BY MADDY MORIARTY

Demetrius Fountain is a presence that demands attention in the halls of Mariemont High School.

6’2″ and routinely sporting an undeniably unique style, Fountain can typically be found wandering in various parts of the school throughout the day.

His most guaranteed attribution, however, is his headphones always resting in at least one ear. As much as he loves it, Fountain isn’t just listening to music to strut to—he’s listening for inspiration.

“I just put my head down and listen to my music. I listen to my idols. I don’t think about other people, I think, ‘How good am I looking to myself?’” says Fountain.

Since last year, Fountain has been writing and recording his own rap music to be released online.

“I was spending a lot of time at home, and was looking for anything to do. I tried drawing for a while, but that just didn’t work out. Then something just made me start writing,” Fountain explains.

His first song, “Be Rich,” was recorded on his phone. Now, a year later, Fountain is finishing work with a recording studio on his first collaborative album, Pharoah Season (Yes, it’s spelled Pharoah). 

“I take myself a lot more seriously now. I listen and compare myself to other artists and publish my music for people to listen to,” he says.

Fountain’s work is recorded in a local studio owned by his cousin. Although he would prefer to write and record most of his music on his own, Fountain recognizes the need for features on a rap album.

To find a happy medium, he keeps it in the family.

“Aside from a few Sycamore students, I mostly rap with my older brother, Messy Dollaz. He’s been rapping forever, but now that I’m rapping, we work together. But I’m definitely meant to do it. It’s like a Billy Ray Cyrus and Hannah Montana type of thing,” says Fountain.

In a school where Fountain often feels singled out, he believes his music is his platform of expression and appreciation from his classmates.

“When I first came to Mariemont, I felt really singled out. Sometimes I feel like a lot of people are against me. They’re scared of me–and would probably never say anything to my face. But people like my music. They might not be comfortable with my personality, but they always say ‘wow, your music is actually good!’ I used to get offended by that, but I get it now,” says Fountain.  

When it comes to the writing process, Fountain’s music comes from two places: the moment, and the heart.

“There are really two main songs in my album that cover a specific topic about me, ‘Choices’ and a song about my mom, ‘Momma’,” he says.

“Choices” was written as a reminder to himself and to his listeners about making decisions in life. Fountain preaches the importance of putting yourself over others, especially when they’re untrustworthy presences in your life.

The most personal song on the album, “Momma,” documents Fountain’s feelings after his mother’s passing when he was 12 years old. “This is my most detailed song, my most personal song, and my most musically involved song. I want to have an orchestra in it. It’s a really personal song to me,” he says.

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As I interviewed Demetrius about his music, he not only reflected on his experience in music-making, but the people and memories that impacted him enough to get him to where he is today.

Throughout our conversation, he insisted there was a certain phrase his dad used to say to describe Demetrius’ most unique talent–but he couldn’t quite remember it. After several minutes of scratching his head, he resorted to calling his dad to ask.

They laughed and conversed on the phone as they tried to come up with this blast from the past. Just when it seemed unlikely that either would produce a response, his dad exclaimed “the art of storytelling!”

Once they hung up, Demetrius could only laugh about the phrase given to him from the point of view of a loving parent. Based on his success and admiration by his peers, however, it is clear that Demetrius is mastering the art of telling his own invaluable story.