Deon Egenti Talks Self-Belief, Showing Love, Interviewing Legends, and His Higher Aspirations

Deon Egenti

In this growing field of creators looking to make a name for themselves and positively impact the culture, it’s always refreshing to connect with someone who not only produces exceptional content but goes out of their way to show love to others. These days we constantly see two narratives conflict: “support who supports you” versus “support anything you enjoy because it can be a big help to the people who working so hard.” While both make sense, the former comes off a bit transactional while the latter is a lot more genuine. Houston, Texas native Deon Egenti does both.

Like many in the game, the 25-year-old has big goals such as a major byline, continuing to grow in his craft, and ultimately making a living off of his passions whether it be within music or wrestling. Whether it’s good ol’ Southern hospitality or his naturally energetic disposition, one thing about Deon is he will retweet a post, like it, and let the world know they should be keeping an eye on you. What the journalist, social media manager, on-camera talent, and genuine people person may not realize is how many people get joy out of watching his journey. 

Take Junae Brown, Founder of Browned 2 Perfection Agency and the “Beyonce of Marketing,” for example. Before even officially speaking with Deon about his desire to contribute to B2P Agency, she knew she wanted him on the team. Who doesn’t want someone to not only grinds for what he believes in but is a positive force when you might be doubting yourself? Deon is the type of person we need in the culture and it’s truly only up for him, so it was a pleasure to get him on a Zoom call to discuss his background, where that positivity stems from, the origins of his love for music, being a Black wrestling fan-turned-social media manager for The A Show RNC Network, and more. Trust me when I say an article isn’t enough; you’ve got to speak with this guy and feel the energy yourself. 

1 - I always like to start off with a general question. How are you doing right now, in this moment?

Oh, man, I'm doing good. I'm not gonna lie so good right now. I'm not gonna lie, man. Last week was kind of--you know, when you're creative, man, you're just trying to figure out what your next step because you have your doubts. You're gonna have those days where you just have a lack of confidence, like, "Is this gonna really work? Am I really gonna go to the next level? Am I going to get that byline? Am I going to get paid for my work? Stuff like that. You just have those days, man, I love what I do, but I need to, I need to be financially stable. I need to be able to do the things I need to do, but at the moment, man, like right now, I feel really good. I can't lie. I'm really grateful for all the love and support that I get and all the opportunities I've been given. I don't take anything for granted. I just feel really nice man. I can't complain. Family's good, my loved ones are good, and my creative peers are shining right now.

2 - Glad to hear that. You mentioned a couple of interesting things which perfectly segue into my next question. Obviously, in every conversation you have these days, the pandemic comes up. That's something that we all had to navigate; we all had to adjust. And then on top of that, as you mentioned earlier, it's been a year since George Floyd, we dealt with the pain from Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor on top of just navigating being black in this country still do everything you needed to do. Add in 2021 with the things going on in Texas with the weather, flooding, and people losing power. With all of that combined working against you, on top of being a creator and having to be resilient with your work to remain passionate. What keeps you going to keep doing everything that you're doing, despite all these things that have caused a lot of people to just give up?

I keep myself motivated at all times, no matter what I'm always trying to build myself up and always believe in myself first. Self-belief. I always stay confident in what I do. You have to love what you do first, in order for you to even be confident in what you do. Because I love writing, I love being creative. It keeps me going and I love to interact with my peers because it keeps me going. It's like man, if this person could get to that point, I know I can get to that point. I see everybody doing great things and I just know that my time will come so I always have that in the back of my head. No matter what I'm doing, like this article, it could make me something. It could take me to the next level. I always try to push forward because this journey is not easy by any means. It takes a lot of work to even get half of what you want. I talk to Yoh all the time and he's been doing this for 10 plus years. He's still trying to reinvent himself and do something better than the last thing he was doing. He inspires me. Honestly, he was the first writer that I looked up to. When I was in college, I was reading his articles in DJ Booth,  different places. Like man, if only I could ever write the way he does, spark that conversation the way he does, or just inspire people the way he does, I'll be great. In fact, I even got to interview him and this is someone I look at as like the "Jay Z of like hip hop journalism." Things like that motivate me always. There's so much that it's against me as young, black creative but I'm trying to make it. 

3 - Something I appreciate about you is that you are constantly showing love. Always giving flowers and genuinely supporting people. I've never seen any situation where you hate on anyone. I'm always interested in where that comes from. Is that something that you were taught or picked up on your own?

I would say it's something I picked up on my own when I was in college. I just liked seeing people do dope stuff. That's really it. If I see something dope, I just want to support it in the best way I can whether that's retweeting, quoting, or commenting. Those things go a long way because people see that not only do you like their work, you want to publicly support it. I try to make sure I do it as consistently as I can. I can't reach everybody obviously, but I try because we're all we got as young black creators. We are stressed out so much about being up next. I will always try to big up somebody but the big thing is to never expect it in return. They don't have to show love back. That's not how it works and you shouldn't go in there with that intention. It's my thing, like the first article I ever wrote was just about showcasing black women. I'm heavily invested in showcasing black women no matter what because they are trendsetters. They are the ones that are pushing the culture and community forward, whether it's in music, film, tech, business, whatever. They are always in the forefront, no matter what. 

