Desmond Michael is a true product of Los Angeles — not just one neighborhood, but many.
Born to a single mother from Hancock Park and a father from Inglewood, his upbringing stretched across the city’s cultural map. By 15, he was living off Crenshaw near Leimert Park, eventually bouncing between East Hollywood, West Adams, West Covina, and Mid-City before settling in the heart of Hollywood near North La Brea. A proud graduate of Hollywood Senior High, Class of ’26, his life has been shaped by movement — and that constant change is embedded in his sound.
Music found him early. At five years old, he was learning violin, planting the first seeds of musical discipline. While those early technical skills may have faded, the instinct never left. The version of music he makes today truly began in April 2017, when he was 13 years old and Kendrick Lamar released DAMN. There was something about the beat to “HUMBLE.” that pulled him in. Curious and inspired, he downloaded a beat-making app onto his tablet and tried recreating the instrumental just for fun. That experiment turned into obsession.
He moved from apps like Music Maker Jam and GarageBand to researching production on YouTube, eventually starting on FL Studio to learn the basics. By his junior year of high school, he invested in Logic Pro X, understanding it as an industry-standard platform. It’s been his creative home ever since.
His inspirations run deep and wide. Michael Jackson — his namesake and lifelong idol — sparked his love for the art of music itself. Pharrell Williams, alongside Chad Hugo as The Neptunes, showed him what production could truly be, especially through boundary-pushing records for Usher, Ludacris, Justin Timberlake, and N.E.R.D. Kendrick Lamar ignited his hands-on pursuit of music, but his foundation was laid even earlier through the sounds his mother played at home.
From 70s soul legends like The Whispers, Marvin Gaye, and The Stylistics to 90s voices such as D’Angelo, Lauryn Hill, Busta Rhymes, Erykah Badu, N.W.A, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Tupac, Desmond absorbed it all. He credits Tupac especially for sharpening his writing and rap delivery. As he grew older, he gravitated toward the internet-era wave of artists — Kanye West, Drake, Chris Brown, Mac Miller, Tyler, The Creator, and The Weeknd — creators who made music on their own terms and released it freely. Rather than choosing one direction, he blended everything he loved into something personal.
When asked to describe his sound, he doesn’t box himself in.
“It’s Alternative Everything,” he says.
Rooted in hip-hop and R&B, his music leans electronic, bass-heavy, melodic, and hypnotic. It’s synth-driven and atmospheric — almost astral in tone. Each project shifts and evolves, shaped by whatever he’s experimenting with at the time. The common thread is feeling. His production doesn’t just play; it surrounds.
Most of his recordings don’t happen in big studios. Instead, they’re crafted at home — often at a friend’s residence — where ideas can be captured the moment inspiration hits. For Desmond, creativity rarely arrives on schedule. Recording between Los Angeles and San Diego, those two cities have become twin pillars in his artistic growth.
Despite being deeply rooted in LA culture, he describes himself as an “inside kid” growing up. As he got older and settled in Hollywood, he branched out more — spending afternoons walking Hollywood Boulevard with friends or hanging at The Grove and its Farmers Market. Leimert Park also played a significant role in his development, where he explored local businesses and took music production lessons at a neighborhood art center.
His most recent releases, A West Coast Soliloquy, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, serve as a layered tribute to his hometown. Originally envisioned as a double-disc album, the project evolved into two complementary halves. Volume 1 captures his perspective as a teenager just beginning to understand and take pride in his birthplace. Volume 2 reflects his current lens as a 21-year-old who has stepped outside of Los Angeles for school, explored more of California, and watched his city transform from a distance. The contrast brings emotional depth — a meditation on growth, nostalgia, and the turbulence that comes with seeing home change while you change too.
As for what’s next, new music is in motion. What began as a small extension of A West Coast Soliloquymay grow into something entirely separate. For now, he’s letting the process unfold naturally.
Above all, Desmond Michael credits his mother as his foundation — his number one supporter and constant source of encouragement. He also shows love to the friends who’ve listened to endless drafts, ideas, and late-night creative ramblings. And, most importantly, he gives glory to God for blessing him with a gift and allowing him to witness its growth in real time.
