Dominique Young Unique

Born Dominique Lashawn Clark in Tampa, Florida, this hip-hop artist entered a recording studio for the first time in 2003 after Yo! Majesty, the local duo, extended an invitation when she was only twelve. Even then she understood that her abilities centered on rapping instead of singing, and she soon came under the guidance of talent scout and producer David Alexander, whose own ties ran to Yo! Majesty. The first release on his Art Jam imprint arrived in 2009; one year later the same label issued and actively pushed her initial mixtape, Domination. She made her SXSW debut in Austin, Texas, that same year, returning in 2011 for a noticeably higher-profile performance before unveiling the follow-up mixtapes Glamorous Touch and Stupid Pretty. Midway through 2011 she also stepped onto the runway in London for a Katie Eary presentation backed by Kanye West.

Although studio work remained minimal throughout 2012, she maintained visibility by touring abroad, opening for Scissor Sisters in London and appearing at several prominent European festivals. Chart traction first materialized on the continent when she guested on the aggressive electro track “Earthquake” by DJ Fresh and Diplo, which climbed into the U.K. Top Five in August 2013. Another collaboration, “Dance with Me” with Le Youth (aka Wes James), reached the upper tier of the U.K. singles chart in February 2014. Within days of that release, her first major-label solo single, “Throw It Down,” surfaced online for streaming.