Dez Nado, is an American hip hop and reggae singer, songwriter, and record producer from Jacksonville, Florida. He is also a television producer who produces and directs Jacksonville's first and only cable reality TV series, Life & Grind: Duval. Nado saw his earliest successes in college, where he used his platform as college DJ at a small university in Jacksonville to distribute and promote his music and host his own showcases on campus.[2] After nearly being killed by a gunshot to the chest in 2009, he shifted the tone of his music from "self-destructive to self-productive" and started using his music as a platform for pushing a progressive agenda and promoting non-violence in one of the most violent cities in Florida. Nado premiered a cable reality TV series called Life & Grind: Duval on Bounce TV that looks into not only his daily life as an independent artist, but also other indie artists and bands affiliated with his self-managed entertainment label.[11] After winning the title of Jacksonville Artist of the Year[12] and performing at the 2015 BET Hip Hop Awards,[13] Nado released his second mixtape album LaDolceVita in 2016 with Caskey, Taylor Gang artist Lola Monroe , and Fetty Wap. Nado made the local news before the mixtape album release and TV series premiere with his $1.4 Million dollar One Spark crowdfunding pitch in Spring 2014.