Meet the Mastermind Behind Don G Productions

Donaldson Layne aka Don G

Who is Don G?

• "I am a musician from Tortola, Virgin Islands focused on producing meaningful music."

Donaldson Layne, known in music circles as Don G, said that he has had to remain focused and determined to find a way to surpass the challenges he faced in the past.

• "I like to keep to myself and have time alone to make music."

Don G has no problem collaborating, but finds that he works best when alone.

• "I’ve always had a passion for music, but I am a producer firsthand. Rapping and producing both play an important role in my success, but I’ll always tip the hat to producing since that’s how I started my career."

"I love bringing other artists' ideas to life."

What services do you offer to artists?

"I offer the following services:

• Beat Production
• Collaborations
• Remaking beats
• Features
• Recording and mixing vocals
• Ghostwriting
• Editing
• DJing - new
• Publishing music - in the future"

What inspired you to go into music?
"I had several inspirations:

• My first inspiration was my father. He played in several bands, including Blue Haze. My dad participated in calypso competitions under the moniker, Sugar Layne. He was always part of the music scene, and greatly inspired me to get into the field.
• My brother, a close friend of Banco Bizmol, was also an influence. He had a laptop with Mixcraft, a music software, and I used that laptop in his absence to listen to the recordings he made. Eventually, I started playing around with the software, and here I am today.
• My mother inspires me. I want to care for her by ensuring she has a car and a nice home. I owe her for all the nice things that she did for me."

Don G was also inspired by the music played during ZROD's Top 7 at 7 Radio Show. He shared that listening to the various artists and then experimenting with the Mixcraft software helped to propel him into this area.

What makes you versatile?

I can make music for different genres, but Hip Hop is my focus. I have done some soca, afrobeat, and reggae. I recently worked on “Mr. Smooth Talker” with Priceless.

What was the first song you worked on/produced?
Don G had a hook for the song that he recorded at home. After playing the track for his friends, who are also artists, they liked it and became part of the song. Ron G and Hancho Flippaz are also featured on this song, Struggles, which had over ten thousand streams on SoundCloud. He recorded that song in a closet in his friend's home. Don G also shared that Never Going Lose by Jefe Tunez and Priceless was another track that got him recognized.

What was your first personal release?
"My first release was Eat. This song has a good following from people locally, in USVI, and worldwide."

Don G's First Release: Eat

Which international artist would you want to work with?
"I would want to work with Bad Bunny because his genre is different, and he has a large fan base. I would also like to work with Billy Eilish and Eminem."

Don G in the Studio

Who do you listen to?

"I listen to these artists:

• Billy Eilish
  
• Bad Bunny
• Meek Mill
• J Cole
• Kanye West
• Drake
• JayZ
• Eminem"

What’s your favorite genre?
"My favorite genre is Hip Hop!"

What are your plans for 2025?
"My plans for 2025 include:

• Singles to release of my songs and other artists,
• EPs with various artists locally and internationally, and
• I'm also looking forward to more collaborations"

Don G produced Morphine by Ernesto, Hancho, Jefe Tunez, Ceejay and Arkyy

Don G's Advice to the Youth

• "Don’t ever give up on yourself."
• "Imagine how much further you would be when you push."

Tell us something that people don't know about you.

• "I am the best NBA2K player in the Virgin Islands."
• "I am not the best swimmer."
• "I still have my brother’s laptop with the Mixcraft software, and other laptops that I have music stored on."

You can connect with Don G here.