Dapa Don

Favorites:

“The Table”
“Hold Up” feat. Krown Royale
“Flirtin”
“Crucify Me”


New York rap is experiencing a resurgence this year. Now that’s not to say that it has went away but one of the biggest songs of the summer, if not the year, came from Bobby Shmurda. Granted “Hot N***a” didn’t sound like traditional New York rap but it’s a starting point. With all of the music coming out of the birthplace of hip-hop, one project stands out more than any I’ve heard from there recently and that’s Dapa Don’s FOOD.

What makes FOOD a standout among the other projects is its willingness to NOT try to sound like classic New York hip-hop. Dapa Don makes music about his life and his experiences that don’t come across forced. The melodies and upbeat tracks all sound amazing, not like they’re trying to be from a certain area of the hip-hop landscape. There’s a song for every audience imaginable. “The Table” serves as the intro, immediately connecting you to Dap’s life as he talks about many of the negative things he wished would have been different in his life. If you’re looking for something to party, “Hold Up”, featuring fellow New York artist Krown Royale, will capture that. Out of all of the songs on the project, the latter is the one that sounds radio ready.

While each track has a different message and meaning they all flow well together. FOOD does a great job of matching tempo’s and sound’s from one record to the next. For example, take the string of tracks from “Hold Up” to “Gangsta”. The former begins as a mid to slower tempo party track which leads into the midtempo “Flirtin”. This is the most appealing track production wise as Grammy nominated producer Andrew Lloyd captures the mood of the song and makes you think of a summertime party where there are plenty of single people to flirt with. From there it goes slower with the Cherice Love featured “Xtasy” followed by another midtempo track in “Gangsta”. Where “Xtasy” takes a turn from being the normal “rapper rapping about his lady” song is that Dap is singing in a way that sounds like any regular guy who would try to serenade his girlfriend in the bedroom. It feels like anyone can do it, which makes it relatable and a great way to connect with a new audience.


If “Flirtin” is the most appealing song production wise then “Crucify Me” is the best overall song on FOOD. It has a certain appeal to it as it sounds like the beat was molded around Dap’s voice to fit his rhymes, which are full of energy on the verses and the chorus. “They want to see me dead/crucify me like Jesus/two seeds hanging on the trees/’Blood On The Leaves’ like Yeezus” he rhymes on the chorus with so much charisma and heart that it will stick with you long after you’ve listened to the song.

There are a couple of minor hiccups you’ll hear, some more noticeable than others. “Learn Today” features Don Juan and while it’s a good song, it sounds more like it’s Don’s song than Dap’s due to Don being on the hook and having a verse as well. As for the sequencing, it’s great with the exception of “I95”. This is a song that could have been left off or put on earlier to match the tempo and sound claim stated earlier. Overall FOOD is a great listen and has a high replay value. In a city that sees more and more artists trying to come out of it everyday, Dapa Don is one that I would highly recommend to check out.



4 out of 5 - Joe Hova

Dapa Don is back with another project. With the success of “Weekend Love”, which dropped earlier this year on Valentine’s Day, he’s decided to feed the streets again with his new album “#FOOD”. This time around Dap took a different approach by laying everything out on the table on the Intro. He talks about his marriage,his moms and fake friends which is just the tip of the iceberg. This album has something for every type of hip hop listener; with songs like “Hold Up” featuring Krown Royale and his other single “Flirtin” Dap did a great job of showing off his other song making capabilities. One of my favorite songs on the album is the “Xtasy” track because it’s smooth and is something you can play when you’re chillin with your girl. I also like it because Dap is singing I didn’t know he could sing and he was actually pretty good at it. It’s always a plus when artist show they are versatile and can do more than just rap. The “Gangsta” track is also dope because it’s on some just chill type of vibe in the summer when the weather is nice and breezy outside , and you can never go wrong with a track like that. I got a pretty good feeling that this will be the project that could possibly get Dapa Don the recognition he deserves in the underground music world. “#FOOD” is set to drop this Saturday September 27th. - Lamondre Deshawn

http://onlyjayraw.com/2014/12/26/interview-the-raw-with-special-guest-dapa-don-d-r-u-g/ - Jay Raw

Everybody listen up imma need y'all to pay attention and listen closely to what I'm about to tell y'all. This dude Dapa Don is nice on the mic. He's not your typical unsigned artist from New York that just try's to be super lyrical or bring that gangsta rap back, the scene 50 cent left and it hasn't been the same since. This dude can really make good music. And by good music I'm talking about the stuff that you just can't help but nod your head to in the club or when your crusin in the whip. It's just good music all around and he's a talented artist who I can tell actually has an ear for music and not just for making rap songs. He makes slow joints, he has conscious tracks like the song Harmony about his daughter being born and him becoming a better man so he can raise her right. He has the club joints like Disrespect which is actually my favorite song by Dap. Yo if I'm in the club or a house party and Disrespect comes on imma disrespect every coach in the immediate area lol .I fuck with that song heavy that could easily be a club banger. Family Ties is also another personal favorite, and 2 guns up is another personal favorite because it sounds like a song that would be on a Grand Theft Auto radio station while your riding around in Liberty City (New York). The Change your life track is mean too cause he's spittin about how to scoop a chick up from these clowns they usually get approached by. So like I said he raps about everything and he's talented at that. He's not afraid to switch his flow up or spit on a different type of beat he's truly one of the few independent artist that actually knows how to make the music sound the way he wants it to he has his own identity and sound. - Mr. Beamup

http://blis.fm/202-u/7-dapa-don-yung-e/ - BLisFM

Need some new music from a New York rising artist? Look no further than Dapa Don. Dap, who had a nice 2014 with the release of the first Weekend Love and his #FOOD album, comes into 2015 with a bang. Weekend Love 2 is eight tracks and features production from Grammy-nominated producer Andrew Lloyd along with other great producers. Dap has a good ear for production that fits his style and he won’t let you down lyrically either. Check his latest and expect big things from him this year. - The Essntls