Biography
Before you carry on reading..
I'm always in need of new beats, so if you produce or have any beats you think I may like or want to use, feel free to add the MSN below.
Also feel free to add it if you just like my music and want to hear more from me.
MSN: anitsnuffink@live.co.uk
BUT if you're going to ask for beats I've used, nudge me, add me in huge conversations, or just ask about beef, you won't get much of a response if you do stay on my contact list. I don't have time for that any more. I'm sure you understand.
But yeah feedback's always welcome. Even from you, haters!!
Firstly, if you're trying to find out personal shit for a diss track or to make me look stupid, keep reading.. If I gave a fuck I wouldn't write this in the first place.
Well, I'm Dan Downing. Some people used to know me as "Masta Dee". I'm 17 and live in Maidstone, Kent. I've been writing since the age of 12 and recording since the age of 13. I started calling myself "Masta Dee" for a laugh originally, just as a tag name 'cause me and my friend back in year 5 were getting into Hip Hop and wanted old-skool names. It was originally "Phunk Masta Dee" but I shortened it out of ease. It wasn't until I was 15 that I realised I had something to say in my music and it had a purpose. It was then that I began to take it more seriously.
Way before all of that, though, I lived in Cumbria with both parents. I moved to Kent with my Mum when I was aged 8 after my parents seperated though. Since an early age I was heavily into music. The first genre I found myself loving was pop. I was a huge fan of the Spice Girls, and then when they faded out, S Club 7 faded in for me. Don't get me wrong thinking that it was just music I loved at a young age, I still appreciate all genres and songs and still listen to that music to this day when I'm in the mood. However, when I moved to Kent I listened to a lot more music through compilation CD's and some of my Mum's CD's. My love for music just grew and grew and then I began listening to more RnB, Soul and some Rock.
Then came Hip Hop. I heard Eminem and liked what I heard. It soon led to me buying "The Slim Shady LP" and then "The Marshall Mathers LP" and through these I began hearing more and more rappers and getting deeper into it. I started listening to Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, Royce Da 5'9", and then through them I began listening to Eazy-E, 2Pac, The Notorious B.I.G. etc. My passion for Hip Hop was growing every day and by the age of about 10 or 11 I eventually heard of rappers such as Pharoahe Monch and listened to artists that were seen as more underground as opposed to the mainstream chart-Rappers. Hip Hop appealed so much to me at this point, not just for the music but for the culture and artform too.
It went on like this for a few years and then at the age of thirteen my love for Hip Hop grew further and I'd started listening to UK Hip Hop such as Skinnyman, Taskforce and Foreign Beggars. From that I really began to focus more and more on my own writtens and improve myself as an artist. My ideas developed and I began to write and record some deeper tracks, as well as tracks with less-popular concepts. Since then I made my first mixtape in May 2006, "Nothing To Lose, Nothing To Prove" which looking back on, wasn't my best, but it was a start.
After that I kept thinking about how I could improve and reach a next level. That's when I made "An' It's Nuffink (Promo CD)" which was only a quick 7-track free Promo CD that I released in October 2006. After this I made "Content Not Quality." which was a mixtape that was released in June 2007. It showed I was improving, but still I wasn't entirely happy with it.
Since then, I persisted to up my levels and after a few months out of the game, I came back with "An' It's Nuffink vol. II (Promo CD)" which was a 10 track free Promo CD. It was released in November 2007 and at the time I was so happy with the material on it. It contained some tracks extremely close to my heart but as always, I felt I could outdo myself.
Then came the mixtape of 2008 - which was the toughest year of my life so the mixtape was slightly different to what people were used to. It was entitled "Urban Poetry" and was released in June 2008 (on my 17th birthday). It was the first project along with An' It's Nuffink II to feature no collaborations except for the producers and was strictly me on the vocals. It felt better that way, 'cause I knew if anyone was slowing me down it could only be myself. I loved certain beats on this mixtape, a big thanks went out to Chuckz and EpicScapes in particular. Like all my material, if anyone's after it they can add me on MSN and I'll sort them out with it.
Then came the most recent project to end 2008 and also end the era of Masta Dee. "An' It's Nuffink vol. 3 (Promo CD)" was released December 12th 2008 and it was the last of the An' It's Nuffink Promo CD's. I was quite proud of this Promo, beats once again by Chuckz and EpicScapes stood out a lot for me, if you haven't already checked out this CD then it's available for free download from "http://www.zshare.net/download/526431801805117f/";. Another thing about this project was that it was set to be the last material I'd make under the name of MD. As soon as 2009 hit, MD was to die and Dan Downing was to take over - some people saw it as a negative move but I wouldn't do it if I wasn't 100% certain it was a positive choice. The reason I changed back was basically, I was fed up of being known by the name Dan Downing and not MD, or known by the name MD and not Dan Downing. It's almost as if they were two people as opposed to one person with two personalities (yes I'm a Gemini). Not only that but I wanted to follow in the footsteps of the best rappers to ever live, which all went, and still go by, their real names.
Now it's just a question of what next? I guess I'm a lot busier than I've ever been before but I've got too much in me and I've come so far since I began to retire just yet. I'm still hoping to get mixtapes, promo CD's and individual tracks done in the next few years so look out for that and much more from myself Dan Downing (and R.I.P. Masta Dee).
And lastly, I'd like to say thank you to the haters, the fans, the friends, girlfriend and family - as well as anyone who's ever hurt me, put me on a high or just made me feel. You give me the determination to continue with music and improve every second of the day. Now it's time to work harder and get to where I want to be, whether people choose to help me or not I'll get there one day. There's too many names to mention really, but if you matter then you should already know by now. One person in particular who needs a mention though is my Dad, Paul Downing. He passed away on Friday 18th January 2008 and I'd just like to say I dedicate this all to him. I'm more focussed than ever and I hope, if there is a place beyond here, that he can see what I'm doing.
Thanks once again.. just remember..
AN' IT'S NUFFINK.
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