About
Slide Good Kid is a musical artist hailing from Jacksonville, Florida. His real name is Ranard Prince Dornes, named after the prominent artist of the 80's and 90s "Prince". His family recognized his musical genius at a young age & decided to give him the nickname "Boogie". This nickname was fitting as music exhilarated his life in many ways. He would later go on to learn how to play music instruments such as the piano and guitar, play the bass in the drum line at church, join the step team, participate four years in chorus, and start writing poetry learning the art of creating emotion with words. This would lead music directly to him. Eventually, in high school he would start learning the art of engineering, producing, and recording. He found his lane with making beats and writing songs, so he expounded upon that with the years to come. He would sharpen his craft while in college obtaining a bachelor's degree from Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University. He is currently working towards obtaining a master's degree while also strengthening and optimizing his career in music. With the knowledge gathered throughout his young musical life, he plans to share his knowledge through the gift of music in a way that the people can feel. In a way that the people that need it can feel.
With a boundless passion for his craft, Slide Good Kid effortlessly combines genres, pushing the boundaries of contemporary music. Whether it's the soothing rhythms of jazz, the electrifying soul samples of R&B, or the raw emotions of heartfelt-hardcore hip-hop, this artist's artistry knows no limits.
He was born on June 3rd, 2000, and shares the same zodiac sign as great musicians such as Tupac, The Notorious B.I.G, Andre 3000, Kendrick Lamar, Ice Cube, Lauryn Hill, etc. He has the same musical mind as the likes of these individuals and seeks to expand on his unique musical sound as he journeys through his life experiences. His music is raw & uncut with a lot of range for versatility. He offers stories of struggle, pain, and endeavors that he experienced as a product of his environment. He offers streamlines of hope and a different route to take than the route that was chosen for his people as a product of the hoods & ghettos of America. Remember people can only dream as far as they have seen. Exposure to different lifestyles can be just enough to make even one kid from the ghetto dream differently than just wanting to be an athlete or a rapper.
"I represent Slab Music", Slide Good Kid mentioned. "Slab Music is more than a record label, it is a lifestyle."
"The lifestyle consists of being on a journey to obtain the highest vibration state possible in this dimension that we are in until we get to the next one. The mission is ascension." Slab Music stands for Spiritual Levitation and and Beyond Music. Throughout Slide Good Kid's albums and mixtapes one may find a mixture of conscious rap and survival rap from his memories of growing up in Duval County trying to navigate through the treasurous terrain to find the grass fields on the other side.
10 Questions to get to know SGK
1. What initially drew you to music? Was there a specific moment or artist that inspired you?
"My family, mainly my brothers and my uncles put me on to music at a young age really. I just fell in love with it and the process of creation. Really making something out of nothing, and expressing myself at the same time. Then the people feel me too and that feeling is amazing. It's a release."
"I was inspired heavy by Lil Wayne & Hot boys growing up as a jit.. but what's crazy is my people stayed playing all type of different stuff too like jazz, R&B, old music like soul music stuff like that. I was really into Michael Jackson too, I was inspired by everything I heard as a kid. I even remember being inspired from chorus classes and stuff like that. Music is just in me for real."
2. Can you describe your creative process? How do you go about writing and composing your music?
"The creative process is always spontaneous. My brain scatters. Sometimes I work on songs for months trying to bring an idea to life, sometimes I finish em in an hour. Sometimes I write and make sure I'm perfecting every word, the flow, the timing all that. Sometimes I hop in the yo (studio) and just let whatever come out. I don't force it I let the energy come to me and then I let it out which ever way it wants to go. When I make my beats it's the same way sometimes I go weeks without making em, sometimes I go crazy and make 50 in 2 weeks. Making beats is a whole other story though. I love making beats I usually always start with the melody and add my signature SGK drums to make it groovy fasho."
