D3dset
About
Unwavering focus, genuine resolve,staunch determination, and unbreakable spiriteliminate barriers entirely.Overwhelming drive propels D3dset as the creative alter ego of The Browning frontman Jonny McBee.Bringing raw rap fire to synthwave-scorchedsoundscapes offset by turbulenthard-hitting grooves, he energizes a different side of himself on a series offourEPs throughout 2020. The Kansas City, MO artist and producer pushes forward at an unstoppable paceas he breaks one boundaryafter another.
“I’m really driven in everything I do,” he exclaims. “I’ve always been deadseton the end goal, which is taking care of my family.These are raps about struggle and perseverance. It’s very personal for me.”
In 2018, The Browning reached a critical high watermark with Geist. In addition to plugs from KERRANG!and Guitar World, New Noise Magazinecrowned them “a force to be reckoned with.”Meanwhile, they impressively generated over 10 million-plus streams. Constantly evolving,Jonny had endeavored to flex another side of his creativityfor the better part of the past decade. On Geist, he developed his clean vocal tone more than ever before.
At the same time, he listened to the likes of Post Malone and Roddy Ricchand derived the inspiration to forge a different path altogetherwith what would become D3dset.
“I’ve wanted to put out a solo record forever,” he says. “I was trying to push myself vocally and do a project mainly based around electronics. I started writing thisreallyaggressive anddark synth wave. Then, it dawned on me. I decided to do trap with a synth wave vibe. Hip-hop has the widest reach, butI attempted to approach it more musically and with a different message.”
He took the reins onthemusic itself, producing 10 tracks and enlisting the production of The Browning drummer Cody Stewart foranothertwo. Now, twelve bangers comprise D3set’s quartet of Drops. On the first single “Doomsday,” he locks into a laidback groove between a glitchy beat and cinematic piano. His nimble rhymes take centerstage.
“The melody is really emotional, dark, and symphonic,” he observes. “The beat came together fast. ‘Doomsday’can hit you at any moment. Lyrically, itt’s about a personal doomsday. We all take paths through life. Hopefully, you’re taking the right path and ending up in the best position.”
“Paranoia” leads the second Drop. His voice rings out with raw emotion on the hook with a skittering bounce. He studied various posts on his Twitter feed to gleam lyrical content.
“It’s blatantly about being worriedyour significant other is going behind your back and cheating on you,” he states. “That’s one of the things my followers are paranoid about. Personally, I don’t have that fear at all, but a lot of people do. My wife actually helped with the lyrics, which was really cool.”
Then, there’s “Feel Alive?” Woozy vocal transmissions give way to a melancholic, yet massive melody on the chorus. “It’s a super emotional song about needing somebody else to be happy,” he admits. On the other end of the spectrum, the bold and braggadocious bars of “A List” showcase his rhyme prowess as he flips rap tropes upside down.
“Rappers always talk about beingon top and famous,” he elaborates. “I thought, ‘Okay, I’ll talk about that’, but I only want to have the success of a famous person to support my family. I want the lyrics to have meaning. So much hip-hop pushes children to do drugs or get in trouble. I triedto write modern music with purposeful content.”
With D3dset, Jonny lives up to the promise of the name.
“My biggestgoal is to influence as many people as possible creatively and morally,” he leaves off. “D3dset is trying to reach an audience I’ve never reached before. If I can encourage young people to strive for something better, I’d be happy.”