D-native Draetown pens Motown ode, “City of Gold”

Ashes are usually the metaphor of choice to describe our city. But rapper Draetown sees it differently. His new single, “City of Gold,” is a positive tribute to a place he says is chock-full of treasure; some visible, some often unseen.

“City of Gold” isn’t your stereotypical hip-hop parade of drugs, violence or sex; similarly, there’s more that meets the eye to this D.C.-based rapper, who also moonlights as a doctoral candidate and Arena Football League member.

Excerpt:

The son of a career line worker at Ford, Andrae graduated from Cass Tech with a football scholarship to Howard University in Washington DC. He went on to earn his masters degree in Education. He’s now enrolled in Howard’s doctoral program with his sights set on becoming a school superintendent someday. Maybe even back in his hometown of Detroit …

“I don’t have the thug attitude,” Andrae points out. “Because I would be lying if I said I was any kind of thug. If I walk anywhere with my pants pulled down or a big gold chain on I would be imitating because that’s not me. That’s not what Draetown is all about.”

Peep WXYZ’s feature on Draetown here, and watch the “City of Gold” video on YouTube.