DonChristian Jones, also known as DonChristian is a New York-based rapper, producer and visual artist. His work spans musical and visual performances, rap, installations and public murals blending both genres of painting and hip-hop and referencing classical and contemporary styles. Jones is a co-founder of Public Assistants, a Resistance Community Space focused on mutual aid, in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.

Early life

Born in Philadelphia, DonChristian attended a Pennsylvania

George School George School is a private Quaker (Society of Friends) boarding and day high school located on a rural campus in Middletown Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania ( Newtown postal address). It was founded at its present site in 1893, and has grown ...

in his teens. His father is also a musician and his uncle is the late soul singer

Teddy Pendergrass Theodore DeReese Pendergrass (March 26, 1950 – January 13, 2010) was an American soul and R&B singer-songwriter. He was born in Kingstree, South Carolina. Pendergrass spent most of his life in the Philadelphia area, and initially rose to musi ...

. He graduated from

Wesleyan University Wesleyan University ( ) is a Private university, private liberal arts college, liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut. Founded in 1831 as a Men's colleges in the United States, men's college under the auspices of the Methodist Epis ...

in 2012, where he studied painting. After graduating from college, he moved to New York, where he is now based.

Work

While at

he was president of The Eclectic Society (fraternity). He is a member of the Camp & Street collective having collaborated on projects alongside members like Boody, Rahel and

Le1f Khalif Diouf, known by his stage name Le1f (), is an American rapper and producer. He also founded the record label Camp & Street, with Boody, DonChristian, and Chaz Requina. As a gay rapper he's garnered attention for his musical and perform ...

. In 2013 DonChristian released his first mixtape, ''The Wayfarer'' on Camp & Street and Himanshu Suri's

Greedhead Music Greedhead Music is an independent record label founded by Himanshu Suri of Das Racist. Initially, Suri founded Greedhead Music as a management and recording company in 2008 to manage Das Racist. Greedhead's first releases were the group's 2010 mix ...

label. In August 2014, Vogue.com exclusively released the single ''"Green Dream"'' produced by Suicideyear. Later that year, he released his second mixtape ''Renzo Piano'', inspired by the Italian architect after whom the tape is named.

The Quietus ''The Quietus'' is a British online music and pop culture magazine founded by John Doran and Luke Turner. The site is an editorially independent publication led by Doran with a group of freelance journalists and critics. Content ''The Quiet ...

named his 2014 mixtape ''Renzo Piano'' one of the best albums of the year. In 2015 DonChristian presented Camp & Street at the New Whitney Block Party, with acts including

Junglepussy Shayna McHayle (born October 31, 1991), known professionally by her stage name Junglepussy, is an American rapper and actress from New York City. Her first mixtape ''Satisfaction Guaranteed'' was released in 2014. She has received recognition fro ...

, and

House of Ladosha House of Ladosha is a New York City-based artistic collective and LGBT rap duo including Antonio Blair ("Dosha Devastation aka La Fem LaDosha") and Adam Radakovich ("Cunty Crawford"). Other members include Neon Christina Ladosha (Christopher Udeme ...

. He later performed at the 2015

Whitney Museum of American Art The Whitney Museum of American Art, known informally as "The Whitney", is an art museum in the Meatpacking District and West Village neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded in 1930 by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney (1875–1942), ...

Annual Art Party. In 2016 DonChristian performed original works as part of

Eiko Otake Eiko Otake and Takashi Koma Otake, generally known as Eiko & Koma, are a Japanese performance duo. Since 1972, Eiko & Koma have worked as co-artistic directors, choreographers, and performers, creating a unique theater of movement out of stillness ...

series ''A Body in Places'' at the St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery. DonChristian's debut album, '' Where There's Smoke'', was released in July 2018. His influence range from artists such as

Eric Fischl Eric Fischl (born March 9, 1948) is an American painter, sculptor, printmaker, draughtsman and educator. He is known for his paintings depicting American suburbia from the 1970s and 1980s. Life Fischl was born in New York City and grew up on su ...

Eiko & Koma Eiko Otake and Takashi Koma Otake, generally known as Eiko & Koma, are a Japanese performance duo. Since 1972, Eiko & Koma have worked as co-artistic directors, choreographers, and performers, creating a unique theater of movement out of stillness ...

, and musical acts Outkast and

Three 6 Mafia Three 6 Mafia is an American Hip hop music, hip hop group from Memphis, Tennessee, formed in 1991. Emerging as a horror-themed underground hip hop group, they would eventually go on to enjoy mainstream success. The group's 1995 debut album ''Mys ...

Discography

Albums

* ''Where There's Smoke'' (2018) * ''Don'' (2021)

Mixtapes

* ''The Wayfarer'' (2013) * ''Renzo Piano'' (2014)

Music videos

References

External links

Official WebsiteDonChristian's Soundcloud
{{DEFAULTSORT:DonChristian Rappers from Philadelphia 1989 births Living people 21st-century American rappers