AUGUST 19, 2022 (Los Angeles, CA) — Today, The Last Artful, Dodgr (she/they) releases a monumental debut album, Hits Of Today. Most recently, she tagged Young M.A for a new version of her previously released hard-hitting track “Cloverfield.” The album features “Cloverfield” and “Hullabaloo” produced by Take A Day Trip which were both released earlier this year. Dodgr also collaborated with Mark Ronson who produced “HOT” and Fred Ball who produced “You.”
HIGHSNOBIETY commended Dodgr’s “exceptional, elastic voice and a bewitching grasp of melody.” With co-signs from Anderson .Paak, Mark Ronson, Portugal. The Man, and more, Dodgr is set for a breakthrough year. On the release of the album Dodgr states, “I gotta have a baby Pluto set of balls on me to name my debut album Hits of Today. Either that or I’m completely delusional. Guess we all have to be a lil’ delusional to keep picking ourselves up after the blows we take on the daily.”
An idea that sprouted from an acid trip in 2013, revealed itself to be much more than a collection of short, catchy songs that I had initially planned to create. Many heartaches & tower moments along the way would alter the course of the album’s narrative — turning it into a journey of experiencing and healing through heartbreak in the 21st Century. I played with genres like my exes played with my heart. so best believe there’s a “hit” for nearly every mood & everyone that listens.”
Close your eyes and try to imagine the musical lovechild of The-Dream and Diane Warren. The person you should see is The Last Artful, Dodgr. The rapper and singer-songwriter (pronouns: she/they) defies the boundaries of hip-hop and the binary with heady bops like “Hullabaloo” and “Better Safe Than Social.” Both an artist and a muse, Dodge captivates with a trippy aesthetic that comes alive through their fashion, music videos, and socials.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Dodgr—whose name is a reference to both their hometown team and Oliver Twist—didn’t start secretly writing music until college at Cal Poly Humbolt. But there were so many signs pointing them in that direction. For example, they started to master words and language early as a baby; and their formative musical inspirations included Missy Elliott, Prince, and Sam Cooke. Living in an artist “greenhouse” in undergrad and scribing songs that they kept to themselves, Dodgr knew that she was incredible. But that musical ingenuity blossomed when they made the fateful decision to move to Portland.
Dodgr, ever sui generis, grew a following in Portland, despite the city’s reluctance to hip-hop, and dropped their first mixtape 199NVRLND in 2013. Collaborating with other local talent in the area and dropping singles like “Oofda” and “Jelly Hunt,” she established herself as a lyrical heavyweight with an edgy creative ear. This is what put them in the orbit of Aminé, who invited Dodgr to lend their colorfully animated voice as a background vocalist during their performance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon in 2016. In 2017, they appeared as a feature on Anderson Paak’s Oxnard alongside Snoop Dogg and in 2019 they were tapped by Mark Ronson to contribute to the soundtrack for the animated film Spies in Disguise. Even hip-hop legend, Black Thought wanted in on Dodgr’s action, recruiting her for several songs on his 2020 album, Streams of Thought, Vol. 3: Cane & Able. But Dodgr’s most notable hit to date is their smooth, infectious 2020 single “Hot,” which snagged a placement on the Emmy-winning HBO series Euphoria.
Now signed to Interscope Records and hard at work on a debut album, Dodgr is offering a 360 creative experience like other multi-hyphenates like Tierra Whack, Smino, and Tyler, the Creator. They stay true to their roots as a wordsmith, writing lyrics that are thought-provoking. But Dodgr is playful and light-hearted, not above waxing poetic about ass and titties, either. Combining her lavishly buoyant voice with unrestrained visual artistry, she pours into her music videos, style, and live performances as she does the records she produces. In a nutshell: Dodgr is a musician on a completely different plane.
Today Dodgr identifies as a genderfluid, masc presenting femme. They stay balanced with a Gemini sun and Taurus moon. What we have here is the next queer icon.
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