After dropping a handful of singles, producer/rapper Deca returns with his full-length project Smoking Gun, a 12-track body of work that weaves alternative instrumentation with off-kilter and often psychedelic elements. The project as he explains is a sonic representation of an artist grappling with living in America, a country with a network of broken systems that leaves Deca questioning when and if it may turn around.. He also brings in a handful of collaborators to join his cause with names like Blu and Homeboy Sandman.
The project starts off on a poetic note with "All Was Not Well," which helps usher listeners into this new world where everything is desolate and hope is clouded by the gloom and dark clouds. This is followed by the cynical "St. America," featuring DJ Stan Solo. Deca muses on the overall broken system and being trapped in the cogs but he mushes on to find that sliver of happiness within.
This is followed by the punchy "Tuning," where Deca takes us on a thrilling musical journey that further explores mankind's ethical plight, and the problems we collectively face. On "Flight Path," he teams up with Ichiban and DJ AWHAT! for a visceral tale over a funky, flute-driven jazz-infused backdrop. Some of the album's standout cuts include "Shelter," which features Blu, and "Dawn Wind," featuring Homeboy Sandman.
The former is a jazzy, dusty piece of thoughtful hip-hop with crazy flows and lyrics to match while the latter sees both emcees go back to back offering their two cents on how to liberate oneself from the machine that aims to surveil and control both our outer world and inner peace.
As Deca tells it, there's a default view of American exceptionalism that pops up in conversation, and darker aspects of history and the way power operate that many people are unwilling to explore. "We're groomed to take what we're shown at face value, and have a deep-rooted belief that the people in power ultimately have our best interests in mind. History doesn't back up that perception."
Stream Smoking Gun on all DSPs here.
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