Top 5 Songs From Dreamville’s New ‘D Day’ Mixtape
Intro:
Dreamville collaborated with Dj Drama & Gangsta Grillz for a new mixtape to promote their festival last weekend. The project features the entire roster spread across the 15-song tracklist. It’s pretty solid overall, but there are always gonna be standout artists/tracks on compilations like this. In this list of Top 5 songs from the mixtape, it started getting harder to figure out the last few spots. Let’s take a look at the full list below.
5. Everybody Ain’t Shit - EARTHGANG
EARTHGANG comes through with a very important for the fans. This song is about how almost everyone really “isn’t shit” & will disappoint you. The beat’s groove has tons of bounce & swing in its rhythm. Both members flow over the instrumental with ease, but I think Doc shines the brightest on the song between his verse & infectious chorus. This is also one of the few tracks that truly embodies the energy of the old Gangsta Grillz mixtape era.
4. Stick - JID & J. Cole (ft. Kenny Mason & Sheck Wes)
JID & Kenny Mason EASILY steal the show on the mixtape’s insane intro song. My favorite aspect of the song is how the beat aesthetically fits the Doomsday theme they’re going for. The beat contains anthemic horns & hard drums that sound war-ready. Sheck Wes compliments with his raw energy & JID bodies his verse as usual. Cole’s contribution at the end was nice, but again, Kenny Mason’s chorus completes the entire song. Honestly, the song doesn’t even make this list without Mason’s feature.
3. Freedom Of Speech - J. Cole
The only new solo J. Cole song on the entire mixtape. What’s interesting about this one is how braggadocios his rapping is despite him constantly being labeled as “humble”. The combination of his humor & confidence makes for an enjoyable listen of the sample-heavy record. While he is giving an incredibly well-written verse, you can tell how much fun he’s having on the mic. If this is a sign of what he’s cooking for his next album, we’ll be in for a treat later this year.
2. Blackberry Sap - Ari Lennox
One of the catchiest records Ari Lennox has in her discography now. It was originally previewed in 2020 & recorded for Ari’s upcoming 2nd album. Her vocals are beautiful & her songwriting is very steamy/sensual. It’s a great song for many occasions whether you’re hanging out by yourself, with your significant other, etc. It’s hard to deny Ari being the most talented R&B artist in the genre today (I’ll argue this with anyone).
1. Barry From Simpson - JID (ft. 2 Chainz & Young Nudy)
JID is an absolute menace to society & somehow always finds the most creative pockets over trap beats. He delivers a lyrical onslaught over the hardest 808s from any beat on D-Day. I do wish Young Nudy had an actual guest appearance, but at least 2 Chainz gives a solid verse to wrap the song up. The star of the show really is JID himself though, as he’s able to rap fast while still having clever & audible lyrics. Not many can compete at all lyrically with the rising Atlanta rap star.
Overall:
Overall, the label followed up their last Revenge Of The Dreamers album with a solid mixtape. This is also a good look for Dj Drama as he’s been revitalizing the Gangsta Grillz brand this decade. All of the Dreamville artists gave excellent performances and is a great way to get ready for their upcoming solo releases. It’s not the best project this year, but it does feature plenty of standout songs for 2022. Thank you all for reading, and listen to Dreamville’s new album linked below.
