Dante Bowe's transition from gospel to R&B has been a notable aspect of his musical journey. As a former member of the famed Maverick City Group, he has been instrumental in blending gospel, R&B, and contemporary Christian music to create a unique and refreshing sound. This transition has allowed him to explore new musical territories while staying true to his faith and message. With his soulful vocals and heartfelt delivery, Bowe has seamlessly incorporated elements of R&B into his music, resulting in a captivating and dynamic style that resonates with listeners from various backgrounds. Dante Bowe's ability to navigate this transition with authenticity and creativity has solidified his position as a standout artist in the contemporary Christian music landscape.
Dante Bowe joins EBONY for a conversation about his transition from Gospel to R&B and how he responds to social media comments.
EBONY: Based on your recent presence on social media, it seems that there is a newfound sense of happiness. Emotionally and physically, how are you mentally feeling today?
I have my ups and downs like everyone else does but today I feel amazing. Have an amazing team. This week was a good week. I won a Dove Award and my plaques came in today and I'm here chatting with EBONY Magazine. So, I feel successful and Black.
We see all notice comments on social media, whether they're positive or negative. How do you handle certain comments?
Usually how I respond is first take it up with God -- and then I talk to my friends and we just gossip about everybody that's talking negative, and we laugh about it. I decide if I want to comment back but I really don't just wake up to read comments and respond. I usually have a talk with somebody in my close circle and see if it's even worth it. A lot of times if I'm responding it’s because I'm trying to teach somebody something and if I feel like your comment is just irrational and just crazy. I'm probably not gonna respond. I don't take it seriously. You don't have to even comment because I'm not going to take it seriously, I'm just gonna keep living my life.
How do you approach blending gospel music and R&B in your songs?
Honestly, I don't try to blend them. I’m really in the studio writing and I might feel like this beat feels more gospel. I'll really try to tap into my spirituality and faith, I'm always there but usually it's a beat that's kind of provoking that thought, that idea and on this new album, there were certain things that just provoked R&B and made me want to think about my breakups, me falling in love, the drama, the good stuff and all that. Certain beats make you feel a certain emotion. I try to be honest and as truthful as possible in my music.
On your new album titled Dante Bowe, you collaborated with Vic Mensa and other artists. Looking ahead, which other artists would you like to work with in the future?
Number one, Victoria Monet, who is my homie and she's already heard the song. Hopefully it'll be released soon. I love Drake. I love Kanye. I love Lauryn Hill the most. I'm pretty much open to work with anybody; just has to make sense for me and my brand and what I stand for. But I'm not closed off to even a new artist that I don't even know of yet.
What were some challenges or breakthrough moments you experienced while making the transition from Gospel Music to R&B Music? I would say some of the challenges would've been my fans in the Gospel and Christian industry not understanding the transition. Them loving me doing one style, one way, all the time, and then me coming on the scene with "Wind Me Up" with Sean Bankhead and not understanding what's happening. But I think they understand it more now, at least I hope that they have a heart to understand. Some of the breakthrough moments would've been my BET and YouTube endorsements, my playlist situation; everything went up. I feel like I've had a lot of breakthrough moments in R&B that are behind the scenes that people don't naturally see on Instagram or Twitter.
People can expect the unexpected. I'm working very hard. I have a lot of things to talk about. I feel like a lot of times when you just do one genre or one style, you are limited. I feel like with this new project that I just released, and also in the future, something I'll release will be more about life and just things that I experienced, and also they'll still be some spiritual elements for the rest of my life. I'll never do away with it. However, I will go further in expression as far as the world is concerned and how I live my life and how a lot of people live their lives, even a lot of Christians.
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