Revision 310548874 of "Damien Dragonetti" on enwiki

{{Article issues|COI =August 2009|notability =August 2009|cleanup =August 2009}}

{{Infobox musical artist
|Name            = Damien Dragonetti
|Img             = Dragonetti Bat mite 2l.jpg
|Img_capt        = Dragonetti at TiTe Mic HQ 2007 [[TiTe Mic]]
|Img_size        = 
|Background      = Solo Southern Killa Beez
|Birth_name      = Garrick L. Finklea
|Alias           = Spade, Dame, Bishop
|Born            = {{birth date and age|mf=yes|1971|10|30}}<br />[[Pascagoula, Mississippi]], USA
|Origin          = [[Moss Point, Mississippi]]
|Genre           = [[Hip hop music|Hip hop]], [[rock music|rock]], [[Techno Music|Techno]]<!--See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Infobox_musical_artist#Genre -->
|Occupation      = Producer<br />[[Rapper|Emcee]]<br />[[Graphic Artist]]<br />Songwriter
|Years_active    = 1984 - present
|Label           = [http://repertoire.bmi.com/publisher.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&keyID=934644&keyname=TITE%20MIC%20MUSIC%20GROUP&querytype=PubID TiTe Mic Music Group (BMI)]<br />DarkChilde
|Associated_acts = Southern Killa Beez (SKBz)<br />[http://www.madawm.com Madawm]<br />[[Toni Seawright]]
|Spouse          = 
|URL             = [http://www.TiTeMic.com TiTe Mic]
}}
'''Damien Dragonetti''' (born Garrick Finklea, October 30, 1971), also known as "Spade" is an American rapper, producer, he is best known for on the nationally distributed recording “Variable02”(1999)<ref name=louipimps.com>{{citeweb|url=http://louipimps.com/index.php/catalog-mainmenu-108|title=Variables02|publisher=louipimps.com}}</ref>and he is also the producer of the "Chronicles Of A Woman"<ref name=ascap>{{citeweb|url=http://www.ascap.com/ace/search.cfm?requesttimeout=300&mode=results&searchstr=333110075&search_in=i&search_type=exact&search_det=t,s,w,p,b,v&results_pp=20&start=1|title=Chronicles Of A Woman|publisher=ascap.com}}</ref> album for female rapper [http://www.madawm.com Madawm] which features superstars [[Eminem]] and [[Xzibit]] (2007).

==Personal background==
[[File:Stand Alone Complex single .jpg|thumb|170px|left|Single release Oct 3rd 2009]]
Dragonetti grew up in [[Moss Point, Mississippi]], the neighboring city to [[Pascagoula]] where he was born. 
Dragonetti's best friends would include The late Zack (BZ) Watson, Joe (Juke Jonz) Jones and personal manager Barbara "B" Nelson.

==Career==
===Music career===
[[Image:Damien in Toronto.jpg|thumb|left|Dragonetti performing in Toronto [[Cabana]], 2009.]]

In 1985 Damien co-Romeo Rock and his DJ Trench, and form the group TMC Rock. The group patterned themselves after [[Boogie Down Productions]](BDP). Their first major show was to open for legendary rapper/actor [[Kool Moe Dee]]. 

In 1992 [[Pensacola, Florida]]
Damien (''G. Money at the time'') met and preformed for manager and co-ower of Total Sound Management, Inc. (TSM Records)<ref name=corporationwiki.com>{{citeweb|url=http://www.corporationwiki.com/Florida/Pensacola/total-sound-management-inc-3646513.aspx|title=Total Sound Management TSM Records|publisher=corporationwiki.com}}</ref> Willie Easley, who would sign Dame to his first deal.
Dame alone with his label mates appeared regularly on TSM's TV show "Saturday night Live at the Apollo" (''a spin-off of “[[Showtime at the Apollo]]” in New York''). The show aired Saturday nights on [http://www.blabtv.com Blab TV].

Just after 4 months of signing with the label, Dragonetti became an Office manager and head hip hop producer for the label, meeting the likes of boxing champion [[Roy Jones Jr.]], [[Anthony Watson]] of the [[Chi-lites]], [[Atlantic Records]] artist[[Gwen McCrae]], who was also on the TSM board of Directors, and Hip Hop icon [[Greg Street]] who was a DJ with WBLX<ref name=thebigstation93blx.com>{{citeweb|url=http://www.thebigstation93blx.com|title=Radio Station BLX|publisher=thebigstation93blx.com}}</ref>at the time. Street interviewed Dame on several occasions, and Dame would perform with Street's group in [[Pensacola]]. 

