Who doesn’t get that high when the passion someone has for what you’re doing flows into you? Especially when they are just beginning their journey to reach their aspirations. It is hard not to wish them the best of luck. That is the kind of excitement that rubs off when speaking with musician and entrepreneur Ravahn Duval (aka DUVV). This promising hip-hop artist and founder the online music magazine, Turntable Mag, is what most people strive to be: easy going, funny and always with a positive outlook on life. A friend once described her as “Ambitious, fun, caring, independent and inspirational.” When you meet her, her “fun” and “caring” sides are immediately apparent. Once you begin speaking with her about her music and plans, you realize the extent of her drive and the strength of her independence. Though Ravahn is just starting off, this nineteen-year-old native New Yorker is already becoming an inspiration.
“I want people to feel something special when they hear my music.” DUVV describes herself as a hip-hop artist and singer. Her music, however, does not fall into one genre. Her sound is more experimental; she blends trillwave, hip-hop, R&B and indie together. She raps and sings above trill beats saying exactly what she wants to say with a no-nonsense kind of toughness. She succeeds at pulling the listener in by enhancing and sometimes contrasting her lyrics with her sultry, sometimes even innocent, voice. Her first EP, which was released Aug. 28, “pillowtalk,” features five songs: “Tonight,” “Windows,” “Skits,” “Hush” and “Drive.” In “Tonight,” she sings with an artificial echo, above a contrasting and distorted deeper version of her voice. In the song she sings about rising up and ending a stressed relationship. In her song “Skits,” she takes control again. She raps, and makes it known that she knows better than to follow the fakers. In “Windows,” she reminds us that everything will be fine in the end, so stop worrying about the future and take a break from work. A message everyone, especially college students, needs to hear.
It’s hard to believe that despite her hectic schedule, she gets to take breaks. In addition to working on her music and finishing her education, she also runs the digital Turntable Magazine. Based in New York, it is one of those websites that is impossible to get off of, no matter how many times you tell yourself to. This site features an array of talented artists in and outside of the underground music scene. The magazine’s motto stands true, as “Real People. Real Music.” is what visitors find. Turntable Magazine is a place to browse, discover and become inspired not only by music but by individuals too. A secondary feature to the website, Rebel Engine features the creative, positive and inspirational minds of today. Ravahn frankly proclaims, “There are no gimmicks with us. Good music is good music. This is a magazine that’s just as much about the listeners as it is about the musicians.” She follows a similar motto in her music. The name DUVV is not only a clever mix of her last name and the bird but in her own words “is a way to represent my music as a sign of good things to come.”
Check out DUVV on soundcloud at www.soundcloud.com/duvvofficial
Discover new music and new people on Turntable Magazine at http://turntablemag.com.
