Doe Boy is a 26-year-old rapper from Cleveland, Ohio. In the early 2010s, he was on the verge of blowing up with mixtapes like Boyz N Da Hood and In Freebandz We Trust, but multiple accounts of aggravated robbery put him behind bars for two years. Coming out of jail in 2015, he would spend the next five years earning back everything he lost. This year, his work has finally paid off as on top of getting a project produced by DJ ESCO, he teamed up with Future and Meek Mill for their hit song “100 Shooters”. Being more relevant than ever, 808 Mafia boss Southside has teamed up with him for a brand new full-length album titled Demons R Us. With a chance at breaking into the mainstream of commercial hip hop, can Doe Boy show fans he’s here to stay?
Similar to 21 Savage and DaBaby, Doe Boy finds success by taking modern gangster rap’s flare and mixing it with the trap sound that is dominating the charts. From the attention-grabbing “7 Days A Week” to the fear-mongering “Prayers”, Doe Boy’s ruthless one-liners cause him to appear superior to most. While on paper boasting about guns and power may bore some at this point, the intense delivery seen on cuts like “Troublesome”, “I Swear”, and “If You Ask Me” keeps things relatively interesting. Even with a different style than others in his talent pool, Doe Boy’s occasional choppy flow, dry delivery, and abysmal hooks show that he lacks proficiency and consistency. Even with this being a major issue, the array of a-list features hold things together with show-stealing performances. Chief Keef, Young Nudy, Swae Lee, and 42 Dugg are just a few of the names who come to the rescue with their contributions. None of the featured guests are more memorable than Lil Uzi Vert’s on “Bussin”, as his action-packed verse alludes to everything from his personal demons to the success of his Eternal Atake album. Rounding things out, Doe Boy finds his footing with artists he has existing chemistry with, such as Trippie Redd on “Yesterday” and “Tweakin” with Future. For those worried that this is just another showing of traps all-stars, moments like “Yessirski” and “Tellin’ Ya” will restore faith in Doe Boy as we see him lyrically and vocally peak here. Even though he has visible flaws and weaknesses, Doe Boy lays the groundwork for a prosperous future.
Behind the boards, Southside continues to keep 808 Mafia held in such high regard. He’s not breaking the mold here, but his multilayered hard-hitting trap beats are more than enough to keep things going efficiently. When it comes to trap drums, the industries become extremely lazy, relying on the same few patterns from track to track. Fortunately, Southside’s mastery of percussion is seen as he uses tempos ranging from the fast-paced triplets on “Get In Dere” to the minimalistic quarter notes on “Prayers”. The sonic climax is undoubtedly the beat switch on “Huntin” as the distorted choir’s vocals mix with the preexisting flutes and drums seamlessly. With all this admiration, there’s still a sizable amount of criticism in the creativity department. While the instrumentals are not bad in any shape or form, getting through 19 tracks and 59 minutes of the same rinse and repeat formula can sure get tedious. Despite its rocky course, the sonicaliaty of Demons R Us is still average for today’s standards.
In conclusion, Demons R Us is a solid record that only suffers from its limited boundaries and lengthy tracklist. Doe Boy certainly proves his worth as the market is only growing for hard-hitting seasoned street MC’s like him. On the side of production, this is nothing exceptional for Southside, but it’s still another good addition to his resume. In the future, if Doe Boy can further distinguish his sound and artistry, he may become one of the leading forces in trap right now.
Rating: 5.6/10
Pros:
- Doe Boy shows promising future
- Amazing Features
- Captures great cross of modern trap/gangster rap
- Intutive drum patterns from Southside
Cons:
- Lacks creativity
- Bloated tracklist
Written By: Mr. Fantastic
Scored and edited by: Mr. Fantastic, owner and founder of Fantastic Hip Hop
