Deyshawn “DopeThought” Chapman is a Salt Lake City–based rap artist who hopes to bring more than music to the lives of listeners. He helped establish and is part of MakeMind, an entertainment label dedicated to enriching people’s lives through performance art. Known for their music production, songwriting and visual art collective, you can expect a lot from this ambitious bunch.

After transferring from West High to Skyline High, DopeThought met his soon-to-be collaborator, Jackson “Worth” Savage, at a birthday party in 2009 through mutual friends. Worth produces music and was already making beats at the time he and DopeThought met. Around the time of their meeting, they started working together and self-released the album Life Elevated Pt. 1. “It started with a beat that became a song, which became a movement. We’ve always been very natural-based, just letting things fall into place. The best things in life just kind of happen,” says Dope.

Soon after its release, DopeThought & Worth continued their partnership. In January 2011, just after they finished recording, Worth gave Dope a beat which he titled, “Make Mind.” When trying to establish their collective, friend and graphic designer James Mendieta stumbled on the idea and said, “Why not just call it Make Mind?” Consequently, MakeMind as a collective was born—the vision started coming to life.

In May of 2012, DopeThought and Worth released their flagship LP, titled We Our Environment, under Heaven Noise Recordings.

Dope says his biggest influence in his music comes from Atmosphere, especially the rhyming styles of Slug. Dope explained his gravitation towards Atmosphere—he says, “Their way of expressing was very true to a human’s thoughts versus a human’s wants. That’s what MakeMind is here to do: to evoke purpose, real emotion and feeling—not be material-based.”

Their collective is about inspiring others, not just being heard. For them, they’re all in it for one thing: to make a difference in their community. “The way I see MakeMind in Salt Lake is like how Rhymesayers was to Minnesota,” Dope says of establishing a voice in his hometown. He continued with saying, “SLC isn’t labeled yet—its very open to interpretation. There’s still a wide gap as to what Salt Lake is to people, besides just being in the Mormon state.”

Each city with a recognizable hip hop scene shows its own characteristics in its music. When considering what Salt Lake is comparable to in the industry, Dope says, “There is a strong religious and spiritual influence in Utah. It’s not gonna sound like other cities—it’s gonna sound like Salt Lake.” SLC gets a bad rap from outsiders when there are so many different types of people, especially those expressive through art. It’s as though Salt Lake has an established norm which gives outsiders a preconceived idea—most of us get lost in translation. MakeMind has a goal of changing that norm. One of the coolest things to me is seeing someone genuinely accept their originality. Regardless of where you live, you should always feel confident being yourself.

“I have influences from Mac Dre to 2Pac to Slug and Atmosphere to Michael Jackson and Usher. Even though they influenced me, you won’t hear them all in my music—you’ll hear me,” Dope says. Dope makes sure his listeners are aware of the effect they can have on their community. He explains it’s not about being successful, but about getting his message across, and if it catches on, success is a natural part of that process. He continues on about the youthful exuberance the city has: “We all have a part in painting what Salt Lake can be and a movement to adapt to. It’s not about one person. It’s about all of us,” he says.

DopeThought has established a name for himself in local hip hop. By working hard to bring artists and real hip hop to our community, MakeMind is entertaining and educating others on a movement, with a mission to come together through music. With Salt Lake on a larger scale, more recognized artists have started bringing their tours to our city. Dope has shared stages with artists such as Wiz Khalifa, Mac Miller, Andre Nickatina, Chali 2na, Aesop Rock, Talib Kweli, Mobb Deep, Dizzy Wright and Hopsin, to name a few.

Regarding where Dope thinks Salt Lake is heading in the next few years, he says, “It’s about inspiring the next generation, helping the progress. SLC hip hop is not far from hitting a global scale. It just takes one person to get out there.”

If hip hop isn’t something you’re interested in, this group has a multitude of upcoming projects to engage audiences. “MakeMind is bigger than music,” says Dope. It isn’t about him or his team, or you and me. It’s about “us,” and how we can all work together to make a positive difference in our community. Get out and support local hip hop, Salt Lake!

Don’t miss another collaborative project from DopeThought & Worth, set to release their new album, Drop In Ocean, on Jan. 1, 2014. Be on the lookout for local shows put on by MakeMind and performances from DopeThought & Worth. Check out Worth’s newly released solo album 13Love on Soundcloud or on iTunes, with features by DopeThought, Negrodomus and more. You can find DopeThought on Facebook, and also on DopeThought and Worth’s page. Follow and get daily updates on Instagram, Twitter, and buy We Our Environment on iTunes. Dope and Worth also just released a new single “Godly Indigos,” featuring The Underachievers—find it on iTunes.