Category: Milestones

100 Monthly Spotify Listeners!

Long blog post incoming…

I’ve been releasing music as @d.t.ruth every Saturday for the last 6 months and this is the first time I’ve hit 100 monthly listeners on @spotify!

My journey as a writer spans over two decades and I’ve tried to work within Hip-Hop for the last ten years or so in various different capacities with a constant, nagging thought in the back of my mind telling me to fulfill a childhood dream and start rapping.

I would line things up to do it and then back out of it when it was time to get in front of a camera. I told myself several times I was better suited behind the scenes and that my digital marketing skills would be better served helping others. Excuses.

At the onset of the pandemic I faced my deeper insecurities for the first time and tackled them. I started to record myself through my phone and took my poetry from my notepad to vocalizations over beats by my brothers @morenokeyz and @gv_kenraww. When I moved to Austin I thought “this is it”. Either I truly start taking things seriously or I just let it go. Letting it go would come with regrets later on and I couldn’t bear the thought of an 80-year old me reminiscing on what I didn’t try to do so I joined an Austin Hip-Hop group to ask about where the studios were at and luckily met @pmjams through it.

Paul reinforced my belief in myself and matched my intensity to get things done.  If it wasn’t for him I’d still be doing TikTok duets without a clear plan and wouldn’t have a single song on any platform. Now we have 26 tracks out there and continue to plot on what’s next. There’s no telling where this takes us but the only thing that I can control is my consistency and persistence so that’ll be there. The only expectation I have is to reach 100 tracks in my discography. Anything else that comes from this will be considered a bonus but I’ll be working my tail off to see this number grow from 100 to 1,000 to 100,000 monthly listeners and beyond. All things are possible through Constant Motion.

Be You. Live R.E.A.L.

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March Milestones

March was a month full of growth and milestones for the @GullySteez network. Notably, the allthingsdope group smashed through my 2022 goal in the first quarter of the year and we are now over 75,000 members. The group also reached roughly 830,000 people in the last 28 days (another record) and the centralized website (allthingsdope.com) hit 1400 views in its first true month of publishing on a daily basis.

The other legs of our network are also steadily growing with @Blackbookology & @SteezWars leading the charge as one of the largest blackbook graffiti battles on the internet. @Sketchathon_ & @Sketchaholics continue to get newcomers. And @SecretPoetryStash finally made a return after a lengthy absence. These projects are the backbone of our network and I hope to continue providing value to our participants for years to come.

All good things come through constant motion!

Be You. Live R.E.A.L.

D.T. Ruth & PMiller – Pressure

PMiller and I released “Pressure” yesterday and it’s a pretty big milestone for me as a writer because it’s my first solo track. The poetry in the verses is mostly about getting better at my craft and getting to a point where I feel like I’m fulfilling some sort of destiny. At the same time I’m expressing how I currently feel after years of struggling with my mental fortitude.

It feels like I’ve been chasing some sort of hazy dream for the past ten years but lately I’ve been seeing things crystal clear and the progress I’m making as a writer is extremely rewarding for me. The only goals I have for my music is to release as much of it as possible (starting with 100 artist credits) and try my best to reach as many people as possible. Whatever happens, happens. I’ll be writing regardless.

Be You. Live R.E.A.L.

We hit 20 members on Reddit! ðŸ¥³

We hit 20 members on the allthingsdope subreddit!

I started the subreddit on August 11th, 2021 and spent awhile absolutely clueless on how to utilize or promote it. Now it’s become 1 of 10 platforms I publish content to on a daily basis as part of my semi-formalized publishing schedule for 11 active projects/segments under the @GullySteez network.

It’s hard work but it really doesn’t feel like work at all. However, there are times when the vision overwhelms me and I feel unsure of myself. There are times when it feels like I’m publishing content to an empty abyss. But then I get questions regarding the art contests or get hit up by a moderator of one of the Facebook groups and I’m reminded that these little projects are actually providing value and that’s all that matters. I’ll stay focused on that and let the chips fall wherever they fall.
Constant motion.

Be You. Live R.E.A.L.
#GullySteez; allthingsdope.com