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Derrick D'Mar Martin

@d1971mar

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D’MAR is a creative human striving for enlightenment, peace and love.

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Just made it to Eureka after a long, absolutely beautiful drive through Northern California. 🌲🚐

This shot was from this morning before we left the beautiful Point Arena. What an incredible part of the country, the scenery, the coastline, the open road… all of it was something special.

We’re going to chill for a few, recharge, and then it’s showtime! 🥁🔥

Tonight we hit the stage at 6:30 PM at the Eureka Theater for the Redwood Coast Music Festival.

Eureka, we’re here. Let’s go! 🎶🔥

#DMar #RickEstrinAndTheNightcats #RedwoodCoastMusicFestival #EurekaCalifornia #EurekaTheater #NorthernCalifornia #OnTheRoad #TourLife #LiveMusic #BluesMusic by @d1971mar

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14 hours ago

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20 hours ago

This next one is for my LINE DANCERS, STEPPERS, and everybody who loves to hit the floor! 🔥💃🏾🕺🏾

My next single, “Never Seen,” has the groove, the pocket, and the energy made for your dance-floor excursions.

Some feelings are impossible to explain… until the music says it for you. 💜

“Never Seen,” from my latest album LEVELS, is available NOW on all digital streaming platforms, and the official music video premieres October 9, 2026.

This song lives in that moment when attraction, emotion, chemistry, and connection all hit at once—when somebody walks into your life and makes you feel something you’ve never seen, never felt, and never experienced before.

And this time, I’ve teamed up once again with the incredible Fantastic Wifeys Dance Crew from Rwanda to bring the music to life through movement, rhythm, style, and beautiful energy.

So line dancers… steppers… choreographers… DJs… I want to see what you do with this one. 🔥

🎶 STREAM “NEVER SEEN” NOW
🎬 OFFICIAL VIDEO PREMIERES 10.9.26
📀 From the album LEVELS

Turn it up. Find the pocket. Hit the floor.

Lock in October 9. This one was made to MOVE.

#DMar #NeverSeen #LEVELS #LineDance #LineDancers #Steppers #Steppin #DanceMusic #DanceFloor #RnB #SoulMusic #NuFunk by @d1971mar

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21 hours ago

We just wrapped an incredible night with Rick Estrin & The Nightcats at the Arena Theater in Point Arena, California, and what a night it was!

The venue was absolutely first-class, and so were the people in the audience. From the first note, they brought so much life, love, and energy into the room. Huge thanks to the entire Arena Theater staff and crew for the hospitality, professionalism, and for making us feel so welcome.

Point Arena is tucked away in a beautifully remote part of California. It takes a little effort to get here, but once you arrive, you quickly realize it’s worth every mile. I even managed to capture a few moments along the way, including a gorgeous sunset that reminded me to slow down and appreciate where this journey continues to take me.

Tomorrow we hit the road again, heading north to Eureka, CA, for the Redwood Coast Music Festival.

But tonight? I’m officially off the clock. This jacuzzi tub in my room has my name written all over it. 😂 Time to relax, recharge, and get ready to do it all again tomorrow.

Good night, everybody. Wherever you are, take a moment to appreciate the view, the moment, and the people you get to share it with.

And as always… Enjoy the journey. 🥁✨

#DMar #RickEstrinAndTheNightcats #ArenaTheater #PointArena #California #LiveMusic #BluesMusic #TourLife #MusicianLife #DrummerLife #OnTheRoad by @d1971mar

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a day ago

Good morning! I’m here once again at my gate at Burbank Airport, headed to the Bay Area for another weekend of music with Rick Estrin & The Nightcats and The Greaseland All Stars.

Tonight we’ll be at the Arena Theater in Point Arena, and Saturday and Sunday we’ll be at the Redwood Coast Music Festival in Eureka. I’m looking forward to a great weekend of music, fellowship, and doing what I love.

As I sit here waiting to board, I’ve been thinking about the difference between being proactive and reactive.

So much of life can become reactive. Something happens, something changes, a door closes, and suddenly we’re scrambling to respond. We allow circumstances to dictate our next move instead of preparing for what may come next.

