Cleveland hip hop/pop artist Dave Zup started in music from a young age. His musician father encouraged his creative ability very early on, and Dave was exposed to a wide assortment of his father’s records, which included artists such as A Tribe Called Quest, The Commodores, and La Soul, and was spurred on to develop an interest in writing his own lyrics. He joined a youth theatre, and started developing his love for performance. By the time he was in high school, Dave had been recording himself over beats he’d found online, or had made with his friends.