The climb to stardom in the music industry is usually a pretty long haul. First, a musician is tasked with the creation of a musical project, which then has to be good enough to catch the attention of the public. Then, the challenge becomes finding a record label willing to invest in you, and market you to the world. It seems very surprising that anyone could have accomplished this from the confines of a jail cell. Singer, rapper, guitarist, and songwriter Dominic Fike challenged the odds when he released his demo tapes “Don’t Forget About Me” from Collier County Jail. After a friend successfully published his demos on soundcloud, the popularity surge surrounding Fike was almost instantaneous. Record labels from far and wide began traveling to Collier County Jail to discuss signing a deal through the phone box in the jail’s visitors center. Eventually, Fike signed a four million dollar deal with Columbia Records, and solidified his presence in the musical industry.
Music was a constant in Fike’s life from a very young age. He grew up in Naples Florida. His family lived in poverty, and often endured homelessness and hunger. Fike moved around schools and neighborhoods consistently, and through all of these transitions, music proved to be his regular escape. He started off rapping, and eventually came to the realization that rap did not always capture the feelings he wanted to communicate through his music. This led to the fusion of alternative and hip hop that we hear in his demos, as well as in his debut album “What Could Possibly Go Wrong” which was released in August of 2020.
During the development of his demo tapes, Dominic Fike was on house arrest. He had been charged with battery of a police officer for protecting his brother. He was put on house arrest, and given one gift by the judge that sentenced him: time. Then, he started writing. He wrote his most popular song, “Three Nights”, in the shower, jotting down lyrics as they came to him in the notes app on his phone. The song was complete by the time he finished showering, and was recorded immediately after. Fike’s creative process while writing “Three Nights” is representative of how he goes about writing most of his music. He thinks of lyrics on his own, relying completely on his own internal emotionality to lead him to find the right words. He attempts to block out all of the external pressures (deadlines from Columbia, expectations from fans on social media, etc) while he brainstorms the lyrics and melodies. These pressures take the excitement out of making music for Fike, and can lead to really intensive writer’s block. A solution that Fike has relied on to combat writer's block is visiting his hometown to feel reconnected to his roots. Once he has the base components of a song put together, collaboration becomes a more important part in his creative process. He works with his team and fellow musicians to figure out what sound mixing sounds the best, and how they can polish his tunes before publishing them.
Much of Dominic Fike’s inspiration is derived from his close bond with his family and his hometown. Fike has become a caretaker for his mother and his brother since signing his multimillion dollar deal. When he was released from jail, his mom and dad were facing severe drug charges and long sentences. He racked up the price for his record deal during the bidding war between labels so that he would have the adequate funds to pay for good lawyers for his mom, support his brother, spot his friends for rent, and so much more. He is extrinsically motivated by his family values to continue producing music, and, consequently, to continue bringing home the bacon.
Fike’s inspiration is not limited to his family values - he has an innate desire to be authentic and genuine. Once he entered the professional sphere of music, Fike began to see himself as a pawn for record labels. He believes that they are only concerned with the profits that they can squeeze out of Fike’s music, while Fike himself has one desire: to make music. Before rising to fame, he didn’t feel the pressure to be something he wasn’t. Fike made music for himself and himself only. His transition to fame has taught him the importance in remaining steadfast in his values. Now, he fully intends to be authentically himself throughout the remainder of his musical career. This message is beautifully articulated in his track “Cancel Me” from his debut album. Fike is intrinsically motivated by the importance he places on being real, while the music industry encourages him to be something unreal.
I’m sure that every person can find something they like in Fike’s discography, but if you’re a new fan, I suggest listening to “Three Nights” as soon as possible. Happy listening!
