Today we’d like to introduce you to Damenai Tiller.
Hi Damenai, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland where I grew up singing in church with my family and on my Elementary school choir. When I was about 9-10 years old, I was introduced to songwriting by my stepdad who went by the name J-Bizo. He was a producer and rapper, and he built an in-home recording studio in our dining room. He wrote my very first song and showed me the ins and outs of the different elements that it takes to write a song. He also taught me how to identify parts of the beats that he created so that I knew how to organize my songs as well. While learning all of this, I started to realize that I loved creating my own music and expressing myself in a way that others could relate to. Him and I worked on music almost every day and I gained so much practice and learned so many new skills. In 2015 when I was 14 years old, I lost my stepdad and it had a major impact on my life and my independent music career. Since then, I made a promise to myself to never stop creating music and to take it as far as I can. I continued to write songs and joined choir and theatre in middle and high school. After high school in 2019, I started making connections with other artists while in my freshman year of college where I was able to collaborate and gain experience in creating music with others. In 2020, during COVID I worked with a team who helped me record, put together, and release my first album titled ‘Living Single’. After that release, I started to perform the songs at events around Baltimore to gain more exposure. In 2021, I changed colleges and moved to Saint Louis where I quickly found my group of people. I joined a creative collective called Kinfolk and Them and joined a band called Blvck. With them I gained more experience with performing at events and creating with other artists. In 2023, I released my second album titled X-periencing Love and in 2025 I released my third project titled Embracing all That Is which are on my SoundCloud. This year in 2026, I released my fourth project titled Between Us which is published on all streaming platforms. I plan to and am happy to continue growing my artistry and my platform within the next few years.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not been a smooth ride but nothing that I could not handle. I have experienced failed business relationships, but it has taught me a lot about myself and those around me. I have also gone through many moments of self-doubt and burnout but heavily relied on my faith in God to help get me through it.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a R&B singer who goes by Damenaii and I specialize in writing songs that are heartfelt and real. I am known for my experimental but old school approach to making music that most people can relate to in some way, I am most proud of my recent project that I released in May 2026. My project ‘Between Us’ is my most vulnerable and experimental projects that I have released. I was able to explore my creativity in ways that I have not publicly displayed yet. What sets me apart from others is that I am not afraid to incorporate what I am inspired from and what I like in my work. I am not too driven by trends, and I love to sound completely different from other artists. It’s my superpower.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
What makes me happy is being around my family and friends. I am a lover girl, and I love love and what it does for me and for the ones that I care about. Creating something that I feel proud of also makes me happy because it reminds me that I am capable when I may not be feeling the best or doubting myself.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/damenaii/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5D99Dgn6S7k&list=OLAK5uy_nZaRG8UztkWb-aZGXv1ZIEY8Eip_WRsno
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/damenai
