Derek Pope has travelled both the long and short road. Growing up in Oakland, Derek learned to produce beats in high school, spending his nights and weekends crafting the early roots of a sound he couldn't define yet for years. Now based in Los Angeles, it wasn't until 2015 that Pope experimented with singing, and after a few demos proved that he would be creating his own lane, penning the lyrics:

"Looking at the ceiling, thinking I could make a million"

Those words became the intro to "Raincoats," the first hit single off Pope's debut EP, Sunken City Redux. That evolution continued with his self-analyzing follow-up EP "The Introverted Socialite," before Pope found solid ground on his latest release, "We're All Strangers." Completely self-produced, the album boasts a sonic background that takes influence from many genres, combining spacey bangers with unique, introspective lyrics to create an evolving soundscape that challenges the boundaries of music as we know it.

But the millions have always been second to Pope's real goal: helping people battle their demons. As someone who has struggled with depression, anxiety, and addiction, Pope writes from a place of honest admission, flaunting his faults like they were diamonds and cars. It's a message of self-love without being too mushy, revelations with the hope of reminding people how strong they can be. And with diverse collaborations ranging from Larry June to Rebecca & Fiona, it's a message that won't be boxed in.