‘Dave- Psychodrama’ review By Gabriel Dedji

Dave, a young rapper from South London, has been mentioned in ‘best English rapper’ debates since his ‘Six Paths EP’ in 2016. Although I was one of many who lauded the young rapper for his stunning performance as a pianist and his unbelievable lyricism on his 2016 release and 2017’s ‘Game Over’, I was adamant that these conversations were premature. As opposed to not believing that he was capable of achieving the title, I was patiently awaiting his debut full-length album before I could pass judgement.

The album title, ‘PSYCHODRAMA’, is the name of a therapy treatment where patients act out traumatic experiences. Thus, the first thing we hear on this album is Dave’s [imaginary] therapist asking him about his background, accompanied by some ghostly vocals that set up the dark tone for the album. Immediately after Dave raps ‘Stop all the pain!’, on the opening track, the album’s whole concept is painted clearly for us. We quickly understand that the whole album is a year-long conversation between Dave and his therapist.

‘Psycho’, the superb opening track navigates us through the mind of the troubled rapper, painting the scene for everything that is about to come. Dave constantly changes his flow to match the constantly evolving instrumental. Choosing to not waste a single drop of his ink, the wordsmith constantly shocks his listener with phenomenal wordplay whilst clearly portraying the troubled environment that gave him his depression. Through tracks like 'Streatham' (which highlights the violence in his district) and 'Black' (which discusses the globe-wide struggle of being black), Dave grippingly unveils his pain. The album's standout 'Lesley' also travels through the miserable tale of a victim of domestic violence over 11-minutes.

Nevertheless, not all is bleak in this cohesive work of art. Tracks such as ‘Purple Heart’ and ‘Location’ are offered to the psychiatrist as examples of the positive aspects of Dave’s life. Yet, these songs are this album’s downfall. Despite, the fact that I LOVE ‘Location’, these joyful songs (and the mainstream-orientated ‘Voices’) are so musically-uplifting that they almost disrupt the album’s mood.

J Hus’ incomparable pronunciations paired with Dave’s composed control solidify ‘Disaster’ as an instant wordplay-heavy hit (especially because none of it was pre-written).

I think Dave is worthy of being in the ‘best English rapper’ debate, because from ‘Psycho’ to ‘Drama’ this album is an impactful masterpiece. To conclude, Dave’s chart-topping release is upheld by a thematically ingenious narrative that draws the listener in from the first track. It’s just a shame that the unbearably joyful songs on this album disorientate us from this tale.

I give this album: ★★★★/★★★★★

PSYCHODRAMA’s tracklist

1.       Psycho

2.       Streatham

3.       Black

4.       Purple Heart

5.       Location (ft. Burna Boy)

6.       Disaster (ft. J Hus)

7.       Screwface Capital

8.       Environment

9.       Lesley (ft. Ruelle)

10.   Voices

11.   Drama

Genre- UK Hip Hop, Afro-swing