Donnis sounds a little bit like old school Atlanta with a slick coat of disco glitter. If you are searching for clean beats and candy-coated lyrics to accompany summer’s heat, look no further. Donnis’ sound is young, but stylish, and his backing by two severely talented DJ’s (Genre and Benzi) makes for a great tour with geeky-digital flair of international proportions.

I caught up Donnis while he drove through the outskirts of Toronto and had just passed the original site of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. His crew listens to a Pharell mix-tape created by DJ Genre, an artist Donnis refers to as his “Big Brother.” His tour accomplice is DJ Benzi; the love shown towards DJs like Benzi and Kool Kid on previous engagements will take the team through several gigs in Scandinavia (Sweden, Norway) before returning to the states for performances in Ohio, Florida, and New York.

The 22-year-old Atlanta native’s career took off while emceeing in Japan at the age of 19 where he was stationed by the U.S. military. Japan greatly influenced his dancehall sound and the country’s stance on the cutting-edge of futuristic music and fashion gave Donnis’ presence a style that is tailored but not contrived.

After conquering the English-speaking club market in Japan, Donnis returned home to look for new challenges, booking a spot on the AKA Tour — a hip hop conglomerate featuring the likes of Lil’ John and T-Pain. Although conflicts kept the tour short-lived, Donnis’ block-rocking aspirations remain undaunted. Check for him on his myspace page here or while he makes mischief in Manhattan this week.

May, 12 2008
Donnis and Dj Benzi @ Sway, NYC
305 Spring Street

May, 15 2008
Donnis, DJ Benzi and Mickey Factz @ Love
179 Macdougal Street and 8th Street