For someone that’s managed to release seven mixtapes in three years, Famous Dex sure sounds lazy on his debut album ‘Dex Meets Dexter’. Released just a week after Rich the Kid’s debut album, who’s label Dex is now signed to, April seemed set to be dominated by mumble rap and trap beats. However, it’s now more apparent that the two projects couldn’t be more different, with Rich relying on high energy and lively ad-libs, whereas Dex’s debut feels lethargic and dull.
Dex’s flow isn’t inherently bad, but with the excessive autotune it sounds muddy and sluggish, which is especially noticeable on the tracks DMD and CELINE. The flow is competent enough to create some catchy snippets on some songs like the single, JAPAN, which is a metaphor for the album as a whole; while there’s some highlights, they’re mostly lost within the mundanity of the project. Fans may have been anticipating bouncy beats similar to the single PICK IT UP, and they’re somewhat rewarded on Dex Meets Dexter, where songs utilize flat steel drums and typical trap elements to create a few bangers, but like everything else, they’re few are far between and are surrounded by a sea of throwaway tracks. The Diplo produced track, CHAMPION, that closes the album is particularly good by Dex standards, but it’s a continuation of Diplo’s recent efforts to collaborate with the newest rappers, and within that context it joins Lil Xan’s ‘Colorblind’ as one of Diplo’s weakest tracks in recent times.
Equally as lazy is Dex’s lyrics, which can may be explained on the Ronny J produced track ‘HEIM’, where Dex spits ‘Huh, Perc 30 got me lazy’’ over, and over, and over again. Not unexpected but still disappointing. Perhaps the weakest track on the project is PROVE IT, with an insistent high hat that feels like it’s straight from a Lil Xan release, and mediocre singing.
If Dex Meets Dexter had been curated and cut down to half of its gigantic size, with a few more quality features to break up the beats, Dex’s decent flow and competent voice may have been utilised to create a decent debut album. As it stands, the album is only useful as a collection of reasonable singles, surrounded by an insufferable mess of throwaway beats.
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