Dave Amigo

Central PA new jack is making big noise from a small town with the visual from his new single

Since finding success with the audio of his song “Chant,” Pennsylvania rapper Dave Amigo has seen big life changes in his small town of York, PA. Getting good and bad attention for his successes, Dave Amigo is learning about the ups and downs of music biz and how he can find his path to success. In the mean time, this young emcee unleashes the visuals for his highly successful single “Chant”. - The Source

Newcomer Dave Amigo drops an entertaining record about sneakers, appropriately titled “Kicks of the Day (K.O.T.D.).”

If you haven’t heard of Dave Amigo yet, just keep listening. The 20 year old Pennsylvania rapper is already up for licensing opps with his latest drop, “K.O.T.D.,” which is a sneaker lover’s anthem. Amigo pays homage to all types of kicks (he really ain’t got no type), from Jordans to Adidas, over an energetic beat. The young rapper, known for his entertaining tracks, is a double threat–he’s also a producer. He’ll be dropping a full length project, Penn $tate, this summer.

Take a listen below. - The Source

Dave Friend considers himself the average York kid with a passion for hip hop.

He remembers doing rap battles in school when he was 8 years old. And when he was 16, his mom got him his first microphone, which led to him passing out his first CDs in the halls of West York High School.

Flash forward four years, and Friend, who goes by the stage name Dave Amigo, is celebrating the release of his first self-titled EP May 7. He produced, recorded, mixed and mastered the EP by himself.

"(This EP) is an introduction to myself and my sound," Friend said. "The goal is to familiarize the world or even just the city with what I'm doing, with my sound and who I am."

So, who is Dave Amigo?

He might consider himself the average 20-year-old, but his hip hop music is largely influenced by the culture shock and built-up anger he experienced as a biracial child moving from York City to the suburbs in middle school.

"When you move to an all-white school, jokes get thrown around, and you can't say (anything)," he said. "I pretty much found out who I was during that time period in my life."

His latest single, "Ebony and Ivory," focuses on his feelings about racial differentiation. While he's not the first biracial hip hop artist to produce music, Friend said he believes he's one of the only artists who is talking about what it means to be biracial and the struggle of figuring out where you fit in.

"What's my race?" he says in the song. "I don't know. A zebra at a lion show ... Tell me I'm too light ya know, but fittin' in with white, I don't."

But don't think every song on Friend's seven-track EP is serious in subject matter. "The Chant," for example, is a feel-good song about how everybody wants to make money, he said. The song, which was released as a single in December, has been picked up by national hip hop magazines and blogs, including The Source, Ashley Outrageous and Hip Hop Since 1987.

Dave Amigo’s EP includes the song "The Chant," which has been picked up by national hip hop blogs and magazines, including The Source.
Dave Amigo's EP includes the song "The Chant," which has been picked up by national hip hop blogs and magazines, including The Source. (Submitted)
Friend has performed at New Grounds Roasting Company in York and has done several shows in Harrisburg and Lancaster in the last few years. But, this is the first time that he feels like he's seriously pursuing a music career.

He teamed up with NAMTHC (Namaste The Company), a local clothing and music brand, to present his nostalgic '90s sound, which he describes as a mix of soul, electronic bass and '90s hip hop.

Friend is one of four hip hop artists that are currently working with NAMTHC for photography, videography and graphic design. The brand plans to release four more EPs this summer, including a second one from Dave Amigo.

As the hip hop presence in York grows, Friend said he recognizes the need to do something different to get noticed.

So, he combines local slang and hometown references in his lyrics with beats that remind him of home to produce a "Central Pennsylvania sound."

"I want to emulate exactly what Central Pennsylvania is," he said. "A lot of people out here on the local scene revert to what their favorite rapper would sound like. But you have to stand out if you want to succeed."

Stay tuned for Dave Amigo's second EP to be released in August. Fans can follow the photo campaign for this project at NAMTHC.com or ProjectKeithStoned.tumblr.com. - FlipSide PA

Since finding success with the audio of his song “Chant,” Pennsylvania rapper Dave Amigo has seen big life changes in his small town of Central PA. Getting good and bad attention for his successes, Dave Amigo is learning about the ups and downs of music biz and how he can find his path to success, check this song that brings it all home, look out for Dave in 2015 – the who’s who are already picking up on his stuff. - AllHipHop

Dave Amigo release ‘Arson’, a track on which the 20 year-old Pennsylvanian MC rhymes with the delivery of Big Sean mixed with the comedic value of Lil Dicky. Lyrically, the track is great entertainment from start to finish and comes with excellent production to match (we love the imitation car noises that run throughout!). Stream below via SoundCloud. - Province

Surrounded by a collective of like-minded individuals with artistic abilities, the business savvy rapper/producer Dave Amigo is at the heart of an artistic movement. Including a clothing company, musicians and street team that works tirelessly, this Central Pennsylvania rapper is reaching new plataues by having a pulse on the culture.

Hoping to break through on a host of sites after delivering a candid take on life from his perspective on his self-titled EP, Dave Amigo sheds light on life from his perspective in his small Pennsylvania town of York, PA.

Bred in a small town that has access to the East Coast corridor, Dave Amigo hits the industry with with single, “Chant,” which was a late night story turned into a song.

Check it out below!

“I’m from a small town man, but we get people from Philly, Baltimore, New York, all over the place. I can get to Baltimore or Philly or any of those cities quickly but it’s Central PA,” Dave Amigo explained. “I have a whole street team and also have a few cats that do music, we have a lot of people that have been supporting us since day one, so its a positive collective of people all working together – this isnt just me.” - HipHop Since 1987