The beats of FearDorian are a fresh mix of sounds inspired by video games, alternative bands, house music and Atlanta trap history. It’s the type of internet rap you’d expect to hear from a recent high school graduate, but much more inventive. He weaves samples into his music that become almost unrecognizable — beautifully making them his own in the process.
It’s a standard that has made the 18-year-old an in-demand producer for many emerging artists and underground rappers. Within the past few years, he’s made beats for the likes of Kenny Mason, Myaap and Polo Perks. That’s thanks in part to simple networking and dancing in Triller videos to artists he liked.
“People peep things on the internet all the time, even silently,” the Cobb County native said. “You never really know who’s watching you.”
Now, he’s forging his own music career that has already captured the attention of Pitchfork and Fader. His sophomore solo album “Leaving Home” is out this weekend. But he teases that he’s recently finished another album, making 80 beats (yes, you read that correctly) within the past month. The artist, born Dorian Williams, shows no signs of slowing down.
For him, remaining busy is essential.
The AJC talked to FearDorian about his new album and his whirlwind career trajectory:
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity
Q: You recently moved away from home and are now living on your own. What has that experience been like?
A: It’s been crazy. Ever since I’ve moved here (in Camp Creek), my life has not been the same. I was living with my mom and I just graduated in May (from South Cobb High School). I was going to school every day, coming back home and not really doing anything. But when I moved here, everything started happening. Being able to really go anywhere and do anything I want is kind of crazy … Becoming a young adult has been cool.
Q: “Leaving Home” is the name of your new album. I’m assuming moving away from home inspired the project?
A: Yeah, it was just (about) everything that basically happened right after I graduated. In March of last year, I dropped my first album. In June of that year, I had dropped another album with Polo Perks and AyooLii, so it was really just my life after high school. I almost see it as a sequel to my first album.
Q: What else has happened in your career since you’ve graduated?
A: Traveling a whole bunch. I went on (a European) tour in October and opened for my friend (and fellow rapper) Richie. That was my first tour. I was traveling back and forth to New York a lot. I got into DJing a lot around Atlanta. I wasn’t really getting out when I was in high school, so I was more in tune with Atlanta nightlife.
Q: Has there been a moment where you felt like you’ve realized you’re a big deal now?
A: I think it kind of started when I would be in school and teachers and underclassmen would know my music. Then, there would be family members, whom I haven’t really spoken to a lot, finding out I make music. It was weird because no one really knew that I’ve been making music for six years now.
Credit: Brema Brema
Credit: Brema Brema
Q: What made you want to start making music at 12 or 13?
A: Music was always around me — whether it was from my mom or my older sister just showing me a bunch of different music. I’ve always thought in the back of my head that I’ll probably do something with music. It was almost all I could think about sometimes — whether it be a song or watching interviews or documentaries. I didn’t really find that I was interested in much else. Music is the only thing I feel like I’m good at. I didn’t really know how to get into it at first.
There were people rapping at my school when I was in middle school. I knew a bunch of people in chorus and band. But I want to be a rapper at first. I made a song. It was just not good. I was like, “Maybe I should try something else.” That’s when I started producing.
Q: Do you remember the name of that song?
A: I don’t even remember. It was a freestyle I did with friends. It was really silly. I was super sick, too. My friends were shooting a video, so I was just there hanging out with them. When they were recording, I did ad-libs on one of the songs and it was fun, so I felt like I could do an actual song, but it was not good.
I was looking up a bunch of producer-rappers. I was into Pi’erre Bourne heavy. At first, I knew him for producing and discovered that he was rapping before (producing the 2017 Playboi Carti hit) “Magnolia,” and felt like the same could be feasible for me.
Q: After you produced songs for other artists, what made you want to start rapping again?
A: I realized that I did have a lot of things that I wanted to talk about that I couldn’t translate with just making beat. I started tailoring beats for me to say things that I wanted to say. I got more serious with it when it came time to make the full-length project. I actually had things to talk about like growing up in Atlanta, moving around a bunch, love, the teenager experience.
Q: “Forecasting” on your new album reminds me of that. It’s very introspective.
A: I try to cover a bunch of different things when I’m making a song because I don’t want to be boring. I don’t want to be saying the same thing over and over again. I kind of think about whatever’s on my mind. At the end of each day, I try to decompress and think about a bunch of stuff.
Credit: Jadeja McFarlane
Credit: Jadeja McFarlane
Q: Any memorable moment from making the album?
A: I went to Montreal in August of last year. That was my first time out of the country. I made “I.V.” and “Biggest Fan,” which are on the album. It was a culture shock to me and being out there was super cool.
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