Coming from Dickenson Texas, neighbors JVZ, $enseiii, and Alek form the group DGOE who started rapping in 2015. They recently dropped their single “Tides” produced by AB. Running through their catalog you’ll find a blistering fusion of modern experimentation and old school hip hop, and nearly every other hip hop mutation folded in for good measure, DGOE’s sound encompasses everything great about the last forty years of rap music while simultaneously managing to sound totally distinct from it. This is not simply background music, to put on at parties and keep the vibe right underneath clinking bottles and conversation. DGOE want you to consider intention, process and motivation, as they create powerful opinions in “Tides”.
“Tides” sees them perfect their blender-technique enlisting a most promising producer, to kick the rap industry square in the face. The trio’s chemistry infects the track, proving that whatever style or sub-genre the three of them turn their hand to, they master, bolstered by each other’s talents.
Their smooth free-flowing style, is an obvious jab at the repetitive and lazy tendencies of mainstream hip hop in the streaming era. Every upstart with 16 in their back pocket might think their group doesn’t get their dues, but for DGOE, it’s a fair claim.
Riding in on a warm and lush beat, “Tides” is a relatively hushed and incredibly sincere song dealing out bars stacked with triumphant lyricism. Too many emcees still struggle to revel in this kind of honesty: for DGOE, that switch of gears is what gives them their edge.
You’ve got true heart in the words and they’re delivered with hunger and fire. There’s forward-thinking production and impactful comradery at work here. Ultimately, you’ve got a group with a goal and a vision. The result is a razor sharp single, elevated by its almost playful self-awareness.
All this, and we haven’t really started on the production: with a beat constructed by melody which is often carried by the tiniest components: a few bare synth notes layered over a resonant bassline, skittering hi-hats and hand-claps.
This approach keeps the rhythm and rap front and center, and ensures that when the melodic runs are rolled out, they penetrate with subtlety. This makes the music- sometimes intense, sometimes spacious, but captivating throughout.
A collective capable of going from face-slapping retro backdrops to relaxing modern textures, the latest single, “Tides”, sees DGOE take everything up a notch and really demonstrate their potential. Whether they’re feeling high or low, whether they come out swinging or are playing it cool, they’re not giving in, and on “Tides”, it’s really game time for the group.
If you keep your ear close to the radar of underground hip-hop, then DGOE is a name you’ve likely to hear plenty of in the next few years, as they show themselves to be a group bent on growth and evolution.
OFFICIAL LINKS: INSTAGRAM – TWITTER – SPOTIFY – APPLE MUSIC – SOUNDCLOUD
