We had the good fortune of connecting with Dwan Banks and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dwan, other than deciding to work for yourself, what else do you think played a pivotal role in your story?
The single most important decision I made was to invest and believe in myself. I was investing in other artists etc thinking once they became successful that would open the door for myself and my label, but that wasn’t the case. I just ended up taking financial risk on others instead of myself!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Music is my passion! I feel in love with music as a child while watching Michael & Janet Jackson etc perform on TV. I would sometimes cry wishing that was me. For the love of music I followed my passion and started a recording label and started recording & releasing my own music. I’m super proud that from the time I decided to purse music I did everything on my own. I signed myself to my label! It wasn’t easy by far, I made numerous mistakes along the way. If I could do it over again I would educate myself on the music business prior to spending a dime or signing artist and I would definitely set aside a budget vs just spending as I go. Trial & Error! I faced several challenges financially and the fact that I was a female running a label in a male dominated industry. I always set the tone when dealing with other male artists, producers etc that I wasn’t looking for anything other than what I was compensating them for. The biggest lesson I’ve learned is to follow your instict and never invest in anyone with the hope that they will succeed and open the door for you. Always bet on yourself. I’d rather invest in myself and not succeed than in someone else with the odds of never seeing any of my investment. I want the world to know, that I founded my label almost two decades ago and although it’s not exactly where I want it to be I’m super proud that I did it and I’m still functional. I believe 2020 will be a successful year despite what’s transpiring in the world at the moment.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Houston is one of the most diverse cities in the country. I would definitely take them to mid Town to enjoy whatever their palette desires. Later during the day the heights area is definitely ideal for a cocktail and to unwind. I would definitely suggest the galleria for shopping at one of largest shopping malls in the country. Houston nightlight is also vibrant, from live music, to dj’s or karaoke bars your sure to find something that interests you. Depending on the weather I would suggest riding to Galveston to enjoy a day in the sun on the seawall. There’s also museums, exhibits, the zoo, the space center & professional sporting events just to name a few. There’s always something to do in the 4th largest city in the country.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would definitely have to give a shout out to Bruce. Bruce is the owner of Imix Recording Studio in Houston Texas. Bruce has been one of the constants during the entire span of Rapture Recordz my recording label. I recall he was just beginning his engineering career just as I had launched my label. At the time I couldn’t afford to purchase a track on sight. He would let me pay him when I could. He’s still the same after all these years, no matter who he works with. Solid guy & friend!

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