4 - Obviously, I've edited some of your work, such as the albums that shifted your high school life piece, and I know of your love for writing and music. When did you realize your love for music was something that you wanted to turn into a career, and what was the first-ever music article that you wrote?

I've loved music my whole life, man. I remember when I was like six years old--I tell people this story vividly--I was watching BET when I shouldn't have. I see this guy, man. He's just so cool. He's on. He's on this island, he's on a boat, he and his homies are poppin' bottles. This is Jay-Z - "Big Pimpin". At that point, I didn't know UGK were Texas natives but just seeing that video was so visually stunning. I was like, "Yo, what is this?" Jay-Z was really the first rapper I ever saw on video on TV. And he just looked so and it makes sense Jay Z is probably my favorite rapper of all time. Ever since then, I always wanted music to be included in my life but I just didn't know when or how until I started to rap. I used to just write because I didn't have access to a studio. I was a young kid and I was really focused on school as my parents wanted but my dad was a DJ. He told me one day that if I get A's and B's on my report card, he would let me record some music. I said "What? Say less." So I did it and that lead to my first ever recording. I don't have a CD of that unfortunately but I remember that vividly happening.

Honestly though, even with people in my school knowing I rap, I never saw it as a realistic career. In college, I had an alias Dependable Skeleton which I got from a Wu-Tang Clan generator. I didn't think it was going to be a career or anything. After college, I scratched that and focused on writing and creating content. It's great that I was still able to incorporate music. My first music article, man. There was this one website called Eighth Wonder magazine. It was like a local Dallas site created by this girl named AJ. She was really dope. I wanted to be a part of something like that so she brought me in to freelance. I think the first article I wrote was about some of the rappers that I was messing with at the time and rolling ever since. I didn't know this was going to happen and I wouldn't even say I write as many articles as I can. If it hits me and I want to write about it, I will. I don't do album reviews, obviously. I'm not the person that has to knock out that review real quick. I like being a journalist and being creative. It has given me the opportunity to write and talk about what I love so much.

5 - I know you graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University, with a BBA in marketing. How do you feel like your degree has helped you and all of the things that you're doing now?

Honestly, my degree hasn't really helped me get to where I'm at. It's a great addition and would help me get a nine to five in the marketing industry. In terms of the opportunities I've gotten, those came more so from what I was doing outside of college. When I was in college, I had a podcast, I was writing music, I was writing articles, I was doing certain things outside of my actual field that sparked people's interest. So those things really helped me get the opportunities I have now like working at Browned 2 Perfection, working at the Houston Texas Hip Hop Museum was Shelby, working at Deconstructed, working at The A Show with J5 and Meelz. 

6 - Speaking of connections and showing love, you work with a gem in the music industry. Junae Brown at Browned 2 Perfection agency. How did you find it and how did your appreciation of what they were doing turn into you working with them?

I love Junae. Junae is the bridge. She's the reason why a lot of things have happened to me. If she didn't take me in, I don't know where I would be creatively. Like when she says she's the "Beyonce of marketing," she's not lying about that at all. She is the guru and has done so much for me that I could never return the favor for. I found out about B2P through Kim Chanel, who is also dope, retweeting it. It looked like a cool opportunity, so I just sent an email with my information. Before we even talked, Junae said she already knew that she wanted me on the team. The fact that she already had made a decision before even calling me was like "Wow, this is an honor." I'm very grateful that this is my first time working with an agency and it deals with authenticity marketing. We make good content and we showcase who we are and what we represent as Black and Brown people. Junae gives me a lot of creative freedom. I don't see her as a boss, I see her as a really good friend, a really good friend who just happens to be my boss.

She's the reason I got the Yoh interview. She knew I was a fan of his writing like, and I'm glad she didn't me that opportunity right away. She waited, watched me grow and then decided I was ready. I'm grateful for her and my team. A good amount of us are around the same age and we all learn together, we've made mistakes together, but at the end of the day, it's a family I will never take for granted. I signed my 360 deal with them, I'm signing for life. You know, saying but she has taught me so many things, not just like, as a creative but just as a person. I'm never afraid to tell her about what I'm dealing with in terms of just the struggles of being creative, trying to get those opportunities. She understands completely because she was in that space too, just trying to figure it out. Leaving RCA to create her own space, she's a testament to that. I know if she can if she be where she's at right now, my time will come. She and everyone at the agency. 

7 - I also saw through Instagram that you were part of some really cool-looking events and you met some legends recently. Tell us what that was about.

