ArtistInfo

Dorian

*1984 US
Hip-Hop/Rap
A.k.a. Alton Dorian Clark

Alton Dorian Clark (born August 2, 1984), better known by his stage name Dorian, is an American hip hop recording artist, songwriter and record producer from Indianapolis, IN. Dorian is a hard-working MC-producer with a strong, confident flow and thoughtful lyrics detailing his life experiences, and struggles. His production style and storytelling skills have more in common with '80s and '90s hip-hop than many of his contemporaries (with the West Coast G-funk of Warren G and Dr. Dre being a primary influence), but his sound encompasses more contemporary influences such as trap and Kanye West. While brash and aggressive, he displays a bit of a self-deprecating sense of humor in tribute to anyone who doubted his talents, and he creates his music with the intention to motivate listeners. Dorian was born in Abilene, Texas and moved several times during his youth, but mainly grew up in Indianapolis. He learned to play drums and sang in his church choir, and was interested in making rap music, but being underage and located in a city with a limited hip-hop scene, there wasn't much of an opportunity for him at the time. He studied Psychological and Brain Sciences at Indiana University-Bloomington (eventually obtaining a Master's Degree from the University of Central Florida) and began a career as a basketball coach, with intent to work for the NBA. He moved to Chicago in late 2013, but was unsatisfied with his job. In February of 2014, he bought a laptop and music equipment and taught himself to produce music. Exactly a year later, he released his debut The D.U.C.K. Tape on Group82, the label he co-founded with a former college roommate. Single "Sunshine" arrived soon after, and the song appeared on his second album, Every Scar Has a Story, which appeared in October of 2015. "Don't Sleep" followed in 2016.