Review: "How Far We Roam..." EP by Donny and Dinodondada
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Donny and Dinodondada are two music producers who met on the campus of North Carolina Central University, and began collaborating on production based projects. Now they have picked up the mic and released their collaborative project “How Far We Roam…”, a ten track EP littered with poetic words that are relevant but remain timeless, and production that makes you yearn for the days of the legendary “The Infamous”, “Iron Man” and the purple tape.
Blasting off with Dinodondada and Donny’s intro, “feelinit” has a sparse backbeat - a canvas that allows these artists’ lyrical swag and confidence drip off of it, if you will.
“Toma” is another drunken and slowed down beat that sounds like a syrupy chopped and screwed jazz-meets-hip-hop vibe. Things wake up a bit with the pretty piano keys in “Caughtinit” that ride along with their aspirations and inspirations. The outro is a hilarious stream of consciousness that explores everything about what they looks for in woman, from foot fetishes to personal hygiene. We’re so used to rappers making a signature sound based off their beat and producers, but to see lyrics stand on their own feels like a refreshing difference.
“Close The Door” does fall into the millennial trap of materialism. And even though we’re in a raw time right now where we need to rap about principles and what we stand for, what would hip-hop be without the celebration of some good ol’ decadence and debauchery? As their eyes roam over “see-through sequins” on an alternative girl who loves fashion beyond the hype, draped in “high end everything, never with Balenciagas never with the upbeat shit/ never fuck with the Pradas” and saucy sneak peeks like “Victoria’s secrets under the sundress.”
Dinodondada and Donny takes a break from crooning to their honeys and livens things up with some brass instrumentals in “Paradise.” “Original Fake” leads us into an “Earth Wind and Fire” style beat that funkily croons along with Donny and Dinodondada as they flex their love for cannabis and fashion beyond the mainstream: “Gold from Acapulco/These ain’t Yeezys these from adidas from Yohji Yamamoto/Everything retro, so you know the Rollie is vintage.” As they looks down from the sky smoking the blunt, they reflects on what they have, what they love, what they smoke, and more. Donny and Dinodondada are not afraid to name drop in “Original Fake,” but want you to remember that they are far beyond the Instagram hype of things. They have their own style, and this song is part of the autobiography that weaves that tapestry.
“Chains” and “Nightflight” are essentially one song split into two (think a reverse “Life Is Good”). Nightflight is the first beat that slices sharp amidst the tracks with more jazzy, laid back instrumentals. A heart-thumping escape from the cops is still lined with their sense of style: “cops trying to kick the door/all they seen is my reflectin’ Jordan 4s/weed in my drawers” and fits in an homage to legends of the past “matched my two tone puffer/word to my mother/ I’m like puff in 94”.
The final track is fittingly titled “The End” and while it boats confidence, it warns listeners not to trust others too closely based on their braggadocio: “never doubt that were the illest/never believe in n***s who always say that they’re the realest”.
With a references to kingpin Ghost in Power, throughout their “How Far We Roam” EP, it’s clear that Dinothedondada and Donny are playing the lead in their own life stories and not backing down any time soon.