Review: "Do or Die" Album by Dio
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Dio is a New Jersey based, Hip-Hop/RnB artist signed by OPV Records. He makes music that takes the listener through his emotional trips and life situations. Earlier this month, Dio dropped his sophomore album with the label titled “Do or Die”.
I typically like to compare indie artists to a couple of mainstream acts just to give a general idea of their sound. For Dio, he gives me both Drake and Quavo vibes. He has the ability to sing using autotune over trap beats like Quavo and can also switch from singing to rapping like Drake.
That being said, Dio definitely has his own voice and sound. He’s found a way to be influenced by some of today’s popular sound while also having his own unique style. One of the first songs that caught my ear was “Stacey”. Dio sings and spits with a myriad of flows over a beat loop that is dark and ominous. The hook is catchy as Dio names different women and tells them that he doesn’t miss them and doesn’t like drama.
The production on this project is an example of trap NOT being lazy. I personally stray away from some trap music because the production is lazy, simple and lacks musicality. The beats on this project capture the trap sound while still utilizing actual musical elements. An example of this is the beat on track 4, “No Issue”.
I need to brag on Dio’s actual rapping ability for a second. I applaud those who still “rap rap” in 2019. In “Brogan Talk”, Dio proves that he can rap with speed, lyricism and intricate rhyme schemes.
A big surprise, on track 6, “Conmigo”, Dio shows that he can sing in Spanish. He does the entire song in fluent Spanish, which was rather impressive to me.
My personal favorite song on the project is “Tell You Things”. The beat is smooth, the hook is extremely wavy and the rapping is captivating. The song is bright and it puts the listener in a good mood. Every aspect of the track is well done and it’s definitely a standout track for me.
The final track “Luis Freestyle !” is another favorite of mine being that I'm a huge Hip-Hop head. I always gain a little more respect for artists when they showcase their ability to take it back to just rapping over a simple boom-bap beat.
Overall, I think this project is excellent. It is diverse, well put together and it shows how versatile Dio is. I know he is signed to OPV, but I could easily see him being signed to Quality Control. I can’t wait to see what the next few years brings him.