by Steve HueyCount Bass D is a rapper, multi-instrumentalist, and producer based in the country music capital of Nashville, unique in that he eschews sampling techniques in favor of recording his own keyboard/bass/drum grooves completely live in the studio. He grew up as Dwight Farrell in the Bronx, London, and Canton, OH, and learned to play drums at age four through his father, a West Indian minister who encouraged him to perform music at his church. The Count quickly learned piano and organ, and added bass to his repertoire later on. Meanwhile, he fell in love with hip-hop and honed his rapping skills while hanging out with friends. After attending a music school in Pennsylvania and pursuing an interest in R&B and jazz, he enrolled at Middle Tennessee State University in Nashville for the sole purpose of using the school's equipment to finish a demo tape. While there, he also hosted his own rap video show on the campus television station. His demo tape wound up getting him a record deal, and his debut album, Pre-Life Crisis, which used solely live instrumentation, most of which was played by the rapper, was released early in 1995. In 2002 the acclaimed Dwight Spitz was issued, followed by a limited pressing of BEGBORROWSTEEL three years later. In 2006 Count Bass D came out with Act Your Waist Size on Fat Beats.