Being proactive gives you something very powerful: options.

Everything changes eventually. Jobs change. Relationships change. Opportunities change. Seasons change. Too often, we stay in situations until circumstances force us to move, when we could have been preparing for the next chapter all along.

I’ve learned that there’s tremendous freedom in building options before you actually need them. Keep learning. Keep growing. Keep creating. Keep developing relationships. Keep preparing for opportunities that haven’t even appeared yet.

And interestingly enough, people often treat you differently when they realize you have options. When your happiness, livelihood, creativity, or future isn’t completely dependent on one person, one opportunity, or one situation, you move through life with a different kind of confidence.

So this weekend, let’s challenge ourselves to be a little less reactive and a lot more proactive. Don’t wait for life to force your next move. Start preparing for it now.

Have an amazing weekend, and as always…

Enjoy the journey. ✈️🥁🎶

#EnjoyTheJourney #DMar #RickEstrinAndTheNightcats #GreaselandAllStars #RedwoodCoastMusicFestival #PointArena #EurekaCalifornia #BurbankAirport #LifeLessons by @d1971mar

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2 days ago

Today is Bandcamp Friday, the perfect day to own LEVELS.

From the soulful "One Kiss" to favorites like "The Most," "Complicated,", "I Don't Want It," and my new single “Just Don’t Say Goodbye”. LEVELS is an album you'll want to experience from beginning to end.

When you purchase today on Bandcamp, more of your support goes directly to independent artists. Thank you for supporting the music and the journey.

Get your copy of LEVELS today on Bandcamp.
By going to the link on the flyer below.

#BandcampFriday #DMAR #Levels #OneKiss #Bandcamp #IndependentArtist #SupportIndependentMusic #RnB #SoulMusic by @d1971mar

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2 days ago

This next one is for my LINE DANCERS, STEPPERS, and everybody who loves to hit the floor! 🔥💃🏾🕺🏾

My next single, “Never Seen,” has the groove, the pocket, and the energy made for your dance-floor excursions.

Some feelings are impossible to explain… until the music says it for you. 💜

“Never Seen,” from my latest album LEVELS, is available NOW on all digital streaming platforms, and the official music video premieres October 9, 2026.

This song lives in that moment when attraction, emotion, chemistry, and connection all hit at once—when somebody walks into your life and makes you feel something you’ve never seen, never felt, and never experienced before.

And this time, I’ve teamed up once again with the incredible Fantastic Wifeys Dance Crew from Rwanda to bring the music to life through movement, rhythm, style, and beautiful energy.

So line dancers… steppers… choreographers… DJs… I want to see what you do with this one. 🔥

🎶 STREAM “NEVER SEEN” NOW
🎬 OFFICIAL VIDEO PREMIERES 10.9.26
📀 From the album LEVELS

Turn it up. Find the pocket. Hit the floor.

Lock in October 9. This one was made to MOVE.

#DMar #NeverSeen #LEVELS #LineDance #LineDancers #Steppers #Steppin #DanceMusic #DanceFloor #RnB #SoulMusic #NuFunk k. by @d1971mar

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2 days ago

Good morning! I’m already well into my day, working through the to-do list, and thinking about growth, and the courage it takes to accept when it’s time for a new season.

When you start your career young and have been doing the work for a long time, you can reach certain milestones earlier than others. Sometimes that leaves you constantly retracing steps you’ve already taken, waiting for the people or situations around you to catch up.

But at some point, you have to stop walking backward.

Growth requires putting yourself in rooms that challenge you, stretch you, teach you, and inspire you to become more. Find circles where people know things you don’t know. Be willing to become the student again.

That’s not arrogance. It’s evolution.

Sometimes people benefit greatly from your experience, knowledge, and presence, but you also have to ask: Is this environment feeding me? Is it pushing me toward the next version of myself?

You don’t have to dim your light because someone doesn’t understand your journey. And you don’t have to keep revisiting old chapters simply because other people are comfortable with you there.

