Review: "Imperfect Symmetry" EP by Dre A.M.
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NY rapper Dre A.M. is a product of Queens, and you can most definitely tell that from his hard-hitting style and delivery. “Imperfect Symmetry” is his latest project, filled with a tough and gutsy energy that would make NYC’s late Pop Smoke proud. Dre A.M. isn’t here to rap about girls with fake asses or his layers of chains - he’s here to spread something a little more real, and lord knows we need that in the game right now.
The first track, “Serotonin” (prod. gato) has a gloomy, off-beat attitude to it that reminds us a little of a young Tyler the Creator. Blending sounds and sub-genres, producer gato brings something fresh to the table that feels like an ominous awakening.
Track 2, “Attention Deficit” (ft. Ryan Mims & Nicoleta Urquilla) shows off an older hip hop style, with dreamy seductress Nicoleta adding some color to the mix. The beat is a crunchy ball of fire, contrasting with Mims and Dre A.M’s rapping style, both aggressively pounding haters into dust. There’s a lot of warped guitar and synth sounds on here that add experimental rock n’ roll and electronica to this up-and-comer’s portfolio, whose lyricism and sharp-edged flow have both caught our attention.
The 4th track, produced and performed by A.M., is dubbed “Starving Artist Cliche.” Flexing his quick-tongued rhymes, we see inspirations from Eminem as well. His inspirations are clear but not derivative - after all, Dre A.M began rapping at just 12 after watching “8 Mile.”
The beats are barebones where they need to be, with some of the hard instrumentals hearkening back to rap battles from decades ago. His sound has the same hungry and angry ambition that Eminem was filled with back in the day.
Dre A.M. fills out his tracks well, but doesn’t excessively overproduce his tracks. He knows when to let his lyrical flex shine, when to speed things up, and when to take his time. All these things prove his originality and help defend his boastful lines about copycats and wannabes.