I remember being about 10 or 11 years old the first time I gave Beastie Boys a chance - there was such a wonderful authenticity to their sound, like they were nerdy kids, but that's what made them beautiful... It's that same authenticity that comes through in today's new artist "SnapDibz" - a hip hop/rap/pop artist with a thriving YT channel and Spotify lineup.
The first track I put on was the newest on their YouTube titled "Masterplan" (the song was released in 2020 but the lyric video is new) - the opening hymn-like piano chords convey instant power, SnapDibz comes in with declamatory vocals cutting right through the beat. The production value here for a hip-hop track is stellar - it seems that he dispenses with static drum loops and rather treats the rhythm section the way a live band would, with fills, space, and breakdowns.
For my second listening, I went to the most recent song: "Backwards in My Head (feat Rey Khan)" and like "Masterplan" the vocals come through like a hot knife. Rey Khan, for their part, delivers catchy stream-of-consciousness style sung hooks. Of course, SnapDibz does an equally stellar job. The beat for "Backwards" is sad, sympathetic, and very sentimental... in my opinion, the song is too short for such a lovely track, but I suppose being left wanting more is the mark of a good artist.
There's a slight Lin-Manuel Miranda-like tone to his timbre and flow, which is something I quite enjoy, but don't go thinking these are tracks for Broadway fans - although musical theater fans might enjoy SnapDibz as much as anyone else... This is introspective hip-hop, and it deserves to be heard.
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