DNA Picasso Is Asking the Important Questions

Two years after the release of his Best of Denver award-winning solo project, The Color Blü, Denver-based recording artist and songwriter DNA Picasso has a standing question for the Colorado music community: “If Not Me, Then Who?”

It’s something that Picasso has been asking himself since starting out in music, but it’s also the title of his highly anticipated new album. Released today, October 14, the excellent ten-track project explores the artist’s various experiences that have molded his career.

“I feel like this is honestly my most authentic project because I’m being more open and personal than I have before,” Picasso says. “I’m stepping into a vulnerable but confident space.”

Born in Harlem and raised in California and then Aurora, Picasso often listened to R&B and hip-hop and admired artists like Luther Vandross and Kendrick Lamar. As a drummer in middle school, Picasso took a pause from music while in high school to focus on his athletic career.  He continued freestyling with his brother and friends, but Picasso never thought he would become a professional rapper and thought of it as a hobby rather than a career. Sooner than later, the then-sophomore downloaded the “I Am T-Pain” app, recorded a single-take and learned how to memorize lyrics.

“We were freestyling in the car one night and my friends were like ‘Bro, I need you to take this shit seriously,’” he recalls. “I hold that moment dear to me because if it wasn’t for the influence of my friends, I wouldn’t have done it.”

While attending college in Nebraska, Picasso found that producing reignited his love for music. After graduation, Picasso moved to Denver, where he has become a pillar in the local scene.

From co-founding the Colorado Music Industry Alliance and connecting up-and-coming musicians with industry professionals to supporting local talents no matter the occasion, Picasso is more than just an artist; he’s also the ultimate mover and shaker and businessman. “We’re in a very self-serving era nowadays where [artists make] music to be recognized, acknowledged and liked,” he says. “I was like that too, but I’m moving into an area where I want to start putting people in the right positions on the business side so I can focus on the artistry.”

On his new album, Picasso tapped into a raw and vulnerable perspective that shines bright across each of the must-listen tracks. The artist says that If Not Me, Then Who? allowed his authentic confidence and vulnerability to come together and make “comforting” music that honored his roots as well as his contributions to the Colorado music scene.

Such genres as R&B and dance music heavily influence tracks like “Club Tonight” and “Rumors,” which solidify the artist as an individual who can adapt under an ever-evolving industry. And while he spends much of his time lifting up other artists, Picasso is concentrating on his own talents with this album — much to the listeners’ benefit. This is an album you’ll want to listen to from beginning to end, over and over again.

“I really feel like in the hip-hop space in Colorado, we haven’t had those breakout stars yet. And, my question is ‘If it’s not me, then who?’” Picasso says. “That statement is very prideful and has some ego in it. All of us artists have ego, but most of us have to figure out how to use it, when to use it [and] when to leave it at the door.”

Although Picasso knows that his social media platforms have become hubs for artists, photographers, marketers and producers to connect, he isn’t afraid of gatekeeping individuals he has worked with in the past. In fact, he says that he sees it as a “win” for everyone involved.

With a mission to contribute to the larger music industry, Picasso wants to bring the Centennial state along with him. If Not, Me Then Who? is more than just a reflection of the past, present and future; it’s an homage to the contributions Picasso has spearheaded in the Colorado music scene. 

“I want people to realize that they have permission to create (anything based on) whatever emotion they feel,” Picasso concluded. “If one person listens to this project and they (find) something that shows them they’re not alone, I did my job.”

If Not Me, Then Who? is available now on all music platforms.