Divinity Roxx

From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Jump to: navigation, search

Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

Divinity Roxx
Birth name D. Walker
Born 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. Her work includes elements of rhythm and blues, hip hop, funk, soul, and rock. Because of her eclectic style of music and performance on stage, she has 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 simultaneous tongue-twisting yet authoritative rapping.

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] On the "I Am... World" tour, 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. Divinity's second album, The Roxx Boxx Experience, was released in 2012.[2]

Early life

Divinity was born and raised by her parents Raymond and Beverly Walker in Atlanta, Georgia. Her start in music began in elementary school when she joined the chorus. She also took up the clarinet and hand bells for the school band.[2] In the third grade, Divinity joined the Atlanta Public Schools Area II Honor Chorus where she sang second soprano. With this group she 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. 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. She left school 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 a 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; she left DATBU to pursue a solo career. She began teaching herself how to make beats using the MPC2000 and Roland XP Keyboard. 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. After a professor told her that she didn’t need to be in school if she wanted a career as a performer, Divinity left the school.

Divinity was a regular at many 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 in 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 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.[3] She left Edith's Wish and began touring with Wooten's band where she was a featured part of the show from 2000-2005.[4] She is recorded on Wooten’s Live in America (2001) and Soul Circus (2005) albums.

The Roxx Boxx Experience

Divinity’s second album, The Roxx Boxx Experience, was released in October 2012. The album featured 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 album, ImPossible, will be released in 2015.

Discography

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

Retrieved from "https://infogalactic.com/w/index.php?title=Divinity_Roxx&oldid=720838866"