We had the good fortune of connecting with Dontae Robertson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dontae, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I wanted to find an outlet for myself and the other artists around me to use in order to express themselves. While going after film making and music, I wanted to0 offer a high quality yet affordable options for up and coming artists such as myself. The paywall, while being far less exclusive than it used to be to begin making music, it still isnt as accessible as it could be,

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
As a musician the road to being confident and combatable was a long one. I started off as a producer and A&R in my hometown of Anchorage, Alaska. I was somewhat fearful of the spotlight so just decided to stay in the background and played my part as the glue between other artists. While in my hometown, I’m not entirely sure what it was but I never felt full, I felt like I was spreading myself thin between multiple people without getting much of anything in return. I left late 2021 to Arizona, this was the best decision I could have made for my creative career. This gave me the chance to really, finally focus on myself and MY art. Since moving here I have created some of my best and most positive pieces of art. While being here fully investing in myself and my art I’ve learned that the energy you put out into the world you truly get back. My old work reflected an insecure, lost, violent person, with that my environment reflected those same things. Since moving, my whole world changed to be a lot calmer, positive, and I’m using my voice to spread this same love I’m experiencing every day.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
So I would first take them to this ice cream joint called Novel, in phoenix. The ice cream at this spot is immaculate, if i wasn’t in public eating it i would let out a tear every time i had it. After that if not before, we would probably have to slide to the Pempertan? Excuse my spelling, but the outdoor vibes combined with the drinks make for a good time. For the rest of the week i’d say we would have to just explore the cities, i’m still new here myself so it’s hard to fully say. I’ve been seeing some hot air balloon attractions so I would definitely have to try those out. Along with that We would have to visit Poetic Soul, that open mic showcase is some of the best cultural experiences i’ve come across in the state.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Film Mentor: Rick Beal @rickbeal3

Musical Support: Mella Shay @themellashay

Daily Support: Alexandra

Website: RobLucci.com

Instagram: Lortlightskin

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnPoesgKSDEM9G2K2RkbS7g

Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0fWaT8LZU4xUwJh1lkt7dv?si=9Uytnh__TpSbJR_s4WsJXw Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/rob-lucci/1570197978

Image Credits
Rick Beal: Rickbeal3

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutArizona is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.