Lacey Native Rapper Lands Record Deal, Tour

You may know the musical artist as Michael Kowalsky but he’s known across the world by his alias, D’nero.

The Lacey native first got into recording at 14 years old and was in a professional recording studio by 15. At 17, Kowalsky had his first performance.

“I was always a big fan of music since I could remember,” he said in an email. “It was just something that I happened to try, and I fell in love with it.”

Kowalsky has sold around 20,000 units digitally in 17 different countries, which made him the highest selling unsigned artist in New Jersey at the time, he said.

“I’m about to do it again on a higher platform,” Kowalsky said.

Kowalsky recently released his first single “Bottoms Up” as a signed artist with Reformatory Records. His tour, which included a performance at the South by Southwest Festival in Austin, TX, started just two weeks ago.

“My music is unique from everybody else because it's me, that is the best way that I can answer that,” he said.

The rapper’s audience is primarily 16 to 25 year olds, both male and female, he said. With many friends still living in Lacey, Kowalsky has a local fan-base, although it’s no longer his biggest, he said.

Now a resident of Chicago, Kowalsky said he has a “great childhood” and that growing up in Lacey taught him how to “handle haters and drama.”

While Kowalsky is just breaking through now, it wasn’t easy to get where he is, he said.

“I have been scammed, lied to, didn’t make a penny some months,” he said.

But on the other end of that, Kowalsky has signed a three-album record deal with Reformatory Records, which is based in Chicago. He has been the opening act for national acts including Maino, Freeway, Ron Browz, Cory Gunz (also known as Young Money); has made a profit in royalties; was nominated in 2010 for Best Male Rap Artist and in 2011 for Best Out-of-State Performance and performed at SXSW.

As a 2008 Lacey Township High School graduate, Kowalsky is now working to receive his bachelor’s degree in Audio Design and Production at Columbia College in Chicago with just one year left.

“My ultimate goals are to have a very successful career in the music industry,” he said. “Also to own a media production company, which I am currently in the beginning steps of doing.”

“Bottoms Up” is available on iTunes and all major online music stores. Kowalsky is pushing to have his album out before July, he said.

Kowalsky will be performing in Kansas City, Mo., Austin, Texas, Atlanta, Ga., Detroit, Mich. and Chicago, Ill., he said. He may even perform in New York City in June.

“Nothing is impossible,” said Kowalsky of his music career. “As long as the dream, passion and dedication is there, you can accomplish anything.”

Kowalsky can be found at the following links:

• ReformatoryRecords.com
• Facebook.com/TheRealDnero
• Twitter.com/TheRealDnero
• Youtube.com/TheRealDnero
• Reverbnation.com/Dnero