You can hear every ounce of that struggle in his music. DreTL’s final performance, the Hitmaka-produced song “Nobody,” was a victory lap-esque showcase about his Atlanta upbringing, family trauma and his dedication to win the competition.

Since the finale aired, some viewers have taken their gripes online — protesting that the runner-up, West Coast rapper Jay Taj, deserved to win.

But DreTL isn’t fazed by the scrutiny. Throughout the show, he learned from the judges’ critiques (most of which centered on him not staying on beat) and delivered an epic finale that secured the $250,000 prize.

Credit: COURTESY OF NETFLIX

Credit: COURTESY OF NETFLIX

“It was all a challenge … where I was at in the level of my career was just local shows, open mics,” DreTL said about the show. “I never even performed with an inner ear. You got the sound of the room, you got the inners, and you got to basically block out the sound of the room because it’s reverberation. I took the physics of music as a class for my degree, so it’s not easy.”

GSU School of Music professor Ben Yonas, DreTL’s faculty adviser, said the rapper, who will graduate this month, represents everything that the school’s music industry program is about: “authenticity, artistry and the hustle it takes to succeed.”

That hustle is evident in his plan-in-development to drop new music before the year is over, which could include a song with Grammy-nominated Season One winner D Smoke.

The AJC caught up with DreTL via Zoom to talk about his journey on the show and what fans can expect from him. (This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.)

Q: First of all, congratulations! How do you feel now that it’s official?

A: I feel a lot of different emotions, but I just feel proud of myself that I was able to do it, and I was able to execute on the stage. I just feel prepared to prove the judges right, choosing me to be the winner.

Q: When you say a mix of emotions, I’m assuming that includes the online criticism of your win.

A: Of course, but there is no artist that doesn’t receive criticism. They talk about Michael Jackson, they talk about Beyoncé. It’s good that people are criticizing me. That means my name is out there.

Q: From watching the show, you seemed to be the contestant who improved the most. I was surprised to see the backlash.

A: I feel like my last two performances were my best performances. Most people are saying that [Jay Taj] should have been the winner. He’s great, so I’m not confused on why people are saying it. They just don’t understand me as a person. They don’t understand me as an artist … They don’t know the whole story of what it even took to get there.

Q: What did it take for you to get on the show?

A: It started last August, and I finally got confirmation that I was going to be on the show in December. It went from uploading a video of yourself and doing the application to a virtual interview and performance to audition, where they just go across the states and the cities to get people to audition to make it to the [filmed] auditions. It was a competition before you even get to the real competition.

Credit: Eli Joshua Adé/Netflix

Credit: Eli Joshua Adé/Netflix

Q: That’s even more interesting because you were still a student when all of this happened.

A: The show started at the beginning of January, so it also was the beginning of the school semester. It was difficult. If you don’t show up for class in two weeks, they’re going drop you. I didn’t show up in two months [because of the show], but I was communicating with my professors, so they knew that I wasn’t just playing around … I’m grateful that they were able to work with me on finding out alternative way for me to get my work done.

Q: Tell me about your Atlanta upbringing and how that led to you pursuing a rap career.

A: I’m from Summerhill, Zone 3, Lakewood — that area. I’ve definitely just been growing up in that neighborhood my whole life. Going on the show, I feel like I’m the only one who just had that ATL sauce, from Season One all the way to Season Two. I’m from the hood, and I carry that with me. Some people hear that, and they think just because you’re from the hood, you’re saying something negative, but it’s positive.

Q: What made you want to start rapping?

A: I started rapping at 12 years old. My dad was a rapper, but he got locked up when I was a kid, so that pretty much killed his chances of having a rap career. When I got to middle school, something was just pushing me toward writing and being an artist, and I just stuck with it.

Q: Your mom was in prison while you were on the show. What was her reaction to you winning?

A: She couldn’t believe it. She was just shocked and proud and full of joy. She told everyone at the prison, and they all were just cheering for me. I could just hear the whole cellblock — everyone just cheering and saying congratulations. Now that she’s on probation, last week was her first time seeing it from the other side.

Credit: ELI JOSHUA ADE/NETFLIX

Credit: ELI JOSHUA ADE/NETFLIX

Q: What’s next for your career?

A: I’m just going to focus on my music career, or my career in general, and see who I can be as a person, as a brand. I definitely want to just prove myself, but not for anybody else, just like for me, like what I could be and what I could do.

Q: What does that include?

A: I definitely want to put out an album and go on a tour. Honestly, I don’t really have plans to do too much other than focus on this music. I just want to keep growing my fan base every single day.

Q: Was there a memorable moment from the show that viewers didn’t get to see?

A: The friendships that we developed with each other. We’re all one big family, and we all care about each other, especially Jay Taj. Even though he came in second place, he’s always been super supportive. The first thing he told me when they called my name was, “You deserve it. Go take care of your family.”

Q: What advice would you give to aspiring Atlanta rappers?

A: I would tell them to just not give up. Good and bad, music is very subjective. So if you like it, there’s someone else that probably likes it. The only difference between someone who’s making it and someone who don’t make it is giving up. If you don’t give up on your dream, and you actually put the work in, then you’re bound to make it.

IF YOU WATCH

Season 2 of “Rhythm & Flow”

All episodes are available to stream via Netflix