M-Dot returns with ‘Daze Of Greed‘ and as hip hop heads have come to expect from the EMS emcee – this project is brilliant. Not only has he once again curated an album full of boom bap, drum layering, sampling flipping production, he’s delivered another mature performance on the mic that should leave plenty of other artists scrambling to find a new way of spitting. He also enlists some killers on the mic – a beautiful blend of old school legends and new underground kings – and each guest appearance adds something of value to the overall product. In short, there aren’t many weaknesses in ‘Daze Of Greed‘ and it’s going to feature heavily in a number of end-of-year-contenders lists. Legit.
The beauty of M-Dot’s music, is the diversity and robust content he explores and captures through his creative wordplay and lethal pen game. Then, he brings the authenticity to each track with his delivery – a combination of powerful and vulnerable – which ensures the listener hangs on every word he drops. These aren’t light bars baby, there is authentic, genuine content within the lyricism which a lot of modern hip hop just fails to explore or realise. It’s also why every time M-Dot drops, he’s on the ‘must cop’ list because it’s going to be more than just street tales, coke rap and braggadocio bars.
A melodic commencement with ‘Greed Intro‘ seamlessly manoeuvres into a guitar-riff infused head-nodder with ‘Willows Weep‘. This joint is heartfelt and delivered with sincere emotion as M-Dot unpacks some of the challenges faced, and the dark thoughts that infiltrate the headspace – the triumphant horns act as a positive, ‘keep your head up’ instrumental layer though. ‘Can’t Decide‘ is a more traditional boom bap production, with a nice bounce to it. After the initial shout out to those resting in a higher place, M-Dot gets into spitting truths, about the inequality of life and challenging situations highlighted by the line “how can you offer help when your hands are tied?”.
‘Hand In Hand‘ slows the pace, using some soulful vocal highlights over a purposeful beat to create the soundscape for the legitimate lyrical content, and then we get a really funky, almost wild-west themed banger ‘Run Along‘ featuring Grand Puba, Dom2er and DJ 7L. M is flat out spitting on this one, riding the beat effortlessly, and the cuts / samples on this are brilliantly chosen and delivered. The Benefit featured ‘The Enemy Is Everywhere‘ is one hell of an anthem. It hits hard as a cats head and M-Dot spits with their chests out on this one, and that hook sounds victorious!
DJ Decepta sets things off on ‘Certifiable‘ with crafty work on the wheels and the beat takes over, keeping that head nodding as M and Kore get busy spitting with a clear chemistry as they bounce back and forth trading barbs. ‘Close‘ has a familiarity to it, and it feels a lot like ‘Pain’ from the legendary 2Pac / Above The Rim movie. M-Dot has the same impassioned flow and ability to craft a narrative too, making this track a real standout. If you thought it couldn’t get any better, you better reconsider! Estee Nack and Ty Farris join M-Dot on ‘Essence Lifted‘ and this track is pure flames. The understated but intricate beat sets the table for Ty, Nack and Dot to EAT and it’s a lyrical smorgasbord of bars dripping with vulnerability and venom.
‘Unexpected‘ features Big Shug and the elated production matches the vibe of two hip hop heavyweights getting busy on the mic, and that big, soulful hook has some real substance! It’s an early 90’s vibe on ‘Running Shoes‘ as Mista Sinista joins M-Dot to relive some of those glory days and early introductions to the culture, before ‘You and You’ keeps the positive, street party vibes flowing with a dusty, boom bap track and some well placed horns. Featuring Revalation and LP2, this track is hella funky and enjoyable, while making those speakers slap! ‘Avenues‘ features R.I.Q and Jay Cruz and there is a distinct lyrical level these guys are spitting at. Wordplay, flow – it’s all on show and a well-deserved confidence has these bars dancing over the track before the album closes out with ‘Mic Check‘, a deliberate, powerful introspective showcase and social commentary serving as M-Dot’s ode to hip hop.
Overall, this is one heck of an album. M-Dot draws the listener in and gives them something of substance to decipher with some quality production interwoven behind the bars. It’s enjoyable, it’s engaging and has such depth of content and delivery that it stands up after multiple spins. The sky isn’t even the limit for M-Dot – he’s already there and only going up. One of the best albums of 2024.
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