You can love people. Appreciate them. Respect what they’ve meant to your journey—and still recognize that it’s time to move forward.

Step fully into your light. Stop retracing your steps. Embrace the next chapter.

Life is about constantly evolving into our best selves.

Have an amazing day, and remember…

Enjoy the journey. 💜

#EnjoyTheJourney #Growth #NewSeason #NextChapter #KeepGrowing GrowthMindset PersonalGrowth Evolution Purpose by @d1971mar

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3 days ago

This next one is for my LINE DANCERS, STEPPERS, and everybody who loves to hit the floor! 🔥💃🏾🕺🏾

My next single, “Never Seen,” has the groove, the pocket, and the energy made for your dance-floor excursions.

Some feelings are impossible to explain… until the music says it for you. 💜

“Never Seen,” from my latest album LEVELS, is available NOW on all digital streaming platforms, and the official music video premieres October 9, 2026.

This song lives in that moment when attraction, emotion, chemistry, and connection all hit at once—when somebody walks into your life and makes you feel something you’ve never seen, never felt, and never experienced before.

So line dancers… steppers… choreographers… DJs… I want to see what you do with this one. 🔥

🎶 STREAM “NEVER SEEN” NOW
🎬 OFFICIAL VIDEO PREMIERES 10.9.26
📀 From the album LEVELS

Turn it up. Find the pocket. Hit the floor.

Lock in October 9. This one was made to MOVE.

#DMar #NeverSeen #LEVELS #LineDance #LineDancers #Steppers #Steppin #DanceMusic #DanceFloor #RnB #SoulMusic #NuFunk by @d1971mar

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3 days ago

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3 days ago

Growing up, A Different World was more than just a television show to so many of us. It gave us a window into a world that felt exciting, intelligent, creative, proud, and full of possibility. Week after week, we watched young Black students learning, growing, building relationships, finding themselves, and preparing to make their mark on the world.

For many of us, it planted a seed: I want to go to an HBCU.

Seeing this new chapter of A Different World takes me right back to that feeling. That excitement. That curiosity. That pride. It reminds me of falling in love with the history and legacy of Historically Black Colleges and Universities before I ever fully understood just how deeply that experience would shape my own life.

For me, that dream became Jackson State University. 💙🤍

I became a music major and secondary education major, marched in the legendary Sonic Boom of the South, and became part of a tradition that taught me about excellence, discipline, culture, community, service, and legacy. Those years helped shape the musician, educator, entrepreneur, and man I would eventually become.

That’s the power of representation. Sometimes seeing a possibility is the first step toward believing that possibility belongs to you too.

A Different World helped inspire a generation to look toward HBCUs with pride. And today, seeing that spirit alive and well reminds me just how special these institutions are.

History. Excellence. Service. Legacy.

I’m proud to be a product of that legacy.

Thee I Love. Jackson State University. 💙🐯
And forever proud to have been part of The Summa Cum Laude of Bands — The Sonic Boom of the South. 🥁

#ADifferentWorld #JacksonStateUniversity #JSU #TheeILove #SonicBoomOfTheSouth #HBCU #HBCUPride #HBCULegacy #HBCUExcellence by @d1971mar

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3 days ago

Some feelings are impossible to explain… until the music says it for you. 💜

My new single, “Never Seen,” from my latest album LEVELS, is available NOW on all digital streaming platforms, and the official music video drops October 9, 2026.

This song lives in that space where attraction, emotion, and connection hit you differently… when somebody walks into your life and makes you feel something you’ve never seen, never felt, never experienced before.

And for the visual, I’ve teamed up once again with the incredible Fantastic Wifeys Dance Crew from Rwanda to bring the song to life through movement, rhythm, and beautiful energy.

🎶 Stream “Never Seen” now.
🎬 Official video premieres 10.9.26.
📀 From the album LEVELS.

Lock in the date. This one is special.

#DMar #NeverSeen #LEVELS #NewMusic #NewMusicVideo #RnB #SoulMusic #NuFunk #IndependentArtist #MusicVideo #October9 by @d1971mar

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4 days ago