In 1995 would return to [[Mississippi]] and together with Joe (Juke Jonz) Jones they created Soul Street Productions, the production company would be the opening act for New Orleans bounce music artist [http://www.djjubilee.net/ Dj Jubilee] of Take Fo Records.
Shortly there after Dragonetti and Jonz were offered quarter of a million dollar deal to sign with Blunt Recording/[[TVT Records]], which would have made Soul Street Production the second rap group in Mississippi's history to sign a major deal, but the group for internal reasons turned down the offer.

In 1996 Damien (''Spade Bishop'') would meet producer/songwriter Bobby Reese ([[ASCAP]]), a fellow Pascagoulian who is credited with writing the hit song ''"Everlasting Love"'' for R&B act [[Tony Terry]] along with Terry Antonio Meguel.
Reese taught Dame the importance of the music business and how to use a production system with the ad of computers. Dame used the knowledge of the new technology to produce 'Tru Playa 4 Life’<ref name=louipimps.com>{{citeweb|url=http://louipimps.com/index.php/catalog-mainmenu-108|title=Variables02|publisher=louipimps.com}}</ref>featuring Tenishia Toussaint with backups by Bobby Reese.
As Damien's thirst for knowledge grew he used the [[Internet]] to get his company and music noticed. 

In 1997 Damien created and launch [http://www.titemic.com TiTe Mic Records]now shorten to TiTeMic.com,<ref name=titemic.com>{{citeweb|url=http://www.titemic.com|title=TiTe Mic Corp|publisher=TiTeMic.com}}
</ref>which would featured some of the gulf coast's must influential hip hop artists.
In 1999 ''Tru Playa 4 Life'' would be featured on Variables02<ref name=louipimps.com>{{citeweb|url=http://louipimps.com/index.php/catalog-mainmenu-108|title=Variables02|publisher=louipimps.com}}</ref>released November of 99 the by Loupimps Records (LPS), nationally distributed by [http://www.cityhallrecords.com City Hall Records]. Damien would become the first solo rapper/producer from the gulf coast of Mississippi to be a featured on a national distributed recording.

In 2001 Dame wrote and produced the song " Art Of War" about 9/11 Featuring Rock guitarist Dean Weaver,
published by [http://repertoire.bmi.com/publisher.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&keyID=934644&keyname=TITE%20MIC%20MUSIC%20GROUP&querytype=PubID TiTe Mic Music Group]([[BMI]]) the record was given away on [http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=225670 Soundclick.com]

===Community Service===

In the aftermath of [[Hurricane Katrina]] Dragonetti along with
personal manager Barbara Nelson both Katrina victims worked with Restoration Church (overseen by Pastor Elder James Moffett)
and First Baptist Church of Moss Point passing out food and supplies
to people in need.

==Dat's A Wrap==
[[File:DarkChilde photoshoot.jpg|thumb|Dragonetti 2008]]
[http://www.datsawrap.com Dat's A Wrap] is an online magazine that is spear headed by Dragonetti's company the TiTe Mic Company, and is scheduled to be officially opened to the public in late December 2009.

==Discography==
* Varibles02 (1999) (Single "Tru Playa 4 Life") under the name Bishop<ref name=louipimps.com>{{citeweb|url=http://louipimps.com/index.php/catalog-mainmenu-108|title=Variables02|publisher=louipimps.com}}</ref>
* Chronicles of A Woman (2007)(Album Production)<ref name=cdbaby.com>{{citeweb|url=http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:r6grSUUmDLQJ:www.cdbaby.com/cd/madawm+madawm+chronicle+of+a+woman&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ca|title=Chronicles Of A Woman|publisher=cdbaby.com}}
</ref>
* Stand Alone Complex (2009)<ref name=tunecore.com>{{citeweb|url=http://www.tunecore.com/music/damiendragonetti|title=Stand Alone Complex|publisher=tunecore.com}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.titemic/ Official website]
* {{MySpace|damiendragonetti}}
* {{Twitter|damedragonetti}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dragonetti, Damien}}
[[Category:1971 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Jackson, Mississippi]]
[[Category:Southern hip hop producers]]
[[Category:Southern rappers]]
[[Category:African American rappers]]
[[Category:African American record producers]]
[[Category:African American singers]]
[[Category:American male singers]]
[[Category:American rhythm and blues singers]]
[[Category:Hip hop singers]]