Athens native and hip-hop artist Davonta Appleby is a spirited staple of the local hip-hop scene, recording and performing under his childhood nickname Motorhead2x. Making regular appearances over the years on stages at festivals like AthFest, Wild Rumpus and Hot Corner, Appleby’s big personality—seen on stage through his dancing and command of call and response—makes him hard to forget.
After keeping a steady focus on the music by releasing multiple projects a year and performing around the region, Appleby made a breakthrough in his career earlier this year when signing with the independent hip-hop label Hustlers By Nature (HBN) back in February. If anything describes how he feels about the events of the past year, it’s the title of his most recent album release, If This Was a Movie, which came out at the end of October. The project itself is one he describes as very personal and experimental.
“This was something kind of different for me, not only because I just got signed to a label, but also because I normally don’t mess around with autotune,” says Appleby. “My preference is straight up raw hip hop, but I wanted to experiment around with it. I had an opportunity to sing a little, harmonize a little and then also add my lyrics.”
Emphasizing his lyrics and drawing from personal experience, Appleby has always been able to bridge the gap between turnt up rapping and storytelling hip hop. This new sound was one he felt so compelled to share that he released it independently of the label in hopes to get feedback and close a chapter. For Appleby, “if this was a movie” describes that life-changing moment that leads you on the type of path people make movies about one day. At this time, he’s never felt more confident about being on the right track with his music.
In contrast to Athens’ more community-based hip-hop shows, Atlanta is known for its showcase and competition-oriented events. While guest-hosting a show presented by New 106 N Park ATL, Appleby met Atlanta legend Hitman Sammy Sam, who was performing, and who is also under SteadyGrip’s label HBN.
“It’s just ridiculous because this guy is somebody I grew up on. He was like one of the main ones; who would have thought that I would meet this guy in person, right?” says Appleby. “But the vibe that I had just up there with them, it already felt like I was part of them… hip-hop attraction.”
Not long after, Appleby received a call that the label was interested in signing him, and for the official meeting he brought along his close friend and fellow Athens rapper Tino Swain, known as Quezzy Poet. After talking and listening to some of the tracks Appleby and Swain created together, Sammy Sam and SteadyGrip decided to sign him as well. Only a couple of months later at a different showcase, the two Athenians brought another hometown, childhood friend along: Tyson Morrison, aka Helluva Swagg. He was similarly signed, and the label quickly became a true family affair for Appleby.
Having always had a strong Athens focus and love for his community, he genuinely proclaims that everything he’s doing and learning he hopes to bring back in whatever way he can. Appleby recorded his first track, “This the Truth,” at the age of 13 at a neighbor’s house in the Pauldoe neighborhood. Hearing himself recorded really piqued his curiosity, and he started taking music seriously the following year when he participated in Nuçi’s Space’s Camp Amped program. He performed on a stage for the first time at the end of the camp, with his group covering the songs “Bulls on Parade,” “I Feel Good” and “The Way You Move.”
“It felt so real when I was able to just rip off my shirt and throw it in the crowd to my mentors and my family, and they just went insane. Oh my God. Seeing their faces and yelling, like that was it for me. That was it. I said, ‘I want to do music; I want to perform.’ Since then, that’s all I ever wanted to do,” says Appleby.
In the time since he’s joined HBN, Appleby has had the chance to perform alongside Atlanta legends like Pastor Troy, Raheem the Dream, Kilo Ali and more. He says it feels surreal to be face-to-face with artists he grew up listening to that are now giving him advice. Being in the room with the right people and learning new ways to record are two of the biggest advantages he’s experienced so far.
Now that his personal project has been released, Appleby is gearing up for the release of a compilation tape presented by HBN. Working alongside not just other artists but people he calls friends, everything is a team effort. He gives a nod to Swain’s recently released track “Rackies” and its music video, while also looking forward to a new album by Sammy Sam that he will be featured on. Plus, there are more “surprises” on the way.
“It’s humbling. Also, it’s just like… I knew I was going to get here, you know what I mean? Oh yeah, I knew I was going to,” says Appleby.
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