(Photo By Live Mixtapes)
Last year young emcee Dimillio released his debut project called Easy. The “Stay Click” movement representer is wasting no time and sticking to the grind with his current follow up release titled Easy II. So let’s get right down to business as well. Dive into the review after the break.
“Freak Show”
This hypnotic track is produced by The Fr3shmen and it definitely stands out. The deep 808s over the frantic echoing synth is almost entrancing. The percussions are a quiet snap, a vocal sample of what sounds like “mama,” and a computer blip for the last four bars of the verse. The song title is fitting because its exactly what Dimillio speaks on. His flow is cool and stretches to land on the beat for a smooth delivery. He stays on topic here and goes in on a couple of bars like: “Gone drop the top on me like a convertible. Come and sit on my face, I’mma have a face full. If my girl join us, you can’t say I ain’t faithful.” Lines such as these pop up throughout the song, so the song is heat.
“Put It Down” F/ Kyauna Clarke
Okay, Alex Kresovich does his thing on the production. This track has multiple changes, but its focused harmonic pianos during the first four bars of each verse and tribal drums for the second four. Then the last eight pick up when Kresovich brings in the modern drums and thin clap and snares. It goes from just a groovy track to a sexy anthem to get people two-stepping. Though this song is similar to “Freak Show” topic wise, this one is a lot more softer and geared towards the female fans. Dimillio had some bars on this one, but the stand out vocals belong to Ms. Clarke for the intro and chorus. Where she chooses to put emphasis and go high or low is perfection. From the simple lines like: “Put it down, put it all on me. Got you feeling like ecstasy. Put it down, put it down, put it down, put it down;” to the melodic layers in background, she adds so much to the song its ridiculous. This is a well done track.
“Had A Dream”
Produced by Lewis Cullen, this song stands as one of my favorite moments from the mixtape. The elegant piano chords Cullen uses are surrounded by harmonic and ambient vocals. The kicks bang hard on this one and the clap is perfectly timed and stingy (my ears are suckers for well EQ claps/snares against deep drums). And the chorus layers on the piano notes with heavy synth organs. This is the best piece of production on the project. This has to be Dimillio’s best song lyrically too. From the first opening of the chorus, you can feel Dimillio’s hunger for a better life as he raps: “I had a dream that I woke up rich. I had a dream that I had a big crib. I had a dream that my girl had some kids. I had a dream I wasn’t worried bout s–t.” From the jump his verses are well thought out and absent of filler which is evident in lines like: “Coming up was the hardest part. Momma always told me be home before it turns dark. But its hard to listen when you’re born a knucklehead. Cause high school turned yo a** into embarrassment.” This is his strongest performance on the tape.
**Final Thoughts: Overall, Dimillio put together a decent mixtape and suitable follow up. He switches up from the “cool guy swag” tracks here and there, but there is something more to be desired from his lyrical content. The production honestly carries the project most of the way and I would have loved to see additional growth from the rapper. The mixtape isn’t bad and has some nice moments in it, but a little more polish could have elevated it from good to great. -Real McCoy
