There should be no second thoughts while claiming that DRV and Boyblanck are two of the best talents the trap sub-genre of DHH has to offer. DRV’s sophomore album ‘Nakshatra’ was the talk of the hour when it was released a year ago and is often considered one of the finest albums in the genre. The artist’s recent collaboration on ‘Desktop’, their single from earlier this year, the artists teased the creative process of something so exquisite and superlative that would perfectly define the musicality they boast of. As a result, ‘Multani Mitti’ had been quite anticipated.
Released on the 10th of October, the collaborative project contains only a single feature from Bombay the artist. With Babywxve, Aakash, Shouty2Times, and Mohit on the production the album has 7 tracks that run for 17 minutes. Even though that is relatively too small of a duration for a project to be termed as an ‘album’, Multani Mitti promises to deliver an experience within the short time frame. The album truly features one of the best soundscapes the trap genre has seen, apart from the verses and vocals that the artists have perfectly executed, the transitions, drum patterns, melodic samples, and groovy rhythms are some aspects that a listener would enjoy.
According to the artists themselves, Multani Mitti is best suited for live concerts and festivals. The cinematic setting of the project is further foreshadowed by the sampling of Oppenhiemer’s speech and Anurag Kashyap’s excerpt from an interview in the first track ‘Zameen Se’. This implementation and the track itself set the tone for the album’s soundscape and offer a preview to the listeners hinting towards what’s to come. My personal favorite track is ‘Street Cred’ The track ‘Street Cred’ features simple piano keys that are sampled in a swift setting. The drum work on the track, specifically the 808 slides and sharp snare patterns that give way to the drop, are a treat to anyone who loves the genre.
The term ‘Street Cred’ is short for Street Credit, which implies how known and respected one is in their area. In this context, the rappers talk about their credibility in the art they practice. Boyblanck and DRV showcase why they are considered one of the best in the scene, their raspy vocals and confident flows complement the track and the essence it holds. While one shouldn’t be seeking perspectives and story narrations in the project, it does offer meaningful lyrical verses as the rappers flow over the music in ‘Akela’. The last track of the album, and ironically the first to be recorded in the series, is produced by Mohit. The track features an electric guitar sample with relatively calm and laid-back drums. This ‘melancholic’ setting of the track gives way to the duo to take over with their pen-game. As the album comes towards its end, the beauty of this track lies in the idea of both the artists finally appreciating and converting into their own individual musicality, instead of working as a duo throughout the album.
Multani Mitti will be one of the epitomes of the trap genre. The long-awaited collaborative piece by DRV and Boyblanck was worth the wait. While one would love to see more tracks from the artists, the album serves enough for one to experience the beauty of the genre they practice.
