Valley of the Sun, what’s good! It’s that time again, so sit back, relax and let get into this week’s review! This week’s featured artist is Dirty K and his smooth delivery of frozen water on, “ICE”. Dirty K, is a young emcee, and graduate of Hamilton High, repping Chandler, Arizona. From the first note, Dirty K’s sound is smooth over a laid-back beat reminiscent to something you’d hear from Pete Rock and CL Smooth. The most enjoyable feature about this track, is the fact that Dirty stays on the same topic the entire song. Riding the beat with his relaxed delivery, and several memorable quotes, Dirty K creates a smoker “Curren$y-esque” vibe often interlacing references to ice.
Lyrically, Dirty K is ahead of his time. Bars like “Bitch I’m Dirty K/ I be like a shark whenever niggas ride my wave/”, and “smash her on the table, call that bitch a domino/”, showcase his talent for writing clever, yet easily digestible rhymes. Dirty’s rhyme schemes are straight forward making his wittiness apparent for the casual listener. Dirty is aware of his audience and seamlessly blends old and new school sounds on this track. Using short phrases like “yah” and “uh” in between bars keeps in the tradition of the new school, which use these phrases to increase and maintain the hypeness of the track. By far my favorite line is this song is “All my shooters dark skin, like coffee mixed with cola/”. Dirty K uses similes constantly throughout his rhymes, which in lyrics alone, remind me of a 2008-2011 Lil Wayne.
The blend of new school and old school sounds are what really set this track apart and make it an original piece of art. The beat leans toward the golden era “boom bap” sound, with quick snares and hi hats. The result is a nostalgic sound. The rhymes are easy to digest, with the cadence and delivery favoring artists of today. The content, to be expected from a younger artist, is more based around women and stunting, but Dirty’s swag and smiles help keep the song fresh. The short run time is also a trend that we more in today’s hip-hop scene, but leaves you wanting a bit more. This was a bit of a risk to cut such a smooth song so quickly, but it makes you want to hear more of him.
“ICE” has a phenomenal sound, with the beat having a minimal impact, allowing for Dirty K’s voice to really be hard. The vocals are level and mixed at a professional level. It’s obvious that Dirty K planned to deliver this track with a certain sound in mind, and he was achieved that. The outcome being a smooth, easily listen. This week, “Ice” takes home a 8.5 out of 10 for his incredibly smooth delivery and witty lyrics. That’s all for this this week, stay cool! The heat is almost over outside, but every week I’ll keep supplying the flames!
BIRDCITYVIEW 