KKBOX: www.kkbox.com/hk/tc/album/APucOxkzFmHep0F2Nyni009H-index.html
A slick drum beat walks us into the neon heat of “Forever Music,” a slice of old school flow from DawgGonDavis’ awesome new EP Anthem Pandemonium, and while it leads us directly into its songwriter’s twisted world of abstract humor it also triggers an insatiable desire to shake our bodies to its oddly romantic groove. DawgGonDavis is not a household name in the hip-hop world, but if you’ve been keeping an eye on the indie rap scene her elegantly off the wall tracks have been hard to avoid. Finally assembled into an extended play, DGD’s hardcore fans are guaranteed to be enthralled by her most ambitious release yet while new listeners will get hooked on her infectiously glowing style.
DGD is only a part time musician, but when she gets into the studio she’s totally involved in every stage of the process. From the composition of the music to the careful crafting of the lyrics, she doesn’t leave out a single detail when constructing her songs, and audiences won’t have to listen very hard to notice the difference in her material above everyone else’s. DGD’s primary objective in her career isn’t to rack up a bunch of platinum records but to raise awareness for charity, and that’s a big motivation to keep her extremely attentive to her records.
Anthem Pandemonium is crudely designed (in a good way) on purpose, and rather than coming off as totally outsider-branded and inaccessible to mainstream listeners it adds a creative flair that you won’t typically find scanning the radio. Hip-hop has the problem of often taking itself too seriously, and by consistently using her platform for self-deprecation and jovial banter DGD isn’t just making good music, she’s humbling the genre that she celebrates. Many artists half her age have tried this and failed miserably, but she makes it look effortless.
Stylistically DGD isn’t influencing the future of rap music or even the Midwestern scene that she’s come to call her own, but she’s still having a lot of fun getting us to have fun in the face of such dark and depressing circumstances in our country. With so much fighting and division between people in America these days, it’s nice to hear an artist who openly wants to take the tough subjects and have a laugh with them at no one’s expense. She’s tough as nails in her vocal delivery and straight forward in her songwriting, which actually could make her a good artist for us all to lean on in the years to come.
Whether it’s cancer, the fear of unacceptance or the intimidating task of making a record that everyone will love, there isn’t anything that can keep DawgGonDavis from accomplishing what she sets her heart out to do. For one of the more inspirational and relaxing listens of the year, I highly recommend checking out Anthem Pandemonium and its four stunningly original rap songs. When life gets us down, art is always there to pick us back up, and thanks to this gifted and talented woman 2018 is a little less gloomy than it started out to be.
DawgGoneDavis’ music on SPOTIFY: open.spotify.com/artist/17zkKolXnMXBF26UdTSVBp
Clay Burton
DawgGonDavis’ music has been heard all over the world due to the radio plugging services offered by Musik Radio Promotions. Learn more – musikandfilm.com/