Today we’d like to introduce you to Domonique Green.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’m originally from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and my creative journey really started at home. My dad is an IT expert and a walking encyclopedia of music history, so I grew up around both technology and sound in a really natural way. My mom, on the other hand, has always been deeply rooted in education and community engagement, which shaped how I think about impact and intention behind everything I create. That combination of influences pushed me to explore multiple creative lanes early on.
Both of my parents were also entrepreneurs, so building something of my own was always encouraged. I actually started my first successful business at 14 with one of my close friends, Trinette Lewis. We created a quirky online boutique called Trippy Matrimony, where we designed and sold playful, unconventional items meant to make people laugh, everything from necklaces with celebrity faces to custom pillowcases. It really took off in a way we didn’t expect, and in 2014 we were recognized as two of Houston’s Top 100 Young Professionals by Young Houston Magazine, making us the youngest on the list at the time. We eventually dissolved the business when it was time to graduate high school, but that experience taught me a lot about branding, audience, and what it means to build something from scratch.
I went on to attend Howard University, where I graduated Cum Laude in 2021 with a BFA. During my time there, I also joined Iota Phi Lambda Sorority, Inc. in the Spring of 2020 through the Delta Phi Chapter. As the first business sorority founded for African American women in 1929, that experience further deepened my understanding of professionalism, entrepreneurship, and legacy within our community. While on campus, I worked with WHBC 96.3 and The Hilltop Newspaper, which strengthened my voice in media and storytelling. I also gained professional experience through internships with the International Rescue Committee, The Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, Tinder, the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, and NJI Media. Altogether, my time at Howard sharpened not only my technical skills but also my sense of purpose as an artist. It was a space that allowed me to experiment across disciplines—graphic design, videography, photography, and web design, while also being surrounded by a community that valued Black creativity and storytelling at a high level.
I founded PaperTag during the pandemic in 2020, toward the end of my junior year at Howard, alongside a group of friends. Initially, the platform was created to give underground and independent musicians a positive, intentional space to share their work and connect with new audiences. From there, we expanded into community engagement through projects like HIPOLITICS and Retail 4 The Culture. With HIPOLITICS, we interviewed candidates running for elected positions in Pennsylvania—from mayoral races to school board and lieutenant governor, exploring not only their platforms but also the intersection of Hip Hop and politics, and how they planned to support the arts. Retail 4 The Culture focused on minority-owned brick-and-mortar businesses, highlighting the role music plays in their spaces and its connection to retail therapy and cultural experience.
Toward the end of 2021, PaperTag went on hiatus as our team graduated and transitioned into post-college life. In 2025, we rebranded and relaunched with a more expansive vision, still centering independent and underground artists, but across all artistic mediums, with a deeper commitment to community engagement.
Today, PaperTag is a multidisciplinary digital platform that amplifies artists across music, visual art, and performance. The website operates as a rotating digital exhibition, transforming monthly to spotlight a featured project, while we stay tapped in through concert reviews, music coverage, fine art critiques, and artist interviews across our platforms.
Our team is spread across Texas, the DMV, Boston, and Detroit, allowing us to create from within the communities we cover. From underground collectives and boundary-pushing art to artist-led nightlife and sonic experimentation, we focus on stories that exist outside the algorithm but deserve to be documented and archived. PaperTag blends journalism, design, and storytelling through editorial campaigns, photo essays, video interviews, experimental film, and collaborative merch. Everything we do is rooted in honoring artists in real time while building something lasting.
This year, we also reached a major milestone by securing our 501(c)(3) status, further solidifying our commitment to community-driven work and long-term impact.
Alongside that, I’ve been developing my voice as a DJ under the name DJ Liiight. I’ve had the opportunity to play in different cities, including Maryland, and recently DJ’d at Tribeca in Houston for For The Yearners’ one-year anniversary. I also hold two monthly residencies at Carla’s Coffee House, which has been a really important space for connecting with the local community and refining my sound.
A lot of my inspiration comes from artists like Solange, Michael Jackson, Teena Marie, Kanye West, J Dilla, The Roots, A Tribe Called Quest, and Kelela, people who have pushed boundaries sonically and visually while still staying rooted in identity and storytelling. That’s something I carry into everything I do, whether it’s behind the decks, building a brand, or creating visual work. Overall, my journey has been about blending all of my interests into one ecosystem that feels both personal and community-driven, and I’m continuing to build on that every day.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely hasn’t been a completely smooth road, but I think that’s true for any path worth taking. A lot of the work I do is deeply collaborative, so navigating different personalities, communication styles, and schedules has been a learning experience. You’re constantly adjusting, finding alignment, and making sure everyone feels seen while still pushing the work forward.
Finances have also been a challenge at times, especially when you’re building out big ideas and community-driven projects that don’t always have immediate funding attached. But that’s really pushed me to become more strategic and intentional. I’ve learned how to plan ahead, build smarter, and think long-term about sustainability.
Overall, those challenges have shaped how I move now. They’ve made me more adaptable, more solution-oriented, and more thoughtful about how I build, not just creatively, but structurally as well.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My work lives at the intersection of storytelling, design, and sound. I’m a multidisciplinary creative, I specialize in graphic design, videography, photography, and web design, but everything I do is rooted in building intentional experiences and platforms for artists. I’m also a DJ under the name DJ Liiight, which is another extension of how I tell stories, just sonically. Whether it’s a mix, a visual, or an editorial project, I’m always thinking about feeling, narrative, and how people connect to the work.
I’m probably best known for founding PaperTag, which has become a space dedicated to amplifying underground and independent artists across multiple mediums. Through PaperTag, I’ve been able to blend journalism, design, and community engagement, creating everything from digital exhibitions and artist interviews to curated events and visual campaigns. That ecosystem approach is really at the core of what I do.
What I’m most proud of is building something that’s both collaborative and community-driven, while still maintaining a clear creative vision. From starting my first business as a teenager to now leading a platform with a team across multiple cities, it’s been a journey of consistently choosing to create with intention and purpose.
What sets me apart is my ability to move fluidly across different mediums while keeping everything connected. I’m not just thinking about one output, I’m thinking about the full experience, how it lives visually, sonically, and culturally. I also prioritize authenticity and documentation in real time. A lot of the work I do is about capturing moments, scenes, and artists while they’re still unfolding, and making sure those stories are told in a way that feels true to the people and communities they come from.
What makes you happy?
What makes me happiest is sharing knowledge. I love introducing people to new artists, songs, and ideas, those moments where you can put someone onto something they’ve never experienced before. There’s something really special about expanding someone’s world, even in a small way.
A lot of that comes from my parents. Every phone call with my dad ends with him giving me a list of artists or songs I need to tap into, and you can tell how much joy he gets from sharing that with me. My mom is an educator, and she’s always been passionate about pouring into people in ways that help them grow. So when I’m in those moments, whether I’m DJing, curating, or just having a conversation, I feel like I’m carrying both of those things with me.
In a lot of ways, I see myself as an educator of the arts. Being able to connect people to something new, and watching that resonate with them, is what really fulfills me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thepapertag.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/imdomg
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@djliiight
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/djliiight
