Dolla4prez is a 22-year old rapper from West Philly. The artist is currently promoting the singles “Perc” and “Foreign Shoez” both produced by Yung Tago. This is a young, fiery, and otherworldly intelligent rapper who seems to have just about found the right combination of his lyrical prowess and the right beats to accentuate his flow. The combination of some of Dolla4prez’s most ironically inspired rhymes and well-crafted production work makes these track extremely easy listening. The raw, highly intellectual and artistically un-afraid emcee can easily wind up a manic verse and make you forget all about the beat. These releases feel so much like an artist who has made the choice to make music without the concern of what people or the industry may be expecting from them.
To just craft his art completely from his own musings and interests and to just maybe, be in a space where he doesn’t have to worry about his production or lyrical style, sounds to me, like an ideal place to be for any creative spirit to be. In fact one listen to “Foreign Shoez” Prod. Yung Tago, will quickly convince listeners of the uniqueness of this artist.
The song’s theme, the beat, the wordplay, and finally Dolla4prez’s quaint vocal delivery come from a totally original place. His stylistic vocal caprices are all part of the show, and they certainly are capable of drawing attention.
Wherever his stylistic eccentricities lead him, it’s central to Dolla4prez’s appeal as they adorn an underlying, intrinsic rapness that goes beyond simply being gimmicky. How can you not be enchanted or fascinated by a verse that goes: “Walked in the room. The first thing they do, they look at my shoes…”
There’s a certain pleasure to deciphering the massive free-associative leaps that explain some of Dolla4prez’s colorful lyrics, as words here are not just present in service of their delivery. But to deliver a series of messages.
Dolla4prez’s likes to toy with genre, language, and expression, in ways that force us out of our boring tendencies. It’s a beneficial service. It converts a rigid vision that rap has to sound in a certain way, with a particular rhyme scheme and conforming subject matter. As if we can approach art the way we do math.
Dolla4prez throws all that crap out of the window and constructs his own rap realities, always catching us off guard. Something he pulls off again with the bass-driven, drug-induced theme of “Perc” Prod. Yung Tago.
Dolla4prez’s probably knows his fans appreciate his eclectic sounds so he keeps flexing his alchemical musical skills here – “Pop me Perc, just so I could work.” The emotions run high, the focus is maintained, and every bar holds its personal distinction that makes it easy for fans to pick up on.
In the end, everything is positive. Dolla4prez delivers 2 good singles that evoke feelings of completeness and the desire to spin it a second time. It’s clear that his music career will continue to make tremendous strides if he keeps the momentum going forward.
OFFICIAL LINKS: SOUNDCLOUD – INSTAGRAM – TWITTER
