In the conference room of Island Def Jam/So So Def Records in New York City, label head Jermaine Dupri assembled members of the online media to give us the scoop on his newest artist, Dondria aka Phatfffat. It was the first time that Dupri had ever called a meeting strictly for the bloggers and webmasters, and we delightfully chomped on Chipotle burritos as he shared his excitement about the newest addition to the So So Def family.
The thing about Dondria is that you probably heard about her long before Jermaine did. A native of Sachse, Texas, Dondria Nicole (who was donned "Phatfffat" by a college buddy who witnessed Dondria on a pizza binge) started out recording covers of songs like Keyshia Cole's "Love" and Ciara's "Promise" - often times sounding better than the original singer - and putting them up on YouTube, racking up millions of views and subscribers to her channel in the process.
Her voice wasn't the only thing that mediaphiles loved about her. Dondria recorded her songs on her lunch break, slurping down spaghetti and cheesing to the camera before launching into her goosebump-inducing performances. When an A&R at So So Def caught wind of all the commotion she was causing on YouTube, he showed her videos to JD who was immediately enchanted by her quirky sense of humor and supernatural vocal abilities, leading him to court her for a record deal with So So Def (and give her the much-needed gift of an Apple laptop to film videos in place of her junky paperweight computer).
Now, Dondria is ready to step out on her own with the forthcoming release of her debut Dondria vs. Phatfffat. JD played the lead single "Can't Stop" at an eardrum-bursting volume, but if the nods of approval in the room were any indication, she's already on the path to superstardom. Dondria told Kiwibox VJ Kylie that she would no longer be covering other singers' tracks on YouTube, but don't worry - she can still put down two burgers and belt out an angelic tune.
If you can't see the embedded video, click here to watch it on YouTube.
