This album was released on April 15th this year. DDA Tink is a female rap artist from Salisbury, North Carolina. Personally, I had never heard of her until this project was released. I knew nothing about her at all going into this album. What motivated me to check it out in the first place were the two features from Aushoj Rekcut. I had no expectations before listening since I was so unfamiliar with the artist here, but this is one of the most pleasant surprises of the year for me. I enjoyed this project so much that I had to tell y’all about it.

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The album begins with a highlight entitled Color Purple, which features Aushoj Rekcut. I really love the lighthearted, sunny instrumental on this track. I don’t have the production credits for this album, but I really enjoyed all the beats. Sonically, this album gives me a lot of 2010s Chicago vibes. Anyway, the song starts with a verse from Aushoj Rekcut. Honestly, I think this is probably the best verse I’ve ever heard from him. The way it begins with him utilizing a voice synthesizer to make his vocals higher pitched actually sounds really cool. Normally something like that would be off-putting to me, but it sounds great here. I love how it slowly transitions into his unedited voice as the song progresses too. Soji’s flow is better than it’s ever been in my opinion. Not that it wasn’t good before, but I feel like he’s really been exercising his rapping skills, and the growth is evident.

Spend a lil too much… time
Worried 'bout that nigga when you know I'm finna ball out
And I really will not… sign
To a fuckin' label, I can do it on my own now
If I'm sellin then y'all… buyin'
Know I got the prices to make you wanna call out
I don't really got no… time
If you tryna bargain the price is set, ho

He switches up his cadence multiple times throughout the verse. Also, it’s not just his flow that’s improved. The rhyme schemes seem to have become more intricate as well. This verse had me really excited to hear what his next album will sound like. He sounds more polished than ever. DDA Tink herself finally comes in a little past the halfway mark, and she sounds really fantastic here. The melodic vocal delivery is great. Her voice kinda reminds me of Rapsody mixed with a lower-pitched Noname. As much as I enjoyed her performance, I have to admit that Soji’s verse is my favorite section of the song. This shit is fire overall though. I think it’s dope as hell, and easily one of the best songs on the album. The following track is called Dying 2 Live, and it features an artist named Yakeima “Songbird” White; not to be confused with the Songbird who worked with Cambatta. Anyway, the instrumental on this track is really excellent. I like all the beats on this album, but this is definitely one of my favorites. I think DDA Tink rapped even better here than she did on the opening song.

I wanna live long for a minute
Tell the truth, could you hold on for a minute?
Spaced out, I been in my zone for a minute
Fuck you, wanna prolong every minute
It's true, this ain't no home with you in it
You a dog, and it took me a bone just to get it
Mmm, I been impatient lately
Peep all the shit niggas do on the daily
Holdin' my breath just to stop you from hatin' me
You know ain't no replacin' me
Really you cost me a vision
So fucked up, ain't been wrong in a minute
You lucked up, but you're gone in my feelings
I'm turnt up off patron tryna heal it
I'm a bad ass bitch when I'm down in my feelings
You can have that shit, gon' be mad when I'm winnin'

I don’t love the way the verse ends because it interpolates one of my least favorite Lil Wayne singles, but that’s just me being super nitpicky. I personally don’t find the subject matter of this track to be super interesting, but that’s probably just because I haven’t been in a relationship in years. Maybe if I was getting over a breakup right now this would resonate with me more. The Songbird vocals on the hook are pretty solid, but I am pretty indifferent towards the melody itself. The lyrics are really intriguing though.

Gotta feeling I'ma die young, die young, die young, die young
But I wanna live long

Both of the verses on this song are good, and I love the instrumental, but I have to admit that my enjoyment of the song kind of diminished after multiple listens. This just isn’t my favorite style of Hip Hop song, but I do think it’s one of the best examples of it that you’ll find in 2024. It’s a good song. It’s followed by the title track, Lifetimes. This song has a very R&B-adjacent acoustic guitar driven instrumental. Well, I guess the production on this album in general could be described as “R&B-adjacent.” I really love the way the instrumental on this song builds up as the song progresses. The singing from DDA Tink on the hook is actually pretty nice—she sounds like a pretty seasoned vocalist. I can tell she’s probably been singing for a while. The melodic flow on the actual verse itself is really good too.

