Big hooks and honest vocals, intimacy and a strong groove let the catchy opening moments of Garden introduce the voice and stylings of Afro Dope with confidence and character.
Crafted around a poetic conceptual hook, with imagery and melody united at its peak, Garden features sung moments in great supply, with some sharper rapped bars woven into an ever-changing tapestry for that true creative dynamic.
It’s a genre-fusing, maybe even genre-free expression of metaphor and smart songwriting, and that hook is an instant earworm, and revisits the space more than enough times throughout the track’s lifespan to work its magic.
Self-described as ‘another unstable depressed artist’, the songwriting and voice of Afro Dope in topic and tone rings loudly as authentic and impassioned. The performance style is playful but also grounded by its own emotional integrity, and this stand tall throughout his colourful, unpredictable, and fast-growing indie catalogue.
Afro Dope is far from a stranger to the scene, and his experience from over 15 years immersed in making music is undeniable. Collaborator OG Tony Love has also hit the indie realm with notable impact, amassing over a million plays on his past singles, and showcasing the best of his abilities in both story and flow on his joint tracks with Afro Dope.
On that note, next week sees Afro Dope build upon the momentum of Garden, with the release of two additional tracks. Riot!, produced by Yung Spoiler and featuring Tony Love, is an indie rock jam on the surface, with another brilliantly catchy, anthemic hook, and raw distorted guitars and layers helping elevate that ever shifting vocal style.
Afro Dope lays down a story of romantic fallout, and the dynamic between the two voices adds something energetic and memorable here. The track in both production and melody, even the grit and scorn of the delivery, is captivating, and loaded with effective juxtapositions.
Also releasing next week is the softer and more ambient, reverb-soaked arena of thought that is In Love (Prod. by Cold Melody). Here we get a more classic emo-trap presentation, with rise and fall verses that offer a fast-paced lyrical outpouring devoted to clever rhyme schemes and reflections that are again rooted in romanticism, and in this case something hopeful; an optimistic bounce that feels personal yet accessible – potentially the ‘our song’ for a multitude of modern listeners.
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