DDM has been building a creative career in Baltimore — a city he'll be the first to tell you wasn't designed for it — for over two decades. He's done it mostly on his own terms, mostly with his own money, and with a clarity about the difference between art and fame that most people spend their whole career trying to figure out.

Today, Piper and David sit down with Dapper Dan Midas, a.k.a. DDM — Baltimore rapper, performer, culture commentator, and host of the Secretary of Shade YouTube channel, which has amassed over 23,000 subscribers through live book readings and sharp political and pop culture commentary. DDM currently stars in the short film F^¢k '€m R!ght B@¢k, which premiered at Sundance and is streaming on Paramount+ and Showtime.

DDM came up in the rap battle scene not to be a battle rapper, but because that's how you got noticed in Baltimore in 2005. In the following two decades of self-funded projects and a vision that was always bigger than the budget, DDM shares an honest reckoning with what the public actually wants from you versus what you want to make. This episode went places we didn't see coming and has more genius one-liners per minute than anything we've ever recorded!

The conversation goes from rap battles to wrestling to anxiety to his mom visiting mid-episode — and somehow it all connects

He's got a theory about art and fame that will make you rethink your creative decisions

And how to build a creative career from a city that doesn't manufacture fame

If you’ve ever been stuck between making art you want and making what sells, give this episode a listen.

Secretary of Shade: https://www.youtube.com/c/SecretaryOfShade

DDM on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dapperdanmidas/

If you liked this episode, our conversation with Terra Lopez — musician and activist on burnout, creative identity, and making art on your own terms — covers similar ground from a different angle. And Jinji Fraser's episode gets into what it looks like to build something without a roadmap and trust it anyway.

Connect with Absolutely Sure, No Idea:

Podcast Instagram: http://instagram.com/absolutelysurenoidea

Co-Host David Richardson: https://www.davomakes.com/

Co-Host Piper Watson: https://www.piperwatson.com/

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