Upon studying at Loyola, Von Gocan was able to delve deeper into his passion of creating hip hop music, as a result of his environment, making a path that is unique to him. He credits not only the culture of New Orleans to his progression in music but also the resources and support provided to him at Loyola.
Von Gocan, or Dracox216, is a junior R&B major at Loyola, as well as a driven musician in the local hip hop scene. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Gocan gravitated towards Loyola at first for track and field and to create a path that was uniquely his own.
”Your major does as much for you as you put into it,” Gocan said.
He specifically mentioned the two classes that helped him most: hip hop ensemble and digital audio production. In these classes Gocan was able to meet his support system of other talented musicians as well as gain more experience by performing at Tipitina’s, producing music in a studio, and exploring other genres of music.
The sound of Dracox216 is best described by Gocan’s hip hop with influences from artists such as Drake, XXXTENTACION, and Juice Wrld. These early influences from 2017, when Gocan first started producing, have shifted more towards artists that feature a Caribbean style beat and elements of New Orleans bounce. One of his current influences being Kraff GAD.
Gocan’s exploration into other genres has also led to an upcoming album featuring another musician from Loyola, Giancarlo Balossi.
Balossi calls Gocan “a very creative and versatile artist,” going on to say that this is the reason why they are working on a collaborative album that will be available on all major platforms soon.
“I enjoy working with him because he is very talented but also efficient with his music and work flow. He can take any beat or idea I give him and make it work,” Balossi said.
Gocan’s nature and need to be heard have driven him to dabble in other avenues of music, such as djing and electronic dance music. Yet he doesn’t stop there. Gocan also aspires to perform at Rolling Loud someday. His aspirations are mainly fueled by his core belief, “Let your voice be heard.”
Freedom of expression is one of Gocan’s most valued ideals, with music being the way he most freely expresses himself.
When expressing himself through music Gocan not only takes influence from his role models in music, but also through his own culture. With the upcoming release of his unnamed album, Gocan feels excited about tying in reggae influence as a way of paying homage to his Jamaican roots.
“I guess I just feel like diversity in music opens up a whole other world of opportunity and shouldn’t be overlooked. Being great at one thing is nice but also it’s amazing to dive into new sounds.”
Gocan is constantly working on new music as well as exploring ways to expand his sound. His most recent songs and performances are available on all platforms as well as through his Instagram.
Gocan will be going into his junior year at Loyola with an optimism for what’s to come in the last half of his college career.
