David Dallas facts for kids

David Dallas, born on August 28, 1982, is a talented rapper and songwriter from New Zealand. He has both Samoan and European family roots. He started his music journey using the name Con Psy. He was part of a rap group called Frontline. Later, he decided to use his real name, David Dallas, and began his solo music career.

Early Music Days with Frontline

David Dallas, known as Con Psy back then, met a music producer named Nick "41" MacLaren in 2001. They were in Auckland, New Zealand. Together, they formed the rap group Frontline and started making music.

In 2003, David Dallas, as Con Psy, was featured on a very popular song called "Not Many – The Remix!". This song was by another famous rapper named Scribe. Other artists like Savage and P-Money were also on it. The song became number one on the New Zealand Singles Chart. It sold so well that it was certified Platinum in New Zealand and Gold in Australia.

Frontline released their first mixtape, What You Expect?, in 2004. A mixtape is like an album, but often released independently. They sold over 1,000 copies without any big promotions. After this success, Frontline signed with Dirty Records. This is an independent music label in Auckland started by P-Money.

David Dallas, as Con Psy, also appeared on other artists' songs. In 2004, he was on three songs from P-Money's album, Magic City. He also featured on mixtapes like Breakin Wreckwordz Vol 1. and ... Music.

Frontline released their first official album, Borrowed Time, on October 31, 2005. It reached number 27 on the New Zealand Albums Chart. This album later won 'Best Hip-Hop/Urban Album' at the 2006 New Zealand Music Awards.

In 2006, Frontline got to open for some really big international artists. In February, they supported 50 Cent and G-Unit on their New Zealand tour. In March, Frontline and P-Money opened for Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda and his band Fort Minor during their tours in Australia and New Zealand.

Starting a Solo Career

In 2007, David Dallas decided to change his stage name from Con Psy to his real name. He then started his solo music career. His first solo project was a mixtape called The Artist Formerly Known As. It had 12 songs and was released on February 17, 2008, through Dirty Records.

David Dallas's first solo extended play (EP), which is like a mini-album, was Something Now. It came out on September 13, 2008. The song "Get Out The Way" (Remix) was released to promote it.

His first solo studio album, Something Awesome, was released on August 31, 2009. It reached number 20 on the New Zealand Albums Chart. Something Awesome won 'Best Urban/Hip Hop Album' at the 2010 New Zealand Music Awards. It was also considered for the first-ever Taite Music Prize in 2010. The famous rapper Kanye West even praised David Dallas's song "Big Time".

In late 2010, David Dallas signed a deal with Duck Down Music, a record label based in New York City. This was a partnership with Dirty Records and Dawn Raid Entertainment. He then moved to Harlem, New York, to work on his second album.

David Dallas released his second solo album, The Rose Tint, on May 11, 2011. He made it available as a free download. It was downloaded over 50,000 times in just six months! Because so many people wanted it, a special retail version was released on November 14, 2011. This version reached number 3 on the New Zealand Albums Chart. It became the best-selling hip hop album in New Zealand for 2011. The Rose Tint was nominated for three awards at the 2011 New Zealand Music Awards and was also considered for the Taite Music Prize in 2012.

David Dallas also wrote and performed the entrance song for the Samoan WWE wrestling team, The Usos. The song is called "So Close Now" and was released on October 31, 2011. It has been streamed over 15 million times on different music platforms.

In September 2012, Dallas released his second solo EP, Buffalo Man, as a free download. All the songs on this EP were inspired by or used samples from the band Jamiroquai.

His third studio album, Falling into Place, came out on October 18, 2013. It debuted at number 2 on the New Zealand Albums Chart. The main song from the album, "Runnin'", reached number 7 on the New Zealand Singles Chart and was certified Platinum. "Runnin'" was used in the official trailer for the video game Madden NFL 25. It was also part of the official soundtrack for FIFA 14. A remix of the song featuring Jim Jones was released in December 2013. The song also appeared in the 2022 Adam Sandler movie Hustle. The second song, "The Wire", featuring Ruby Frost, reached number 11 on the New Zealand Singles Chart and was certified Gold. The album won 'Best Urban/Hip Hop Album' at the 2014 New Zealand Music Awards and was considered for the 2014 Taite Music Prize.

In February 2014, David Dallas had the amazing opportunity to support the famous rapper Eminem during his Rapture Tour in New Zealand. David Dallas received four nominations at the 2014 New Zealand Music Awards. He won 'Best Male Artist' and 'Best Urban/Hip Hop Album'.

David Dallas released his fourth studio album, Hood Country Club, on April 21, 2017. It reached number 10 on the New Zealand Albums Chart. He received three nominations at the 2017 New Zealand Music Awards, including 'Album of the Year' and 'Best Hip Hop Artist'.

In mid-2021, The Rose Tint album was released on vinyl records. To celebrate its 10-year anniversary, David Dallas went on a four-date tour in New Zealand called '10 Years Deep'.

David Dallas's third EP, Vita, was released on March 22, 2024. It was produced by 41, who was also in his old group Frontline. This EP reached number 23 on the New Zealand Albums Chart. David Dallas also went on a three-date tour in New Zealand called 'Fafo' with PNC in December 2024 to support the EP.

Music Releases

David Dallas has released several albums and EPs throughout his career.

Albums

Mixtapes

EPs

Awards and Recognitions

David Dallas has won several awards for his music.