I actually met Lil Flip through a television station called Eyeconic Television that I work for. I do their social media and I used to write for them a little bit. I've been working with them for about a couple of months now and I knew I wanted more for myself. I wanted to be in the front lines. I wanted to be on camera. You know, I felt like I had the passion. You know me, I have the personality for it. Literally, last Sunday the CEO Julia Davis, another black woman, asked me if I was free on Sunday and sent me the flyer. She told me it was my time to host. She got me a cameraman and I worked the event. My mind was on talking to Lil Flip, a Houston legend, and Jim Jones since I love Dipset. but I actually got to interview a lot of people. I quickly learned you've got to be patient because everybody else wants to interview them as well. In the meantime, I spoke with Cynthia Bailey from Real Housewives of Atlanta and Safaree.

Meeting Lil Flip first was cool because I'd never met a rapper before or had the opportunity to interview them. It's crazy because I feel like Lil Flip, Bun B, and Trae The Truth are the three most accessible Houston rappers. Anybody that's from Houston has at least one of those three, except me, so it was an honor and I had to make sure I came correct. He was really cool and laid back. I'm not gonna lie, Jim Jones was not interested at all during the whole interview but the fact that he did it was cool. I tried to make it short and sweet, ask a couple of simple questions about the Knicks since Dipset did the cypher at the Garden, the weather, how can people stay fly. Safaree, after his interview was over, was like, "Bro, you know, I don't even like doing a lot of interviews, but you were very knowledgeable." He didn't have to do that interview at all or say that, but the fact that he even shouted me out was dope. It was a really successful night. I was proud of those moments and I hope many more moments will come in the future.

8 - Let's shift gears a little bit to wrestling. When you interviewed me, you know, you let me know how long you've been a fan of J5 in particular with the Voice of the Voiceless podcast, before he transitioned to The A Show. It's always interesting to me how people find certain content because the world can be so small. J5 was in Virginia, and then moved to LA but somehow you down in Texas found his podcast and you were able to connect with him. Years later, you're working alongside him running the socials for his network. So how did that happen and when did you know you wanted too grow from just a fan to being a collaborator?

I've known Justin Davis since I was 18 years old when I started on Twitter. He was one of the first people I followed and not even because of wrestling but because we were Young Thug fans. You know he's a Young Thug stan and this was around when people weren't fully onboard with Thug. We definitely had a lot of similarities in terms of that, I knew he was a Camron fan and then I find out that he loves wrestling. I was like "Oh, black people can tweet about wrestling here? It started to snowball and then I discovered Meelz through the Wrassle Rap crew. Like you said, I was a fan of his former show the Voice of the Voiceless where he would talk about music but then have a sideshow for wrestling. It was really dope. He was writing for various publications and was the exact type of person I'd want to collaborate with but I was only 18 at the time.

I didn't really know I wanted to be a creative at the time, I just appreciated that he kept it real. He always supported me since I followed him when I was rapping, or doing anything really. I saw myself in him, Meelz, Kazeem, and now you; young black men that love music and love wrestling. Now they've combined a lot of their favorite things into one whole conglomerate, which is really something I never saw either. So it was important for me to show love but I wasn't afraid to let them know I wanted to be on the show even if I never got the call still. Like damn, am I in NXT? Now I'm on the team and they did not have to do what they did for me. The fact that they trust me to run their social media means the world. 

9 - What are some things that you haven't accomplished yet that you would like to? What are your aspirations overall?

Oh, man, the first question. I just want one byline. Wherever that may be, whether that's in Complex, 2DopeBoyz, Passion of The Weiss, even my local Houston publications like Houston Chronicle. I've been doing this for like four years, but I've been doing it consistently since 2019. I feel like I put in enough work to get that byline. However, I'm grateful for the fact that I've done so much without that byline. It's not the end all be all, it would just be a nice thing to have. I'm always going to strive for it and send pitches. I'm never going to stop trying. My aspiration is just to always stay motivated, always be consistent, and always come up with creative ways to showcase my work. I always want to get people involved with what I'm doing. I always want to collaborate or just showcase people, And, you know, get paid for it! I mean, who doesn't want to get paid? I think I think I'm okay to say I want to get paid for my work. I want to be able to do I love and also be financially stable. I know within due time it will happen. I just have to keep writing, and keep going no matter what.

10 - That’s it, man. How do you define success?

That's funny, I was doing a job interview just yesterday, and somebody asked me, how do I define success. You have to be proud of what you're putting out. You have to be proud of what you're doing first before anyone else tells you. It starts with you and your mentality.

11 - Being a proud Nigerian (igbo kwenu!) talk a little bit about your upbringing and how it’s affected your work ethic?

I’m glad you said that. I know a lot of Nigerians my age may not always be able to pursue what they want to because their families have expectations. Doctor, nurse, lawyer, engineer. Our parents want what’s best for us but do what you feel is best for you. It’s a struggle, it’s a fight, but the work you put in will make them believe in your dreams more. I lost my 9-5 due to COVID and have had to figure it out, but I never stopped believing in myself. Believe in yourself, and be the best at whatever you want to be. Graphic designer, musician, whatever. 

12 - 100%. You got anything coming up people should look out for?

I got more pieces coming up. I would just say keep looking out for what I'm doing, man. Follow me at @deonegenti,  @B2PAgency, @HTXHipHopMuseum @EyeconicTelevision and @TheAShowRNC.