There has been a growing crop of independent musicians that has signaled seismic changes in the music industry. There are new key players and new ways of doing business — think fewer managers and being more digitally upgraded! You might be wondering the secret to success for clicking in the music industry. To know more about it, let us know about entrepreneur Damen Priestley Dume, popularly known as Duprie is a Cameroonian Afropop and R&B singer & songwriter.
“Fans are always on the lookout for more and more creative works from their favorite artists.
No artist wants to release something that is not quality. They don’t want to do it just for the sake. They would rather do a few pieces that will always have a lasting impact, than many short-lived pieces.” says entrepreneur Duprie. In this digital age, independent musicians are actually the fastest-growing segment of the global recorded music business. The global independent artists and performing art companies market size is expected to reach $328.87 billion in 2026 at a CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of 19%.
Duprie is a Cameroonian songwriter and singer, currently based in the US. His professional name is Duprie, but his official name is Damen Priestley Dume. He grew up in Cameroon where he was born. While in high school, he discovered his talent in music. He became passionate about it and started participating in talent competitions. Performing at community shows and school competitions as a teenager, entrepreneur Duprie’s musical aspiration was influenced by Michael Jackson. With the emergence of Afro-beats, Duprie discovered his exceptional talent in Afro-R&B and has since established himself as a steady presence in the genre. While pursuing his B.Sc. degree at Brown University in the USA, Duprie teamed up with his close friend Rex Mukete and together they Co-founded Damrex Records; a label he is still affiliated to. Through Damrex Records, they plan to provide a platform for budding artists and also represent African music globally.
Though Duprie started working in the music industry as a songwriter, he has grown to be a great performer. In May 2021, he released his debut single titled ‘Pull Up’. The next month, he released his second single dubbed ‘Playboy’ in collaboration with Ghanaian artist Ahkan. While his fans were still enjoying listening to these two singles, he surprised them with an even better single, “Le Ndem”. Le Ndem’s success has earned him a larger audience. He now has a larger following, more subscribers, and listeners. With many plans underway, he hopes to make each of his songs better than the previous. Most of Duprie’s fans have been looking forward to his EP that was initially scheduled for December 2021. It was suddenly postponed until further notice. The good news, however, is that Duprie embarked on his EP plans. His EP will now be released in December 2022 and would be titled ‘D-Day’ and would contain 6 songs, as confirmed by the artist in a recent interview. EP would be in collaboration with different artists from Africa in order to give them recognition and take their music to the next level.
You have seen how far Duprie has come in his music journey. It is not easy to rise from a songwriter to such a promising performer as Duprie has done. He has worked hard, made an impact, and hopes to continue doing so. He aims to inspire future artists while helping them realize their dreams. He also hopes to always use his music to effectively tell stories, a goal whose achievement will be determined by the way people relate to his music. So far, his music has continued to gain traction, and you can anticipate much more from this artist. His journey has been fulfilling. He has however had to be dedicated and committed. He has had to sacrifice a lot, and his efforts have not been in vain.
Apart from his talent, the rise in entrepreneur Duprie’s popularity is due to his unique skills and strategies which he uses to ride the digital domain. Yes, he is a creative content creator, brand strategist and social media marketer! Due to his immense popularity, he has 15.8K followers on his Instagram profile in a quick succession of time. Influencers like Duprie are attracting extremely large audiences, which enables endemic and non-endemic brands to reach an enormous range of target groups. As he provides immersive content and has diversity, it creates great opportunities for brands to hold the attention of a passionate and influential audience.
Duprie aims to utilize his entrepreneurial versatility to propel Cameroonian and African music on a global platform. This can be evidenced by his track record for working with talented artists and producers in Africa and across the globe. He seeks not just to enhance the growing presence of Afrobeat but also to showcase and promote African communities and cultures; an inspiration that has always been the fuel to his undying passion for music.
You can listen to Duprie’s music on Audio Mack, YouTube, or Spotify. You can also connect with Duprie on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for more updates on is upcoming EP.
