Emerging rapper and producer DP Rilla shares his newest project Code Red—a four-track body of work that serves as a snapshot of the young artist's life with different viewpoints of love and relationships. The South Florida native is not afraid to pour his emotions on records and shows a distinct form of male vulnerability on this project.
The EP opens up with "Confessions," a somber piano-driven track filled with heartfelt lyrics. DP Rilla employs a mix of laidback rap verses laced with mild melodic stylings on this one. "Thotful" continues the somber theme but has a deep moody aesthetic. The drum grooves are punchier while the sound design is haunting which fits the rapper's emotions as he rues on his past relationship and how he should have been more careful but it's way too late now.
"The Truth" offers a cinematic trap sound through dark piano riffs, stabs, and crunchy drums but rather than talking about trap houses, DP Rilla is just being honest. His brutally honest lyricism dives into trust issues, his hustle mentality, and the blurred lines between friends and foes. This record gives listeners a quick peek into what really goes on in his head and it's a bit uneasy for the most part as Rilla is dealing with quite a number of personal issues.
The final cut "Counted me out" has a bright guitar riff that permeates the booming 808 drum grooves as Rilla belts out an offbeat melodic performance. At four tracks deep, the project stays the course and sticks to the theme from start to end. On the other hand, DP Rilla's inclination for autotuned melodic raps works well but at times it gets a bit old till he switches things up again.
The quickly rising producer and sound engineer released his first EP The First Third last year and is currently working on a new one entitled Hidden Archives. He also runs an enterprise Red Room Records that caters to musicians and artists in his area.
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