Review: DK aka Wayne Watts – 24
“If you weren’t a part of it, at least you got to witness” One day (and a day, not very far off), Mr. Watts will be quoting Drake’s line from Forever to describe his own place in the game. With the release of his birthday mixtape, entitled 24, DK steps into his grown-man shoes even more than on previous projects.
His subject matter is Rated M for Mature without being unrefined, which is what we have come to expect from the proud son of the DMV. Musically, his selections can most accurately be described as “experimental” (not the experimental genre, but that he experiments with different sounds than we are used to hearing from him). Watts tests out new lyrical styles with his faithful soul or jazzy samples, always careful to remain positive and expository. The truth about DK aka Wayne Watts is that he will never escape the posture of a teacher. Through and through, his goal appears to be personal development and passing the lessons of his own experience in generalizable ways to his listening audience.
The most exciting part about the mixtape inspired by the adventures of Jack Bauer is not what has remained consistent, but rather the things that we have not seen before. We are all accustomed to listening to the artist from “Run Route 1″ or from “Stop this Train”, but the personal reflection of “Left-Hander’s Anthem” or lyrical complexity of “24/7″ without losing the carefree attitude that rounds out his personality are what highlight the growth of DK as an artist. His departure from the cadence of his Slick Rick style for the major portions of the mixtape allows listeners to get a better view of the versatility of the birthday boy as well. The negative result of this departure will most likely prove to be the confusion of his long-time listeners in relation to his intended direction. The late 2009 version of Wayne Watts looks a little more like Will Smith met up with Wale, Drake, and Lupe for a makeover. He is simultaneously informative and positive, while remaining assertive and ambitious. The ability to express such range of thoughts with his uber-referential style will always develop into widespread appeal. He is the artist to look out for in DC/Maryland/Virginia area.
His grown-up talk, financial aspiration, and thematic changes even in storytelling give a snapshot of a 24 year old rapper who is ready to flex his muscles on the hip-hop game for those who have historically pigeon-holed his style. The important thing to remember is that 24 is a mixtape. If this is the preview to the movie, my suggestion is to buy your tickets.
For more info on DK aka Wayne Watts: Follow him on Twitter
To Download 24: Click Here
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