Tag: album review

Leader of Flatbush Zombies, Brooklyn idol, and master genre-bender. Meechy Darko is many things. Now he can add a soloist to the list.

Brooklyn rapper Meechy Darko has dropped his debut solo project “Gothic Luxury” after years of fan anticipation. You may know him primarily from the revered rap group Flatbush Zombies, alongside Zombie Juice and Erick Arc Elliott. Together, this talented trio has gone from humble beginnings in Flatbush to headlining Coachella and Afropunk.

By uniquely blending 90’s rap sensibilities, hardcore metal production, and psychedelic undertones, Flatbush Zombies have proven themselves as one of the most original acts to come out of New York.

 

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After over a decade of rapping within a group, Meechy Darko, real name Demetri Simms, is finally ready to establish a solo presence. The 32-year-old announced his “A Tour Named Gothika” fall 2022 tour on Instagram this week (Aug 24). It’s already confirmed that all tracks on this new album are also on the setlist.

So how does “Gothic Luxury” introduce the world to Darko? And what can we expect from this underground industry vet going forward?

“Gothic Luxury’s” Humble Beginnings

The album intro “The Genesis” sets the tone for the record with its haunting instrumental and booming vocals. Meechy Darko has a distinctly eerie aesthetic in both his lyrics and production. This 53-second-long track effectively serves as an initiation into his realm.

“Cursed” is a rich look into the deepest thoughts of Meechy Darko. It indeed sounds like the written thoughts of a man at his most honest and bare. The hook performed by Kirk Knight brings this theme of truthfulness to the forefront.

“Higher than Beyoncé budget, I’m just fuckin’ honest

I rather die on the streets than die from police

Rather die with my pride than die on my knees”

This bar is one of several references to Darko’s late father. In early 2020, Ryan O. Simms was fatally shot after allegedly attacking a Miami Beach police officer with a knife. In the caption of his heartfelt memorial post, the Flatbush rapper alludes to mental health issues playing a factor in the tragic event.

“I love my father. So Much.” He typed. “Never once was ever ashamed of him despite what may have been going through mentally or what he may have thought in his head.”

Sharp pain can be felt all throughout “Gothic Luxury.” Meechy Darko doesn’t explicitly speak on the actual shooting, but it’s clear when listening to the album that the events of 2020 have taken a large toll on the artist and his approach to his art.

In addition to the Kirk Knight feature, the background vocals provided by Murder Inc vocalist Vita serenade the listener and contrast the rough tone of Meechy Darko’s rapping voice. Layered gruff-sounding vocals are a signature of Darko’s and perfectly lends themselves to his punk-rap style.

Meechy Darko’s Wide Range

“Never Forgettin” features some of the best production on the album, with the bass hitting the ear harder and harder as each second passes. It’s a simple yet effective beat courtesy of Dot Da Genius. It harkens back to that dark retrospective atmosphere of rap repopularized by Kendrick Lamar back in 2013 with songs like “Swimming Pools” and “Money Trees.”

Meechy Darko grabs that cadence and perfects it while reminding the listener that he’s been excelling at the genre since 2010 with no signs of slowing down. “Never Forgettin” easily totes that line between earworm and intensely personal that’s often difficult to pull off.

“Kill Us All (K.U.A)” takes “Gothic Luxury” in a starkly political direction. In this track, Meechy Darko speaks on his personal experience as a black man in America and gets into the gritty details. It’s a song that emphasizes the theme of “Gothic Luxury:” honesty.

There are no punches pulled or sentiments censored for mass consumption. It’s the sign of an artist who trusts his listeners to understand his viewpoint enough to speak on it candidly. With the protests for Breonna Taylor and George Floyd being directly in America’s rearview mirror, race politics are more relevant than ever. “Kill Us All” doesn’t feel like a detour but instead a necessary conversation.

“I watch murder documentaries every single night.

Fifty episodes in, they never called it white on white

But if I kill my neighbor, they gon’ say it’s black on black

Or gon’ say it’s gang-related just so they can boost the stats.”

The Cream of the Crop

“Lavi$h Habits” is an undeniable album standout. It’s the best traits of every track, all mashed into one to form Meechy Darko’s magnum opus. The hard vocal cadence, with even harder lyrical content, blended with soothing female vocals and masterful sampling. In this track, Darko delves into his “lavish habits,” namely psilocybin and acid. It comes off less as simple glorification and more as a personal confession of casual drug use. It’s a topic the East Coast MC hasn’t shied away from before.

