This is the sophomore effort from Detroit, Michigan emcee, producer and disc jockey DJ Oreeyo. The son of local veteran Fatt Father, who was a member of the world-famous Fat Killahz band, he eventually followed in his father’s footsteps and made music himself, properly introducing himself in 2022 and the following fall’s resurgence, with an impressive self-produced debut largely rooted in trap. A few years have passed and the prodigy is ready for us to see how much he’s grown since 2023.
The self-produced “Killshot” skips over an orchestral trap beat and talks about how he prefers having family over friends, while “How We Comin'” talks positively about making no secret of his confidence being mistaken for arrogance. “He” keeps expressing his confidence as the damn guy, and “What We On” featuring T Cruz is one of the weaker moments here, even though they talk about these haters being fans in the grand scheme of things.
“Quick Workout” is 80 seconds in with some horn and hi-hat playing that doesn’t require a personal chef because he’s cooking in the studio, and segues into “Old Soul,” which reminds me of Slum Village’s early work, from booming bap instrumentals to scratch hooks, appealing to both old-school and new-school fans. “Gen Check” has a more cinematic sound, speaking to the people he sees every day, while “Me vs. Me” feels like a conversation between his older and younger self.
Following the creative “Commercial Break” intermission, “Ain’t Worried Bout U” somberly shows that he’s not putting pressure on anyone, while “Makin’ Moves” shifts to a more trap-oriented sound, hinting at those who support him to get into the mood. However, “I Have a Dream” feels less like an interlude and more like an atmospherically drowsy statement about what, by the end of the film, many of us call life.
“Growth Mindset” has a more exuberant boom beat, with Prodigy talking about taking his friends with him in his final moments to make sure they’re all well fed while he’s gone, while “Suspense” has a bit of a West Coast beat, imploring that if you’re not going to show him love now, don’t show him love later. Closing track “My Dear Reflection” occupies the last few minutes of the album, expressing the importance of standing up for whatever challenges the world may throw at you.
Freshman Year was an impressively broader introduction to DJ Oreeyo from both an artistic and personal standpoint, but Prodigy pushes himself even further, making everything on his debut LP so interesting, from the continuation of his predecessor’s trap sound, to the few moments where he raps on boom bap production, to the penmanship that’s even sharper now that he’s older than he was two and a half years ago.
Score: 8/10
