Music Star & NFL Legend Vernon Davis On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Music Industry

An Interview With Guernslye Honoré

…Self-confidence matters. Having self-confidence does not just make us feel better about ourselves. It also helps us get out of our comfort zone and try new things.

As a part of our interview series with leaders, stars, and rising stars in the music industry, we had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Vernon Davis.

Arguably one of the greatest tight ends the NFL has ever seen, Vernon Davis’s football career was spent with the San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos, and Washington Commanders. In 2015, he won a Super Bowl with Hall of Famer Peyton Manning and the Broncos.

After walking away from the NFL in 2020, Davis dove head-first into his first love: the arts. He’s already made quite a name for himself as an actor and producer, having filmed more than 30 projects, including movies with the likes of John Malkovich, Morgan Freeman, Bruce Willis, Luke Wilson, Cole Hauser, Thomas Mann, and Rosa Salazar, among others.

Vernon has now turned to music for his next chapter. He recently released his debut rap album “Showtime” under the stage name Vern, in collaboration with fellow D.C. native and multi-platinum music producer Tone P.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit about your “origin story”. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?

I grew up in the inner-city of Washington, D.C. with two brothers and three sisters. We didn’t have much at all in terms of money or material things, but we were blessed with a loving grandmother and grandfather. Most of my friends were into the wrong things and getting arrested. Unfortunately, I too was heading down that path until I discovered two outlets that I think saved my life — one was football and the other was art. They both gave me a reason to be excited about something that made me feel like I was special and was capable of doing something great.

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?

I was raised in the Petworth neighborhood of Washington, D.C. during the 1980s, when groups like Junkyard Band, Backyard Band, and Northeast Groovers were inspiring a new generation of Go-go fans. I also listened to Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Tupac, Biggie, and Jay Z, but Go-go was special. A subgenre of funk music with an emphasis on specific rhythmic patterns, and live audience call and response, DC’s go-go music stands apart from other strands of American music in that it never achieved the national recognition it deserves.

Though football had always been my priority, I was always drawn to the arts. During my time at the University of Maryland, I majored in studio art, and once I arrived in San Francisco to play for the 49ers, I signed up for an acting class at the Shelton Theater of the Arts. Of course, I still played football, eventually winning Super Bowl 50 with the Broncos in 2016. Later that year, I came home to play with the Washington Commanders, where I remained until I retired in 2020.

As my playing career was winding down, I found myself moving in a new direction. I discovered that I could write poetry. Then my poems turned into hip-hop recordings. During the quarantine, I started writing and getting on my laptop. I would get on GarageBand, and I started recording some of the stuff. I was writing about how I was feeling, about my life, and just different situations, but cut it into hip-hop.

Soon after, I was introduced to fellow D.C. native and multi-platinum music producer Tone P — who is best known for his work with Rick Ross, Meek Mill, and Wale. As we envisioned our first collaboration, Tone P was certain that the best musical setting for my rhymes would be a fusion of go-go and today’s popular trap sound.

Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

While working in the studio one day, Atlanta rapper Young Dro walked in, heard the beat I was working on, and decided to record a hook on the track. The track — “How I Play It” — is the fourth on my debut album.

Also, my song “What’s Good Birdie” will be featured in the upcoming action thriller 72 Hours, in which I also have an acting role.

It has been said that sometimes our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

I wouldn’t call it a funny mistake as much as I would a very important lesson. When I first started making music, I was so excited to get into the studio, and soon began working with all sorts of producers and engineers. However, none of my work seemed to come out right. It was super frustrating and taught me that choosing the right people can make or break your project. So, it’s important to be very selective with whom you work!

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

Without question, my grandparents! I lived with them for the first 18 years of my life. They raised me and my five siblings in a three-bedroom Washington, DC apartment. It wasn’t easy by any stretch of the imagination, but they kept us on the right path as children.

My grandmother was and still is the backbone of our whole family. Without her staying on me, I just wouldn’t be where I am today. From the beginning, she was a fortress, insisting I respect my elders, never talk back and always set goals. She always said, “It’s not what you have or what’s been given to you, it’s about how you make people feel.” That’s very important to me. I still speak with her almost daily and continue to take wisdom from her every time we talk.

My grandfather was my dad, pops, grandpa, my hero. He meant everything to me. He taught me almost everything I know — from simple tasks like changing light bulbs and fixing doors to life’s most important lessons. I wouldn’t be who I am today without him. I miss him truly.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“There is no greater purpose than service to others.”

