, continued to see strife and adversity.

In 2017, when he released his first, hugely successful EP, he was in jail, charged with battery of a police officer. A fact that surely contributed to the building of the legend.
While his tough life is intrinsically part of his artistic efforts, his success is undoubtedly due to his versatility and original approach.

With a solid and beautiful voice, slightly reminiscent of old R&B, and a versatile approach to a genre which, at times, feels oversaturated, Dominic Fike was perfectly fit to break out and make his fresh, and truly personal approach, to hip-hop heard. Fans are now waiting for his upcoming debut album, announced last year. We can’t predict how good it will be, but we can bet it will leave a mark.