Who do you call when you fall? Thinkin' you right, but you wrong
I been in middle decisions, I hope that you feelin' these writings all over the wall
I been in touch with my spirit, I know that I'm different, they weapons not forming at all
My sister been holding me down, I'm makin' my family proud
My brother don't know what to do, but he know that I'm comin' through
Who do you call when you fall? Who do you call when there's nobody else to call on?
It's been the loneliest walk, everything you goin' through, I hope you can write in a song
I hope you gon' pick up the phone whenever I need you, are you gon' be there to call on?

This is a super well-composed song in my opinion. The writing isn’t super intricate or technical or anything, but the content has a weight to it that a lot of other songs lack. I really fuck with this one. I think it’s dope. Track 4 is called Toxic, and it’s got another really great, detailed, layered, melodic instrumental. I actually love DDA Tink’s vocals on the hook too. This song kinda blurs the lines between Hip Hop and R&B for me. I feel like someone like Morray would fit really well on a song with DDA Tink. The title of this track is a pretty valid indication of this song’s lyrical content. Romantic mistreatment, harmful relationships, and toxicity in general are definitely reoccurring themes on this album. Again, I think if I had more experience with that kind of stuff this would hit harder for me lyrically, but I still think this is a pretty great song. DDA Tink’s vocals are really good, and the evolving instrumental is great. It’s a dope song. It’s followed by the Love Skit, which definitely reinforces the themes I just mentioned. I’m not gonna pretend to have a strong opinion on this track. It’s just a 15 second skit in which someone named Dira Starr explains her understanding of the meaning of love. I definitely get why it was included. However, I’d be lying if I said it had any substantial impact on my enjoyment of this album. The following track is called Not It, and it features an artist named Pairing. This dude sounds a lot like Ty$ to me. His verse is actually great though. I didn’t really notice how good it was until my second or third listen. I guess I just wasn’t paying as much attention the first time. The instrumental also has a familiar-sounding melody, but I couldn’t tell you where I heard it before. Pairing has a much more impressive singing voice than DDA Tink, so he kinda steals the show a little bit here. DDA Tink’s performance was by no means bad though, or even mediocre. It was very good. Overall, I think this is another really dope track. Track 7 is called I See You, and on my first listen of the album it was one of the weaker tracks to me. However, it really grew on me immensely with repeated listens. I think the instrumental is pretty fantastic, and DDA Tink’s vocals sound really good too. However, it’s really the verse that starts at 1:34 that sold me on this track. That’s easily my favorite part of the song. It kinda made me wish that the ratio of singing to rapping on this album leaned more towards the latter. I can tell that DDA Tink can really get busy on the mic, but she prioritizes quality songwriting over flashy lyricism. The verse at the end of this song is one of the best demonstrations of her skills.

Lord bring me peace
I done found pain up in these streets
Lived a lot of lifetimes, traveled many streets
I spend a lot of hard time not knowing what's for me
They trustin' me, that's something that I've never seen
Best believe I conquer everything for me
They testin' me, they weapons ain't impressin' me
Ain't nothin' free, I need to see a check to sing
They bookin' me, I'm manifestin' as I dream

Her flow is mad nice here. Again, this song really grew on me. Multiple listens gave me a newfound appreciation for the rich production and refined song structure. It’s a dope track. However, the following song, Soul Finder, is even better in my opinion. This song has one of my favorite instrumentals on the album. This beat is absolutely spectacular. It’s impossible for me to not get the coveted involuntary head nod while listening to this shit. DDA Tink’s sung hook on this one is super smooth too. I actually was really hooked by the lyricism on this one as well. DDA Tink comes off like a very impassioned, thoughtful person just based off the shit she says.

It's eating at our mental, my brother, mother, my kinfolk
We dealing with our versions of grief, not being gentle
I think that's why I lie so much, some shit just hurt to say
It's people that I wanna touch I'll never see again
Why knowing it's some Gods that's better off as friends
You make your bed, you lay in it, that's stuck up in my head
Got visions from the other side, don't think my mother's dead
The night I heard my father cry imprinted in my head

That last line in particular really stood out to me. The second verse is even better though. Her flow is absolutely butter smooth here, and the way the beat evolves throughout the runtime of the track is glorious. This song has arguably the jazziest instrumental on the album. This is one of my favorite songs from DDA Tink. I think she knocked this one outta the park. It’s dope as hell. The following track, Slow Dancing with the Devil, is just as good, if not better. This might be the best beat on the whole record. I love how dark and heavy the melodic instrumental is. DDA Tink might’ve spit her best verse on the whole album here too.