I’ve always made a conscious effort to use my platform as a celebrity to encourage others to strive diligently to achieve their dreams.

In 2011, I launched the Vernon Davis Foundation as a way to promote art education and appreciation among the youth. Today the foundation takes a holistic approach, focusing on the overall health, education, and well-being of children from disadvantaged backgrounds. By providing essential resources such as scholarships, grants, learning materials, meals, and clothes, we strive to service and inspire our young leaders of tomorrow.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

I recently released my debut rap album “Showtime” under the stage name Vern, in collaboration with Tone P. Available digitally and on all DSPs, the eight-track album is comprised of high-energy trap-leaning songs that intersect the worlds of sports and music. The body of work includes additional collaborations with Grammy Award-winning producer Zaytoven, Rolling Stone-recognized rap authority 3ohBlack, Young Dro, Codey Got Beatz, Black Cobain, Lightshow, Kidjake, and SportVVS.

This album is very special to me because it represents who I am and what I’ve been through. It’s all about experiences. I want people to feel inspired and motivated by the insight I’ve gained in every phase of my life. I want people to be better than they were yesterday. Even though I may not be on the football field anymore, the lights as well as my future in entertainment are still bright. It’s showtime.

Aside from making music, I’ve also found success in Hollywood as both an actor and producer. Over the past year alone, I’ve filmed more than 30 projects, including movies with the likes of John Malkovich, Bruce Willis, Luke Wilson, Frank Grillo, Thomas Mann, and Rosa Salazar, among others. My latest film, The Ritual Killer, in which I play a serial killer opposite Academy Award-winner Morgan Freeman, was released in theaters and on demand in April.

On the other side of the camera, I’ve founded two production companies — Reel 85 and Between the Linez Productions.

We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in music, film, and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?

1. Diversity is something that allows audiences to see people just like them. Casting people of different colors, ethnicities, religions, disabilities and sexualities allows people of these various groups to feel represented in movies and television shows.
2. Diversity is good for business — diversity in the movies, diversity in people making the movies, diversity in people attending the movies. Researchers at UCLA’s Center for Scholars & Storytellers previously reported that “films with diverse characters and authentic stories” actually made more money at the box office in 2020. Of course, money isn’t the only or the most important reason to make diverse films, but it helps make the case in the face of resistance.
3. DIVERSITY IS WHAT LIFE IS SUPPOSED TO BE! Life is all about everyone coming together as one. I think representation in TV and film, and in storytelling in general, is necessary for us to create a more just world and more equal world.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why?

1. Take a minute to enjoy the fruit of your labor before jumping into a new endeavor.
2. Patience is the most valuable tool you can have in life, business, and in family.
3. It’s important to trust but verify.
4. Self-confidence matters. Having self-confidence does not just make us feel better about ourselves. It also helps us get out of our comfort zone and try new things.
5. There’s no greater purpose in life than service to others.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

Find time for self-care! It’s so important to make sure you take good care of your body, mind, and soul every day, not just when you get sick. Learning how to eat right, reduce stress, exercise regularly, and take a time-out when you need it will help you stay healthy, happy, and resilient.

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

That’s easy. The movement would encourage people to treat one another with respect, each and every day. Respect is one character trait that is easily recognized when you see it and just as easily identified when it’s absent. It’s crucial to building and sustaining an environment in which everyone feels included, valued, and appreciated.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)

Will Smith. I recently read his book and was truly amazed at how many similarities we have. It’s unbelievable — from not being accepted growing up, both of our grandmothers’ names being Gigi, riding unique bikes to school, and working toward eliminating plastics from the environment.

How can our readers follow you online?

Follow me on Instagram and Twitter @VernonDavis85

This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!

About the interviewer: Guernslye Honoré, affectionately known as “Gee-Gee”, is an amalgamation of creativity, vision, and endless enthusiasm. She has elegantly twined the worlds of writing, acting, and digital marketing into an inspiring tapestry of achievement. As the creative genius at the heart of Esma Marketing & Publishing, she leads her team to unprecedented heights with her comprehensive understanding of the industry and her innate flair for innovation. Her boundless passion and sense of purpose radiate from every endeavor she undertakes, turning ideas into reality and creating a realm of infinite possibilities. A true dynamo, Gee-Gee’s name has become synonymous with inspirational leadership and the art of creating success.