REVIEW: Dici — Dici (EP)
From Miami, 17 year old rapper Dici hops onto the scene with the release of his self titled EP. Recorded over a chunk of the quarantine, this release gives us a taste of what I’m sure we all miss by now: fun. With infectious energy, startlingly good and simple production (most of this was constructed on his computer, self-taught and recorded via his gaming headset), Dici is a breath of fresh air and perfectly captures the braggadocious party energy of our formative years with gusto.
This wunderkind has always had it within him to be a leader and an entrepreneur starting off selling candy in school before moving on to custom shoe detailing. Sometimes, it would be nice to hear him lean into more of those mundane aspects of his upbringings because with this kid’s wit and mile a minute delivery, he could spin anything into a narrative filled with charisma. He certainly evokes the energy and style of mainstream acts that started in the 90s filled with sincerity, but simultaneously a playful energy that says “I’m serious, but don’t take me too seriously.” Yes he’s here to flex and to show off, but he’s inviting you to be apart of the fun, easily illustrated with his track “Bar to Bar”, the first one completed of the release where he spits lyrics like “Cruisin’ down the street with my new popped collah/I look like a scholar/And I got the gualla/So bitches they holla/They straight from Valhalla.”
Much more than just a demo reel to showcase his natural talent, it also acts as an enjoyable look to the future where after some time spent in studios with more seasoned hands on producers (hopefully once the pandemic restrictions are lifted,) he’ll be even more refined, as he makes this look effortless. Dici highlights that his lyrics usually come from free-styling and finding the right hooks and structure, and it’s a little surprising to hear as his confidence on tracks like the opener “4doors” makes it sound like he knows every step of the game and came here to show off. He’s able to slow it down however and showcase more of his moody vibes with the track “305-INTERLUDE” which I’d argue is the album highlight.
I’d kill to hear what he’d roll out if say he was produced by Earl Sweathshirt or Cutbeatz Hagler. It would also be fun to hear him lean into his cultural roots as well as he’s half Italian/Japanese & is trilingual and It’d be fun to hear him show off those skills and interweave them with his english speaking rhymes. He’s finding his footsteps, but he’s not rushing and the end result is something to admire and very much enjoy. He’s clearly got his sights set high as he’s said that when he raps he “feels like he’s in heaven, like I’m a god” and it’s delightful to hear someone especially so young just love what they’re doing and making them so unashamed. His work ethic will open doors for him, but his talents will stay with us much longer.
Colin Jordan
