CHICAGO, IL – When Cortez Devinci was a child growing up in a Haitian household, he remembers his first introduction to music was when his father would play classical French music early in the morning on Saturdays. At the time he hated that the music was always an early wake-up call on a day when he just wanted to sleep in, but as he reflects on his past he realizes those songs were an introduction to music that has led a career as a musician.
Today he lives in Chicago and is one of the city’s hottest up-and-coming hip-hop artists. Since 2007 he’s been producing beats and writing songs – both for himself and in collaboration with other artists. He’s an artist who takes time to perfect his lyrics, and his Haitian culture and slight accent contribute to a unique sound that’s unlike anyone else in the industry today.
“It’s a very unique sound,” he said. “I’m unique with my voice and my image. I try everything to stand out rather than blend in. My music is very complex and put-together – I’m not a mumble rapper. I have bars. I think I’m different and my music is refreshing for the ears.”
His main goal with making music is to elicit good vibes and good energy. No matter which of his songs people listen to, he wants it to change emotions and feelings and take listeners to a different place.
“If that happens then I know I completed the job and they can have a better life because of it,” he said. “I want people to be able to time travel when they listen to my music – to remember the exact time and place when they first heard my song and relive that moment and what was going on. That’s how I listen to music, and I want to share that with others. When I think about my dad’s music, that’s how I feel. I remember the inflections and the instruments and it was beautiful. It’s what made me want to first start sampling music.”
He said that even at that young age he displayed an aptitude for art. He was always drawing in school and his work always stood out. That talent with a pen and paper evolved into talent as a musician after high school, and he soon became a prodigy at rapping and producing. That’s when he adopted the name Devinci. As he examined some of his lyrics and saw that some of them were darker and grittier than a lot of other songs out in the world, he wanted a name that would reflect that “dangerous” quality. That’s how he chose Cortez – the name of the Spaniard who was feared by so many in the Americas as an explorer.
Recently Cortez Devinci has released a couple of singles that are making waves among fans throughout Chicago. “Bowflexin” is a turn-up song that he said talks about everything expensive – women, nice shoes, nice cars and “everything fancy you can imagine. It’s like you’re flexin’ a whole bunch of money.” The second single, “Livin’ So Delicious,” is a similar song in that it explores the fancier side of life.
Fans who want to check out Cortez Devinci’s music can visit his Soundcloud page or watch some of his music videos on his YouTube channel. His music is also available for purchase on Apple Music and Spotify. Fans can also follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Snapchat under the handle @cortez_devinci. And on Instagram, he can be followed via his account name cortez_devinci_fresh
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