Do Or Die draws you in from the offset with a softly organic jazz ambiance – a level of space and quiet, setting a certain relaxed mood. This is fleeting though, the track itself is everything the title promises – it hits hard, a big beat and a loud leading vocal that barely takes a breath from the moment the flow begins.
There’s a distinctive sense of unsettled urgency about this track that represents the concept of do or die pretty relevantly. Fortunately the intensity of the opening verse fades into something a little more focused and mellow as the second voice comes into play. Actually, the contrast between the two makes for a well structured piece that attempts to hold your attention in the way that a short film clip might. Both parts are performed, they’re performances – not just lyrics being read out.
Musically you settle into this beat after a while and that jazz beginning, the sax sound, continues throughout the piece. The second time you listen you’re less in awe of the sudden onslaught and can pay more attention to the details and the lyrics. It’s a lot more enjoyable this time around, the lyrics tell a story that captivates, and the intensity of that opening vocal is on point when you consider the death aspect of the concept and the serious issues at hand.
In addition, the flow varies throughout, keeping the performance interesting – always passionate but always working to give audiences something of worth, something lyrically fitting and empowering at the same time. There’s no filler, and that’s impressive. You grow to understand the whole thing more and more as it plays out, and both verses add something valuable to the underling vibe and sentiment of the track.
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