DDm raps: That’s my best friend. That’s my dog.

That’s my best friend … That’s my dog … He gon always hold me down … That’s my dog.

This Just In: Baltimore-based rapper DDm (Dapper Dan Midas) has recorded a new song (lyrics below) and video celebrating life with dogs. More specifically, “That’s My Dog” is meant to highlight dog ownership among Black, indigenous and people of color and help a Baltimore nonprofit called Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity carry its message to the public.

Here’s the link to the YouTube video.

Here’s background information from the press release: Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity (CARE) is pleased to announce the debut of “That’s My Dog,” a music video that aims to showcase the love people of color have for their pets. CARE’s founder and CEO, James Evans got the idea to produce the video as a way to combat
racism and bias that is often found in the animal welfare industry. It’s no secret people of color often face discrimination when it comes to adopting pets.
In releasing the video now, CARE is hoping not only to encourage people to adopt a dog from a rescue or shelter, but also to get animal welfare organizations to share this video to reach different pet-loving audiences and change stereotypes. Evans recently met fellow Baltimore native DDm, a rapper/local artist who is also a dog lover. The two decided a video was needed to fight racial stereotypes and DDm wrote the song to represent the key messages. John Benam, another Baltimore resident, joined the team shortly after as director of photography and That’s my Dog became a reality. “As a pet lover, the song came naturally to me. It was a lot of fun to write. Everyone was so warm and welcoming throughout the entire process. It felt like being at summer camp the entire time we were shooting,” said DDm.

DDm is a rising superstar on the hip hop scene and was just featured on Netflix’s Dark City Beneath the Beat. He also has a hit single, which is now headed to the
Sundance Film Festival.

Benam is a two-time Emmy award winner and directed photography on projects such as The Keepers on Netflix and Assassins on Starz.

That’s My Dog – Lyrics (first verse)

If I bark then he bite, so you gotta treat me right/ Understand we come in peace, we ain’t looking for a fight.

That’s my dog, that’s my rollie, hold me down like we homies

Every time I come off your, he be waiting at the door.

When he hear my keys jingle, I call him like bingo. … That’s mans best friend, if you’re married or you’re single.

Gotta keep him fresh cause appearances matter/ And we ain’t tryna give no haters any reason to chatter

They say he’s so well trained, and that’s when I explain/ That if you treat him right, you ain’t gotta play them games/ Dog tags on deck so don’t call him out his name/ And you know he eatin’ good cause I treat him like a king’

Hold me down in these streets/ That’s my dog 

Walking down the block to the shop with my dog/ I can never put him down/ That’s my dog

Watch what you say I don’t play bout my dog/ That’s my best friend/ That’s my dog

He gon always hold me down/ That’s my dog/ That’s my best friend/ That’s my dog

He gon always hold me down/ That’s my dog 

Video Credits: CARE Cine Video. Performance and Lyrics by the artist DDm. Music by Young D Of Trap Team. Executive Producer/Director: James Evans. Director of Photography: John Benam. Producer/Photographer: Jennifer Evans