Jubilee opener, Don Atlas, brings expressive power and presence to the stage

Donovan Moonie, who goes by the stage name of Don Atlas, is a rising hip-hop artist and creative within the UNC community. He is a key contributor to both UNC Cypher, an organization for musicians and rappers, and UNC's Hip Hop Ensemble. At the upcoming Jubilee festival, which also features popular entertainers Blxst and Nardo Wick, Moonie will be an opening act, along with other performers of UNC Cypher.

Moonie, who is inspired by powerhouses like J. Cole and Drake, describes his music as something that is versatile and tells a clear story. He was exposed to a plethora of musical influences growing up, with his mother having been a pianist and his father frequently playing cassette tapes of artists like Michael Jackson, Prince and Sade. His passion for hip-hop flourished in fifth grade, as he was inspired by the rap battles he frequently saw online.

In 2016, he got into a car accident which unfortunately prevented him from continuing sports. However, this event was a large turning point in Moonie's career, as it prompted him to begin officially recording his music. From there, he continued to grow his platform. 

Moonie said that being a part of UNC Cypher and the Hip Hop Ensemble has shown him how to find strength and power in collaboration, while also giving him valuable performance experience. 

“Somewhere along the way, you're gonna have to work with someone, lean on someone, and just be comfortable and trust people's visions and trust that things will come together," Moonie said.

UNC Cypher regularly meets on Wednesdays at 9:25 p.m. in the Pit throughout the school year. Anyone is welcome to attend, and at these sessions the community is able to feel involved and integrated into the cypher scene. 

At the beginning of 2025, Moonie challenged himself to put out a new song every week to spark his creativity. He said that when writing, he takes a lot of inspiration from his environment and what he feels in the moment, making the process a lot more free-flowing. 

“For the creative process, some songs were built over weeks, months, even years,” Moonie said. "I had this freestyle that I put out that I started in 2021 that I rerecorded in ‘23 and finally put it out this year.”

At his Jubilee performance this year, Moonie said a main goal of his is to help place the emphasis back on hip-hop. He says that as of recently, the genre has been largely delegitimized and devalued as an art form, despite its monumental impacts on all styles of music.

“Let's remind people that hip-hop is and will remain the forefront of the culture,” Moonie said. 

Justin Jenkins, the president of UNC Cypher, said that for him, the best part of being in the group has been the close friendships he has made, such as with Moonie. 

“Don's always just been super supportive of me, always encouraging me to do the best, and I'm always hard on myself," Jenkins said. "And he's, like, one of those people that encourages me to just — ‘Hey, you're doing all right.’”

UNC Cypher has helped Jenkins generate a sense of community, not just among UNC students, but also within other cypher groups in the Triangle area. 

K'mani Leonerio is also a friend of Moonie’s and a member of UNC Cypher. He said that in the cypher, making mistakes when freestyling are not viewed as discouraging, but rather a natural part of the process. He first performed with the group at Franklin Street Market in 2022, and was drawn to the openness and carefree vibe of the other performers.

Leonerio echoed Jenkins' sentiments about Moonie's guiding influence in his artistic journey. 

“He's kind of like a guru to like, he'll tell me about the music business, about just stuff he picks up playing on along the way,” Leonerio said. "He's helped me a lot, really."

To see Moonie and other performers from UNC Cypher take the stage, Jubilee tickets can be purchased through the CUAB Box Office or online. The festival will take place on Monday, April 28 at Hooker Fields. 

Additionally, to hear more about Moonie and his upcoming projects, follow his music account on Instagram.

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