We had the good fortune of connecting with Rashaan “tigmatic” Whitaker and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rashaan “Tigmatic”, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
As far as I can remember, I have always had this ambition to want to try different things. In my early twenties, I had a paint screen T-Shirt hustle,where I would press up T-shirts, and sell them. I also ran my own music studio where I helped inner city youth develop their craft of becoming better artist. So for me it was only right that I decided to do something and make it official .After experiencing a gunshot wound to the Head in Philadelphia,Pennsylvania.. by someone I didn’t know just being in the wrong place at the wrong time, I knew I had to leave my city. Once I left and movedmy wife and children to North Carolina, was when I decided with my wife that we would start our business Damani Brand LLC. So my thought process was that we could start something that could Elevate our lives and transition us to be business owners and to be great at selling merchandise Although it is a learning experience, my thought process is simple.Make Revenue and learn how to get better at business, make the right connections,and help as many people as possible. Also dealing with PTSD from someone trying to kill me, life was hard for the first 7 years. In 2022, I became a radio personality for a show called The Eric Echoes Morning Show on radio. The host of the show decided to move on to something else and it left me in limbo. Which at the moment I didn’t know what I wanted to do other than run my business. So I created another lane, The Pot Podcast WithTigmatic. The show talks about the struggles artists go through while still having to entertain the world in his mental health base. And so far, it is becoming a safe space for businessmen and women and artist. I am also launching a radio station in 2 weeks called Going In Radio, where we will be playing all sorts of music and also have morning shows,afternoon shows, and night shows. Airing on internet radio. So although my answer is not a simple answer my mind process is to create as many lanes as possible. Although life has been challenging for me God has blessed me and made me able to do so many things although I persevered through some hard times.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am a rap artist, a podcast host,a radio station owner,and a radio station host. My art as an artist is totally different than most because I never speak on one specific subject. One minute I could be rapping about the street life, another moment I could be wrapping about partying, another time I could be rapping about God and family, and even business. I think what sets me apart is that I’m not trying to be like anyone else I’m just unapologetically myself. There aren’t too many rappers that have been shot in the head and lost a piece of their brain the size of a golf ball and it’s still able to talk, walk, enjoy life and do the simple things in life because most of them are either dead, or a vegetable and can’t even take care of themselves. And although I do have some ailments I have way more than my counterpart people that have been through the same thing. It was not easy for me especially the first 7 years because my post-traumatic stress disorder was very high level, I was easily triggered and I couldn’t find my way, but after doing years of therapy I was able to find some sense of normalcy and became a radio host which led to me doing my podcast. Now starting my own chapter of Black Lives Matter with the honorable Dr Melina Abdullah. The lessons that I have learned in life are that tomorrow isn’t promised, so take care of the ones you love and don’t take them for granted. You could lose them in any moment. After dying on the operating table, I felt my soul being pulled to hell, and then I was in the dark space. I had seen my grandmother who was already dead for 2 years and she said to me that it was not my time yet and I didn’t belong here when I woke up with the tubes in my throat fresh out of surgery I knew that from that moment on that I would have to change and be different. I didn’t change immediately, but it took me some time. The challenges of life were hard for me. I had to learn how to walk, talk feed myselftie my shoes run, play ball, just simple things that we take for granted. What I want people to know about my show is that it’s about helping others share their story to serve as an inspiration to the youth, and my company Damani Brand serves the people with good quality clothing. So how I got to where I am professionally today was with a lot of love, Prayer, sleepless nights, dedication, and learning curves. Alot of the times we go into business thinking that we know it all so we take losses but you have to learn from your losses and learn how to keep moving forward.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well it’s a friend was visiting me I would take them to the buffet in the town that I’m in I’m in a small town called Lumberton, North Carolina. I will show them downtown, I would show them a good time there are pubs a few restaurants and a few good places to chill out and vibe. I would also have you check out my friends foolish Studio who produced for Boosie badazz.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
This response hass so many layers to it. God is my biggest inspiration , My wife is my biggest support! She has helped me through so much! When I was recovering from a gunshot wound to the head,she was by my side she helped change my way of thinking and help me be a better man I was once a person who was leading the wrong path and found my way and got out of the circumstances that I once was in as far as street life. All of my in-laws have been super supportive and have helped me through this journey of life when my own family really didn’t support me or help me even when I was at my lowest point and losing everything in Hurricane Matthew. It is because of them that I learned what family was and learn to become a totally different man and inspired me to want to be the businessman that I am today I work hard I barely sleep. Transformation Church is also another inspiration that has helped me. Pastor Michael Todd and the rest of TC Nation has helped me develop myself better as a person of ambition. Although I am more like a DMX type of artist where I speak of the streets but still have a personal relationship with God, staying rooted and connected in that has helped me to be more focused than I have ever been in my entire life. Because of this I have been able to interview mobiles, presidential candidates Emmy Award recipients, Grammy nominated artist …several of them, and I have built relationships with people who are awesome. My children are also another group that deserves recognition in my story I have two boys 13 and 9. It is through them that I see the world, and they have helped shaped me into being a better man as I grow in life. I’m so thankful for even being able to have interviews, to have been on a few shows ,and to be interviewed by you guys.

Website: https://www.damanibrand.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_pot_with_tigmatic_?igsh=MWRqOWhkdWFndWx0cw==

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rashaan-whitaker-254a52b9?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=android_app

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mrmaticbakatit?mibextid=ZbWKwL

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@thepotpodcastwithtigmatic?si=HgwzR-yV_fu2FgXF

Other: https://disishiphop.com/tigmatic

https://www.instagram.com/tigmatic?igsh=ZDR2ZTFvcWRiODc0

https://www.facebook.com/thepotpodcastwithtigmatic?mibextid=ZbWKwL

https://www.reverbnation.com/tigmaticlionsdenrecordsbcmgrecordingartist/songs

Image Credits
Tigmatic

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