Divinity Roxx

Divinity Roxx
Birth name D Walker
Born Template:February 5
Origin Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Genres Rap rock, soul, hip hop, funk, rock
Occupation(s) Musician (bassist), rapper, singer, producer, performer, composer, musical director.
Instruments Bass
Years active 1993–present
Labels Fool Proof Records, iRoxx Entertainment
Associated acts Beyoncé Knowles, Victor Wooten, 2NE1, Black Girls Rock
Website www.divinityroxx.com

Divinity Roxx is an American recording artist, composer, and musician (bassist). Her work includes elements in rhythm and blues, hip hop, funk, soul, and rock. Because of her eclectic style of music and performance on stage, she has best described her music as "Ghetto Rock". As a rapper and bassist, her performances have been reviewed as radical and distinctive because of her unique ability to combine vigorous bass lines with tongue-twisting yet authoritative rapping simultaneously.

She is best known for touring and performing with Beyoncé Knowles (2006–2011) as her bassist and Musical Director for "The Beyoncé Experience" and "I Am...World" tours.[1] It was on the "I am...World" tour that Divinity also helped compose music alongside Bibi McGill, Brittani Washington and Rie Tsuji. She has appeared in three DVDs with Beyoncé including The Beyoncé Experience Live, I Am...Sasha Fierce, and I Am... Yours. She has also appeared in two videos, "Irreplaceable" and "Green Light".

Divinity self-released an album titled Ain’t No Other Way in 2003 on CD Baby. The album featured production from will.i.am, DJ Lethal, and Mike Elizondo. Currently, Divinity is preparing her second album, The Roxx Boxx Experience, for an early 2012 release.[2]

Early life

Divinity was born and raised by her parents Raymond and Beverly Walker in Atlanta, Georgia. Her start in music began at an early age in elementary school when she joined the school chorus. She also took up the clarinet and hand bells for the school band.[3] In the third grade, Divinity joined the Atlanta Public Schools Area II Honor Chorus where she sang second soprano. It was here that Divinity performed for the Mayor of Atlanta, Andrew Young, and sang at the Macy's Annual Christmas Tree lighting in Atlanta.

Divinity discovered her niche for rapping in middle school. She stopped playing clarinet in high school to concentrate on sports and her calling as a hip-hop performer.

Career: Beginnings on Bass Guitar and DATBU

Divinity attended North Atlanta High School, an International Studies/Performing Arts high school in Atlanta, Georgia. It was here she founded a hip-hop group called DATBU (Divinity and the Breakfast Unit) with her friends Chad Browning, Corey Peyton, Kamaal Studdard, and Lewis Miller.

After high school, Divinity attended the University of California, Berkeley, where she began playing the bass guitar. Once she gained everything she felt she needed, Divinity left after her second year to pursue a career in music. DATBU self-released a full length album titled Fool Proof in 1997 and appeared as the opening act for hip hop acts including The Roots, Jeru the Damaja, The Rza, The Pharcyde, and The Alkoholics.

Divinity joined the group called "Black Diamond" playing second bass guitar with Tarus Mateen (bass), Radji Mateen (saxophone), and Omar Mateen (drums). Her first gig on bass was at The Uptown Comedy Club in Buckhead, a suburb of Atlanta, where the group backed up poets who opened the show for comedians.

A ruptured Achilles tendon in 1998 forced Divinity to re-evaluate her musical career. It was then that she left DATBU to pursue a solo career. She began teaching herself how to make beats using the MPC2000 and Roland XP Keyboard. From there, she attended the Georgia State School of Music for two semesters in the fall of 1999 to study music business. Divinity joined the Jazz Ensemble and began learning how to read charts with the help of the Jazz Studies Music Director. But after a professor told her that she didn’t need to be in school if she wanted a career as a performer, Divinity resigned from the school.

Divinity was a regular at many of the clubs in the Atlanta area including The Yin Yang Café (which later became The Apache Café), the same place where singer India.Arie honed her skills. She also appeared on countless local shows as a solo performer and as a bassist backing up other artists. Divinity joined Edith's Wish in 2000, an all female rock band. She joined the band during its rebuilding phase after being dropped from Arista Records. Looking for a fresh start, the band picked up a new lead singer and added Divinity on bass.

Victor Wooten

In October 2000, Divinity attended Victor Wooten's Bass Nature Camp at Montgomery Bell State Park near Nashville, Tennessee. There she met Victor Wooten and his brothers Regi, Joseph, Roy, and Rudy. Once the camp was over, Victor asked Divinity to tour with him.[4] She then left Edith's Wish and began touring with Wooten's band where she was a featured part of the show from 2000-2005.[5] She is recorded on Wooten’s Live in America (2001) and Soul Circus (2005) albums.

The Roxx Boxx Experience

Divinity’s second album, titled The Roxx Boxx Experience, was released in October of 2012. The Roxx Boxx Experience is composed of Divinity Roxx (bass, lead vocals), Matt McMoots (guitar, backing vocals, backing bass), Omar Gusmao (guitar, backing vocals), and Carlos McSwain (drums, backing vocals).

ImPossible

Divinity's next musical project, ImPossible will be released in 2015.

Discography

References

  1. ↑ "Interview with Divinity Roxx : The Roxx Boxx Experience". All That Matters is Music.
  2. ↑ Liebman, Jon. "Divinity Roxx". For Bass Players Only. Retrieved Marcy 7, 2011. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  3. ↑ Liebman, Jon. "Divinity Roxx". For Bass Players Only. Retrieved March 7, 2011.
  4. ↑ "Les Claypool, Victor Wooten & Divinity Roxx Among Guest Professors At Bootsy Collins’ Funk University". CHC Network.
  5. ↑ "Divinity Roxx on Primetime". Swoop's World Online Radio. Retrieved Oct 20, 2011.

External links