In a 2018 Breakfast Club interview, Meechy Darko spoke about some of his less positive experiences using mushrooms. “I’d have times where I’d be chill with everybody, and I’d just leave for a second and start crying.” He vocalized. There’s an underlying foreboding tone behind the relaxed nature of these lyrics. It’s a clever way of describing drugs and their effects without downplaying their drawbacks.

“Get Lit or Die Tryin” is Darko at his most braggadocious and cocky. It’s a level of confidence that can only be achieved with the years in the game he’s racked up. It’s a song that’s just plain fun to listen to. You can imagine a fan blasting this one out of their car on the way back from a late-night function. “Get Lit or Die Tryin” is also the perfect lead-up to a standout feature on “Gothic Luxury.”

Infallible Features

“On God” employs the talents of Freddie Gibbs and A-trak and some ethereal production to make a clear contender for the best song on the album. Here we get Meechy Darko pouring out his heart and confirming that his father’s passing has shifted his mindset when it comes to his career.

“My father sat me down and said, You know what, son

The best way to rob the bank to own you one

I hear his voice saying, Chin up, I’m still here son

They kill me in the flesh, but my soul lives on.”

It’s a fascinating listen with an addictive hook. Easily, Gibbs and A-trak give their all and match Darko’s energy excellently. It’s a trio that plays off each other’s style without hiccups or awkwardness. If Meech had any concern about having trouble playing off rappers outside of Flatbush Zombies, that’s dashed for good.

“The MoMA” is nearly six minutes of heat, both in the quality and intensity of the song. It’s undoubtedly the least melodic of all the tracks on “Gothic Luxury.” Instead of a traditional song structure, “The MoMA” opts for a more open concept. There’s a hook, but the focus is absolutely the prolonged verses from Meechy Darko and guest artist Black Thought.

This is quickly contrasted by the brief but hard-hitting “Prada u.” It’s the shortest song, not counting the intro track, but in its short run time, it still builds up nicely and has one of the captivating choruses on “Gothic Luxury.” “What if” is unlike any other track in that it echoes the titular phrase. It’s an interesting concept, if not slightly repetitive. 

Grand Opening, Grand Closing

“Hennessy&Halos” is the closest we come to a rock song. It still employs traits of classic rap, of course, but the tempo of “Hennessy&Halos” makes you feel like you’re in a mosh pit. In addition, the steady drum that persists effectively hypes up the listener and could fit into anyone’s workout playlist.

As the album draws to a close, we’re treated to the last crop of feature artists and perhaps the most exciting yet. “Dark Souls” with Denzel Curry and Busta Rhymes is the lead single and most memorable song on “Gothic Luxury.” It’s a song that embodies Darko’s mission statement with this project.

“Welcome to the dark side where it get real different

Let it all out by chopper in the sky and hope that the God feel it

For my lost niggas, beware of backstabbers.

Energy bandits and thought stealers

Cold-blooded, of course, my heart been frostbitten.”

Denzel Curry has been a big supporter of Darko for some time now, first co-signing one another back in 2020. The Florida rapper brings his own flair, mainly acting as a vocalist for a chorus that’s nothing short of stunning. Busta Rhymes is a living rap legend and naturally provides a verse just as bombastic as his days in Leaders of the New School. Still, the star remains Meechy Darko, who effortlessly asserts himself in a song full of loud personality.

“Blk Magic” is closer to “Gothic Luxury” and has a calming ambiance to properly send the listener off. It’s challenging to construct a lo-fi rap song with a voice like Darko’s, but he proved through the 12 other songs on “Gothic Luxury” that his talent comes in spades. While not a particular standout, It’s a fitting finale and pleasant deviation from a thunderous last quarter of the album.

“Gothic Luxury” Sum Up

“Gothic Luxury” is a testament to the artistry Meechy Darko has spent the better part of his life crafting. It’s a culmination of the inner thoughts of a flawed man still figuring out the world around him. Fans of Flatbush Zombies already familiar with Meechy Darko will better understand the frontman. However, brand new listeners not well versed in the Brooklyn icons catalog can still gain plenty of perspective from the album.

“Gothic Luxury” contains enough typical rap conventions to not intimidate new fans, but it also remembers to deliver on what Meechy Darko is all about. Assertive thought-provoking bars with an idiosyncratic polish all his own. Even after so many years in the rap world, this Brooklynite has much to say and much more to come.

You can now listen to “Gothic Luxury” on Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube.

Written By Dreema Carrington

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Dreema Carrington|IG: @dr3amgirl79|Twitter: @notdreema