Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniel Coleman-Ward.
Daniel, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Before starting my music journey in 2017 at the time I was a single parent living with my brother and parents. Has recently moved back to San Diego from South Bend Indiana where everything has changed. Later on a good friend of mine, who is also an artist Andrew Wilson (Drew Burgundy), was coming down from school in the redwoods and gave me some information about some mutual friends from high school. Now my friend Andrew has been doing music for as long as I can remember knowing him. He goes in to tell me that our mutual friends were starting a movement for San Diego’s music scene. Our friend James Scott (Skeez artist of NLYTEN) was creating a label that all the members can run to help navigate and illustrate the image that is portrayed of our neighborhood of South East (District 4). My buddy Andrew also knew that I wrote poetry so he if I had a song written and that he would love for me to join them along this path. I confessed and told him I wrote a cover to Anthony Hamilton’s “Coming From Where I’m From” and he loved it. Took me by James’s house to recite it to him and he said it was solid gave some feedback then immediately started recording minutes later. Then from there things just went up, meeting everyone in our label, creating plans, getting things down on paper officially etc. The name of our label is called “NLYTEN” and our mission is to give those who has a voice a higher podium so they can spread their passion to the masses regardless of the talent from singing, rapping, performing, modeling, acting, production and anything else. NLYEN currently insists of a multitude of artists, producers, engineers, graphic design etc. stretching from north California to south California and stretching to other states, also with my family backing having an involvement with music such as My father , Willie James Ward, who is on a gospel quartet called “Men 4 Christ” and was was in a band called “POWER” back in the day. My older brothers Larell Ward who makes beats (M.A.W.L.) and Josh Quip (Q Da Boss) who also raps. Just realizing how much talent and worth that I am surrounded by there’s no way that I cant possess that same vibe. Music is a connector that can intertwine all different types of social classes, net worth, ethnicity etc. NLYTEN MEMBERS Michael Davis (Clueless Michael / Artist) Thomas Stevens ( NLYThomas / Artist and production) Andrew Wilson ( Drew Burgundy / Artist, engineer) James Scott (Skeez / Artist, Founder) Michael Singletary ( M.B.$ “Music Beats Money” / Artist, Producer, Engineer) Duke ( Duke3232 / Artist) Jordan Huez (Artist) Cameron Garbutt (Cam4Mayor / Artist) Milan Toliver ( LoveToliii / Artist, producer) Dylan Williams (Producer/Engineer) Simon Hagos (Slimelyt/ Production) Sean Atkins (Kid Snipe / Production)
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Rough road with going out and finding out how important networking is and getting your name out there. It involves a lot of leg work from promo on social media to in-person to performances etc. just getting out of my own zone and realizing that not only am I representing our label but myself as well. So going out with that prowess of this is me this is what I’m bringing to the table. Another hardship also was just artist to artist problems like it working with or not being able to perform etc.
Can you give our readers some background on your music?
We specialize in giving our section of San Diego (District 4/South East) a voice and a platform that represents our real-life issues and lifestyles. People listen to the hiphop scene or see any product of our district. There’s isn’t much light shed. The rap scene is overflowing with gangsta rap and hood music that’s either watered down or over worshiped when artists, actors, singers, writers, etc. need as much presence as us.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
When you feel the satisfaction of what you do has touched or reached out and helped another. When you feel like you need to keep going not only for yourself but for the masses.
Contact Info:
- Website: WENLYTEN.com
- Phone: 6195349294
- Email: nlytenhana@gmail.com
Image Credit:
Sean Atkins
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