“I want to press play and go. That’s what DISCO gives me”: How Billboard-Charting Artist Dawty Uses DISCO To Organize His Production Catalog
From piano lessons in Paris to topping Billboard charts and securing global sync deals, Dawty’s career evolution is one of reinvention, rhythm, and readiness.
Dawty’s musical journey began in early childhood. At just five years old, his mother gave him a piano. That instrument would become the foundation of his artistry, which eventually evolved into a career that spanned continents, genres, and generations of fans.
“I was five when my mom bought me that piano,” says Dawty, who was born Warren Zavala in France and today is a producer, songwriter, singer, and DJ. “At first it was classical music, but I told her I wasn’t feeling it. She didn’t let me quit—she just helped me find what I loved.”
That love became a lifelong pursuit. From Michael Jackson and George Michael to the gospel harmonies of groups like Sweetness, Dawty’s influences were a true blend that captured both his early environment and personal tastes. By age 11, he was singing. By 15, he was in his first studio sessions. Before he could drive, he had already found his purpose.
French Roots, Global Dreams
Dawty grew up in Paris, where his artistic identity was forged through exposure to soul, gospel, R&B, and the expressive vocal culture of Motown. It wasn’t long before he was performing on major French televised talent shows, writing his own music, and trying to carve out his own lane in the music industry.
Though Dawty was building a surefire brand, something felt limiting. “I realized if I wanted to go big, I needed to do it where it actually happens,” he says. “I had an American passport. So I moved.”
He arrived in San Diego at 23 with no network, no blueprint, and one big dream. At first, moving overseas was jarring. Industry gatekeepers didn’t know what to do with Dawty, who sang English with a thick French accent. One even collaborator advised him to focus on production instead of performing.
“I was hesitant at first,” he recalls of that moment. “But I leaned into it. I got gear, built a studio in my garage, and started producing for local hip-hop artists. I didn’t even know I was supposed to charge for beats.”
What Dawty lacked in knowledge, he made up for in work ethic. He studied the craft, listened obsessively, and built his skills through repetition. The garage became his classroom. A born auto-didact, Dawty learned from recording sessions and a lot of trial and error. Over five years, he taught himself production, song structure, mixing, and the particulars of music ownership and publishing rights.
The Breakthrough Nobody Saw Coming
Sometimes, success arrives from where you least expect it.
While still based in San Diego, Dawty had a chance encounter with another French expat, who was immediately struck by Dawty’s potential. He took the music back to France and started knocking on doors.
That door that ended up opening belonged to Rohff, one of France’s biggest hip-hop artists. Dawty landed seven tracks on Rohff’s 2010 album, La Cuenta, which went gold. The irony? Dawty had moved to America to chase his music dreams, only to find his first major success back in France.
“It was surreal,” he says. “I thought I had to leave Europe to make it. But my first breakthrough came right back home.”
La Cuenta’s success allowed Dawty to level up. He leveraged his reputation in France to open more doors in the U.S.—especially through beat battles in New York and Los Angeles. These events, judged by execs from Universal and Sony, gave him both credibility and contacts. And he didn’t just show up—he won.
“I was in the final rounds, going head to head with some of the top producers in the country. I won all of them,” he says, smiling. “That changed a lot.”
Evolution of the Artist
With the credibility of beat battles and international success under his belt, Dawty’s artistry continued to evolve. Over time, he built deep relationships in the scene—not just as a behind-the-scenes producer, but as an artist ready to step back into the spotlight.
His breakout moment came in the form of “Loosen Up,” a dance single with French superstar DJ HUGEL and vocalist Preston Harris. The song took off, topping Billboard Dance Radio and racking up over 30 million streams within months.
But it almost didn’t happen. “I was nervous to send it,” Dawty admits. “I hadn’t talked to Hugel in a while. I just dropped the MP3 in a WhatsApp message with no intro, no context—just sent it.”
Minutes later, Hugel replied: “What the f*** is this?! Is that Preston singing?!”
The rest was history. Once the track blew up, Dawty could reintroduce himself—not just as a creator behind the curtain, but as a face on stage. Dawty followed this up with major performances at EDC Vegas, Encore Beach Club, and Ibiza’s legendary Hï club.
These days, Dawty has 2.3 million monthly Spotify listeners and upwards of 50K YouTube views, not to mention nearly 30K Instagram followers. His most-heard track, 2017's "Sky Blue," has amassed over 1.2 million Spotify streams.
As Dawty’s artist career expanded, his business mindset stayed sharp. His label, Meselsonics, began signing and developing new talent. He knew he needed the right infrastructure to move quickly and deliver professionally.
That’s where DISCO came in.
The Sync Shift—and the Power of DISCO
As Dawty’s career expanded into sync licensing—music for film, TV, and commercial placements—speed, access, and organization became essential. The sync world doesn’t wait around. You either deliver, or you miss the moment.
Enter: DISCO.
Initially introduced to DISCO by his business partner, Dawty quickly saw the advantage of the file-sharing platform. What started as a place to host and organize his catalog became a mission-critical part of his daily workflow.
“I’m a huge advocate for keeping everything in one place,” he says. “Even in my real life—I can’t function with stuff all over the place. DISCO lets me run everything tight.”
From creating polished listening links for meetings to retrieving stems or instrumentals mid-flight, DISCO became his go-to. He could prep a pitch in seconds, share secure folders with collaborators, and manage team access across projects.
But what really sealed the deal was the platform’s new AI-powered lyric transcription.
“People always ask for lyrics,” Dawty says. “Normally, I’m chasing writers down or typing them up myself. If AI gives me the lyrics instantly—I don’t have to wait anymore. That’s a gamechanger.”
In the fast-paced world of licensing, that delay could mean a lost opportunity.
“Sometimes the window is tiny,” he continues. “If I can’t respond with lyrics or instrumentals immediately, someone else might get the spot. DISCO removes that friction.”
A Label in the Cloud
With Meselsonics growing, Dawty also uses DISCO to coordinate with his internal team. From artist managers to marketing staff, everyone can access what they need, when they need it.
“If I’m not available, someone else on the team can jump in and send a link or grab a file,” Dawty says. “It just makes it easier.”
He’s particularly fond of DISCO’s playlist-style interface, which is seamless, user-friendly, and is built more to resemble Spotify than a traditional asset library. The immediacy of playback and the simplicity of organization match his fast-moving style.
“I don’t want to click through ten folders and wait for stuff to load,” Dawty says. “I want to press play and go. That’s what DISCO gives me.”
Looking Ahead
As he looks to the future, Dawty’s not slowing down. The producer is always juggling new music, sync projects, and a growing label. From self-taught producer to international collaborator, from beat battles to Billboard, Dawty’s journey is proof that talent is only part of the equation. The rest is process, persistence, and preparation.
“This is just the beginning of a longer adventure,” he says.
And with DISCO at the center of his creative operations, Dawty is exactly where he’s always been: ready for the next opportunity—whenever it shows up.
