Immediately standing out in the way that powerful hip hop should, the opening few bars of this album, of Neanderthal, kick things off brilliantly. Intelligent framing of ideas and gritty, quirky yet poignant references meet with the classic simplicity of a haunting backdrop. Dre A.M. fuses sharp metaphors with personal anecdotes, for a deeply revealing and compelling series of originals.
Featuring twelve new tracks, each one significantly shorter than the average three minutes found elsewhere, Bad Kid, GOOD City may attract intrigue or even scorn for its topical play on an infamous title, but Dre A.M. quickly redirects things towards his own integrity and strength as a rapper and artist.
Detailing the journey of a young man, escaping suburbia for the inner city in order to find himself, the project follows our protagonist through topics like self-purpose, struggle, depression and even suicide. The harsh undertones emerge first in poetic depths throughout Brady, then we get a raw studio sound for the again culturally intriguing Cobain.
Elsewhere we hear switches in flow but an ultimately familiar vocal sound that rings true to the Dre A.M. style on the mic. While there’s darkness and pain to much of the storytelling, there’s also plenty of laid-back quirkiness and humour. Eat The Crow blends the two with unsettling presence, Not A Hobby does too but with a notably anthem-like and retro sci-fi-esque energy.
Towards the end, the sheer pace and sharp wit and detail of The Shepherd makes for a definite highlight. That home-made style connects again for its realness and intimacy. Then there’s the contemplative and fearlessly self-aware Spiritual War, taking things deeper still, before the comical theatrics and hardship of Dame Lillard wraps things up with a jittered flow and final hit of personality.
In short, strong bars and vocal character elevate this project on the back of simple, even minimalist hip hop production. Dre A.M wants the attention of the scene, the album title assures you of that, but what lies within quickly backs up his reasons. Born to write and perform in this way – a rapper worth knowing about this year.
Download or stream Bad Kid, GOOD City here. Check out Dre A.M. on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & his Website.
