(5 votes, average: 4.20 out of 5)
Loading...Finding decent underground rap used to be hard. I recall going through hundreds of acts to find a handful that could make something enjoyable. Hip hop and technology both evolved to the point that anyone with talent and a computer can use easily accessible knowledge and tools to make something decent. This has ushered in an era, in which too many people think they are an expert, and dissect what others have done and accomplished. To some, it’s become about minutia instead of music.
I’ve tried to avoid doing this, but I do it to. When I don’t have something to say, and yet have to say something, it’s usually going to be snide, or judgmental, which is the fallback for any critic. Don’t get me wrong, it bothers me if I have to turn the volume way up, or if there are obvious quality issues. I like originality, so if someone is an Eminem clone, all the way down to a squeaky delivery, it’s annoying. But, it’s not about, “this is derivative of bla bla fuckin’ bla“, or picking out some detail that 95% of the audience won’t even notice, it’s about how enjoyable a song or an album is.
In some ways, you can judge an artist by the company they keep. DurtE has surrounded himself with talented people. BadLuck, Malaria, Crossworm, Lo Key, Saint Sinna, etc… all veterans of the underground rap scene. He doesn’t take himself too seriously, he’s not trying to establish himself as a prototypical hip hop artist (he lists experimental as one of his styles). DurtE mixes singing and guitars with a talented flow. I prefer it when DurtE is rapping, but that’s mostly personal preference.
DurtE.Decibelz is basically a digital release. You can order a physical copy from Kunaki (for old school people that’s kind of like MP3.Com CDs), but since you can listen to this on YourVibe, that’s how most people will hear it. DurtE.Decibelz is a well done album. If you don’t mind where DurtE is taking you, you will enjoy the ride. There are no horrible tracks to ruin the experience, there are no shitty homeboy collabs that wreck otherwise good tracks. The album doesn’t get monotonous, if you’re ok with a little rock and even a little country, you’ll probably appreciate the diversity.
I won’t be rating each track, there’s none bad enough to be singled out. I hate to go over things track by track at all, in the same way I think movie reviews tend to make a movie less enjoyable. If this was a 10 star rating scale, I’d be torn somewhere between 7-8 stars, but I have to take into account how FLH typically rates things. Sorry DurtE, but if Serial Killers Vol 1 gets 3.5 stars, I just can’t give you 4.
1: Dunning – Kruger Effect – DurtE’s ode to the fact that most people who suck at something are not aware. Instead of an typical intro, he leads off with the most energetic track of the album. It’s basically a metal infused diss track.
2: Return of the Dickhead (ft. Lo Key) – I imagine this would be a lot of people’s favorite track. It’s more of a strictly hip hop track. It’s a nice, somewhat laid back track.
3: Still the Same (ft. Saint Sinna & Jise One) – A lighthearted, solid hip hop track. Saint Sinna is good as usual, Jise One is solid, and DurtE delivers some tongue twisting lyrics.
4: The Art Of Dying – Rock and lots of it. It’s a good rock track, but there’s no hip hop to be found here.
5: Long Durt Road (ft. Malaria & BadLuck) – This might sound odd coming from someone who helped introduce T.O.N.E-z (probably best known for his work with Gangstagrass) to the this corner of the underground, but I don’t like countrified music of any sort. It’s good for what it is though.
6: Poverty (ft. Dubbs, Crossworm, & Fatt Tarr) – This is probably my favorite track. Not just because of the shout outs to Dollar Tree and Save-A-Lot (I have to go there and pick up some pizzas), it’s a well done track from top to bottom.
7: Another 365 – His intro wasn’t typical, but the outro is a little more of what you’d usually expect. A serious and introspective track from DurtE.
In conclusion, you should know by now if this is something you want to check out. You probably figured that out when I named some of the people that DurtE is associated with. If that’s your type of shit, go check this album out, and if you’re not sure, you should probably check it out anyway. The YourVibe page can be kind of a dick about logging in as guest, but it does work, you just might have to click the link again after you log-in.
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