Clan Destined

Some words one could use to describe the meeting of musicians AmDex and DT might be 'fate', 'yin and yang', or 'synchronicity' - but 'destined' is the best fit. Aside from sampling the same records before knowing each other, both have strong roots in North Carolina, and DT has no qualms shedding light on his small-town upbringing. The 22-year-old describes Hickory, NC as a place with nice neighborhoods, pleasant parks and decent schools, but definitely a city racked by the crack epidemic and poverty. The two scenes are never far apart, and he did his time in both, gaining a sense of perspective at an early age. After discovering his gift for fierce rhyming during a New Year's Eve party at 12 years old, DT eventually started DJing. The road eventually led him to Morehouse College in Atlanta, where he would not only learn the particulars of the Black bourgeoisie and murder just about everyone on the battle circuit, but run into his future crew-mates, AmDex and Felix of The VJC, which helped him concentrate on his production talents.
Both DJs, producers, and lyricists, AmDex and DT (Dustin Teague) founded Clan Destined in Atlanta in the summer of 2002. Although they were both originally from North Carolina, they first met each other at Morehouse College (though AmDex was actually attending Georgia State University) that same year. AmDex and DT utilized their turntable and production skills to build their larger collective Vinyl Junkie Clique and VJC Recordings label before hitting the hip-hop underground with their debut album Abbracadamn!!! in 2007. Released by Orlando, FL-based label Domination Recordings, the album's hard boom-bap thump recalled their early-'90s influences of D.I.T.C. and Organized Konfusion, but the duo's richly textured beats and conceptual lyrics revealed their OutKast- and A Tribe Called Quest-like approach to their music. Later in 2007, major independent rap label Rawkus hand-picked Clan Destined to be featured in their "Rawkus 50" project, labeling them as one of the top 50 indie rap prospects in the country. Consequently, that November Rawkus issued their And for Our Next Trick. EP which contained seven remixes from their debut in addition to three new songs. There latest effort is a bit of a surprise.
Equal parts mixtape, comedic farce, soundtrack, and concept album, A Story Never Told features new tracks as well as snippets from Clan Destined's next LP. In proper Hip-Hop fashion, it boldly plays out a fictional account involving painfully real situations. Clan D star as the promising independent artists that they have become, alongside DJ Beef, the local 'hood celebrity and CEO of Felon Frontz Records (played by the multi-talented DJ Rock Most). The project follows Clan D (DT and Yamin) as they attempt to market themselves to a new audience.
ASNT, a companion piece to the soon-to-come short film of the same name, is a testament of self-reliance in a world where people follow an endless path of trends with hopes to find success. The songs are cleverly tagged and blended for the listeners' ability to follow CD's story, as well as to keep their heads nodding. Felon Frontz Family, the fictional-yet-oh-so-familiar-sounding clique, even shines on tracks like "Big Face Money" and "Pockets Gone Ham". The end result is a vivid picture of the state of the music industry. More importantly, it is a true glimpse into the artists' ability to persevere.
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