For greater than half a decade, the DMV’s avenue rap scene has been dominated by ominous piano melodies and skittish triplet flows. Probably the most thrilling rappers of this era have embraced this framework whereas discovering refined methods to push the fashion ahead. Suppose Q Da Idiot, who together with his 2017 mixtape Wealthy Shoota Vol. 2 confirmed that the speedy, punchline-stuffed supply—pioneered by himself, Massive Flock, and Shabazz PBG—could possibly be stretched melodically. Or Lil Dude and Goonew, who rewired that very same move with a hushed edge on 2018’s Murder Boyz. Or Xanman and YungManny, who branched out with a singles run that flaunted their twisted humorousness.
Prince George’s County, Maryland’s Tae Dawg is much less heralded, however has been enjoying with methods to open up the regional sound for some years now. Together with his latest mixtape, Sorry 4 Da Ooze, he lets his impulses prepare dinner. He’s simply as more likely to rap in a shout as a whisper, to cram as many phrases as attainable right into a punchline, or dig in his R&B bag. Exterior influences mingle with homegrown ones. His ear for beats is far and wide, browsing between instrumentals that pull from extra conventional piano-driven minimalism within the lane of native beatmaker Cheecho in addition to people who owe extra to the hazy synth experiments of DMV producers Sparkheem and Spizzledoe.
His course of appears to be to only throw every part on the wall, which up to now has made for mixtapes that have been as patchy as they have been fascinating. Sorry 4 Da Ooze (the phrase “ooze” is his factor as a result of he thinks the villain within the 1995 Energy Rangers film is cool) will not be an exception, however this time the misfires are dampened by the fascinating crevices Tae Dawg finds to work inside. It’s uncommon for a monitor on the mixtape to be one-note—move switch-ups occur so quick that you simply don’t even have the prospect to be overwhelmed. On “Thirsty,” Tae Dawg rapidly shifts between melodic murmurs and hearty wails. He’s not precisely a great singer, however in bursts he could make you suppose he’s. There’s no leash on “Oozin Rambo,” as he skips from a lightning-quick barrage of violent punch-ins to a center part the place it seems that he’s a contestant on Silent Library, attempting to scream with out making an excessive amount of noise.
What’s predictable about Sorry 4 Da Ooze are the lyrics. Tae Dawg’s punchlines don’t have any punch to them—good factor he’s a fascinating vocalist. Gun-toting threats and drug discuss are pretty normal in avenue rap, however his are so clean and nameless that you simply typically don’t discover them. Whenever you do it’s most likely for a foul motive, like his boring chant of “I fucked a bitch, I don’t like her” on “Go TF Off,” a few seconds that really feel limitless. The simple R&B ballad “Hallows & Caskets” places an excessive amount of give attention to obscure recollections, lacking any trace of DMV taste.
Typically that’s not the case. Even when Sorry 4 Da Ooze strays from DMV manufacturing, Tae Dawg doesn’t let regionality escape him. A handful of trend-hopping ventures end up surprisingly properly: His racing move elevates the played-out rage synths of “Blasting Off” and he sounds nearly as snug as Shawny Binladen over the pulsating drill beat of “Ooze Drill.” Nonetheless, the mixtape is only when Tae Dawg fine-tunes the DMV sound in his mould, firing off feathery pews as a substitute of aggressive gunshot ad-libs on “Get Out Ya Emotions” or breaking apart the peculiar triplet move chest-puffing of “Knuck If You Bucc” with just a few traces that really feel like they’re being rapped by a college PA system. Listening to Tae Dawg advance the sound of his area inch by inch is a reminder of what’s so fulfilling about following DMV rap.
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