3. What's the most memorable concert or performance you've ever been a part of, and why?
"I performed one time in Savannah, Georgia with my uncle at this club.. club Elon I think. But that was definitely memorable because we performed before Young Dolph. Rest In Peace to him, he was a G.O.A.T (Greatest of All Time) in his own right fasho. I was also with my uncle and granddaddy so that's a memory I'll never forget we was all chilling good feeling good making good memories. We had the best performance of the night too in my opinion."
4. How do you feel your music has evolved or changed since you first started pursuing a musical career?
"I feel like now I really found my sound. I still want to explore music and I don't want to put myself in a box. I want to allow myself to make whatever I want to but I do feel as if recently I found a sound that I really like and I want to expand on that as much as possible. I know I'll keep evolving and my sound will keep changing but we'll see what happens when the time passes. When I first started making music, I was raw but not like raw raw like a piece of meat raw. That's the best way to put it.. after I got a lil seasoning on me I started to become better at my craft and the music evolved as did my mind through my experiences."
5. Are there any particular themes or messages you try to convey through your music?
"I want people to understand that there is another way out here. You don't have to be street, a gangsta, a thug, none of that stuff that they try to box us in with. With the mentality that the hood gives us, we cant grow at all & I want to change that. We out here killing each other not realizing that's exactly what they want us to do. Who put us here in the hoods and ghettos in the first place? It's real messed up out here. We all been led astray. I talk about a lot of things I seen, and did and I talk about it in the only way that I know how, but deep down my only mission with the music is to force people to look within themselves and make a change. I want for my people to want better for not only themselves but the community as a whole. I want my brothers and sisters to think of each other as brothers and sisters. Not any derogatory terms."
6. What's the most challenging aspect of being a musician, and how do you overcome it?
"For me, the most challenging aspect is just letting go of all other peoples opinions and just making what I like. I feel like I have so much music in me, different genres and styles. I want to try them all. I usually overcome this by not caring what people have to say, and I translate that to my personal life as well. You cant care too much about what other people have to say. It can become very draining."
7. Can you share a story about a time when music had a significant impact on your life or someone else's life?
"Music impacts my life daily. I love music. I listen to so many songs every day. Mostly slower soul music like reggae, afro beats, or old school R&B. I also listen to a lot of rap but as I've gotten older I appreciate a nice jazz record with no words so I can chill hard."
8. Are there any unexpected or unconventional sources of inspiration that influence your music?
"I feel as though a lot of my unexpected inspiration comes from unexpected people that enter my life that drive me into a state of self-reevaluation, and self-understanding. These experiences usually hit me in the face before I see them coming, and I end up getting a lot of emotional release from so much intense emotions. This isn't my only source by far, but definitely a unconventional and unexpected source."
9. Do you have any musical goals or dreams that you haven't yet accomplished?
"I have dreams and goals that I will accomplish. I've written them down but before I did that they were already written in the stars. My main goal is to touch someone and influence them positively in any way that I can. I don't put myself in a box or a state of disappointment by feeling like I haven't accomplished anything yet. I accomplish my goals everyday, and if I haven't completed a goal yet, I get a few steps closer to completing it everyday."
10. In your opinion, what role does music play in society? How do you hope your music contributes to that role?
"Music plays a massive role in society. Music at its core is vibrations and frequency. If you know anything about vibrations and frequency, it is the language that makes up the world energetically. Vibrations, and frequencies interact and effect us every day in different ways that we don't fully understand. Music can bypass the conscious mind and get straight into the unconscious so we have to be careful with what vibrations we feed ourselves. These vibrations can ultimately effect us positively or negatively if we are not careful. Music is powerful and its something most people don't quite truly understand. Being able to bring an idea, an emotion, etc to life through using vibrations and frequencies that people are gravitated to is a super power."
Bonus Question:
Name Your Favorite Artists of All Time:
1. Ice Billion Berg
2. Michael Jackson
3. Kodak Black
4. OutKast
5. UGK
6. Lil Wayne/Hot boys
7. J Cole/Kendrick Lamar
8. Tupac
9. Bob Marley
10. The Weeknd
Honorable mentions:
Future, Gucci Mane, Boosie, Andrew Belle, Lauryn Hill, Anita Baker, 64 Chris