Dallas Rapper Joins the Ranks of Kanye West With Def Jam Deal: Major Breakthrough a Rarity in the Texas Music Scene — How Bobby Sessions Pulled It Off

Dallas rapper Bobby Sessions joined the ranks of superstars like Kanye West, Big Sean and 2 Chainz when he signed a deal with Def Jam Recordings. A breakthrough this major is a rarity in the Dallas music scene, let alone in the burgeoning local hip hop scene.

All too often, leaving town is the first step on the road to fame. But Sessions is doing things differently – the hard way, as some would see it – staying close to his roots and raising his community up with him.

For an artist to stay in Dallas, make Dallas-centric music and land a deal with a top record label is remarkable. That said, it’s not particularly surprising in Sessions’ case. The twentysomething rapper has received extensive critical acclaim since he dropped out of college to start a career in music three years ago.

Besides, he saw this coming – he envisioned it.

“I think it’s important to lead by example and erase the myth that an artist has to leave Dallas in order to reach a certain level,” Sessions says.

The rapper, fresh from shooting a new music video, is sitting in the new Deep Ellum offices of High Standardz, the Dallas-based label which started his career and coordinated the deal with Def Jam.

“Dallas has all the resources available to take your career to the next level,” Sessions says. “I’ve been preaching that for a long time and the fact that it’s actually manifested the way we predicted is a great thing.”

Bobby Sessions and The Law of Attraction

High Standardz was founded in 2015 by Jeremy “J Dot” Jones and Vince Chapa, who played major parts in building the careers of Yelawolf and Frank Ocean, respectively. That same year, Bobby left his studies (poetry and philosophy) at the University of North Texas and quit his day job with $50 in his bank account. Inspired by the Law of Attraction, Sessions envisioned a path for himself.

A few months later, he signed with High Standardz, and later that year, released his debut album: LOA, widely regarded as Dallas’ best hip-hop album in 2015. Sessions’ sophomore album, Grateful, followed in early 2017, but the Law of Attraction still plays a powerful role in his life.

“I still follow it. It’s become fifth nature at this point, I don’t really have to think about it… because the habit is so strong, it’s like religion – it’s past religion,” he says. I envision what I want and I do it and any thought that’s not in line with that has no weight for me.”

As he builds his third body of work, Sessions continues to spread the LOA philosophy through music. However, you can expect the next record to be a little darker than its uplifting predecessors.

“My next body of work is me being as honest and as raw as possible in describing what’s happening in my community and getting to the root of the problems in my community that stop people from adopting those manifestation principles and LOA principles,” he says.

Sonically, Sessions describes his new music as very disruptive and untraditional.

“I’ve been in the studio a lot more than I was with the previous two bodies of work,” he notes.

No release date has been set, but Sessions promises the next album is coming “soon, very soon, 2018 soon.”

Until then, you can find Bobby around town; motivational speaking at high schools, performing for adoring crowds, collaborating with local artists – manifesting his dreams by way of Dallas.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Sessions vows.

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