I know it's too much I can lose, so I don't choose these niggas
When I had nothing else to lose, couldn't get two shoes from niggas, so I abuse these niggas
I wrap my bars around they neck, I see they arms is hard to stretch
I tighten up, you know what's next, got no regrets
Don't need no groupie hoes, my .44 gon' hold me close whether it's hot or cold
That's just the topic 'cause the subject's on a need-to-know
Fuck what you sayin', this my cadence, watch my crowd control
It's time I let you know

As I was listening to her rap, I kept trying to think of which other rapper she was reminding me of, but I never figured it out. I think WESTSIDE BOOGIE would fit over this instrumental perfectly though. Anyway, I was already really enjoying the song, but the guest verse from J.Ford, who I’ve never heard of, really elevated things even further. I have no idea who that dude is, but he fucking killed this shit. His voice kinda reminds me of J. Arrr a little bit.

I been totin' pieces, seekin' peace, and pickin' up the pieces
Forgiveness needed, but something I never did believe in
I plead to God while I stray far away from demons
Knowin' faith in my religion seem to be my only weakness
'Cause I be torn between spirits guiding and truth in science
Blinded by these reverends that preach to us while they keep denyin'
The practices that keep us altered from them altars
Shall I falter, Holy Father, may you bless me in your water

Honestly, that verse is absolutely beautifully written to me. That might be my favorite verse on the whole album. This song only grew on me with repeat listens. It’s not only my favorite song on the project, but one of my favorite songs of the year. Pretty much every element of this track was really fantastic to me. The instrumental, flows, writing, and vocals on the hook are all top notch. The song’s dope as fuck. Track 10 is called Gimmie a Taste, and it has another feature from Aushoj Rekcut. Again, the production quality is really excellent. This instrumental is fire. Same goes for the hook on this song. Soji has always been uniquely talented at crafting great hooks, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that this one is stellar as well. That’s probably my favorite hook on the whole album. His actual verse is really great too. Just like on the opener, he employs multiple flows and vocal deliveries in this one verse. The same thing can be said for DDA Tink though. I actually don’t know who had the better performance on this song. It could go either way depending on my mood. Anyway, the song is fire overall. It’s definitely one of my favorites. The streak of highlights continues with the following track, Me Too! (You Knew). This song definitely has the hardest beat on the album. Not the best beat, but the hardest. I could see someone like Lil Durk or Lil Baby spitting over this beat. It has the most potential to go viral out of all the songs on this album in my opinion. It’s impossible to listen to this and not get the coveted involuntary head nod. I wanted to get up and dance listening to this shit. This is easily the best solo track I’ve ever heard from DDA Tink. What I’m about to say may be questionable to some of y’all, but just hear me out. I know everyone says DaBaby fell off, and for the most part I agree. However, in my opinion the two main reasons for his downfall—controversies aside—are him not knowing how to switch his sound up in an interesting or enjoyable way, and him choosing shitty instrumentals. I think if he hopped on a remix of this song he would sound excellent though. He would fit over this beat really well. Personally, I would rather see a remix with one of the other artists I just mentioned, but DaBaby is more plausible since he’s from North Carolina. Anyway, DDA Tink killed this shit. Her verse is fire.

Something to prove
She fuckin' all on the 'gram, somebody told her it's cool
Wipe all my shoes
I had my foot on her neck, some of it still in my boots
I'm in my mood
I'm finna cut off a bitch, unscrew her like she a screw
I don't got time for no drama, save that for her mama
Let karma gon' do what it do

She was really floatin’ on this joint. I wanna see a music video for this song really badly. This needs to be a single. I wouldn’t be surprised if this ends up being one of her most popular songs because it’s catchy as fuck and relatively accessible. I love it. It’s dope as fuck. It’s followed by the Old People Always Think Skit. I don’t know who’s speaking on this skit, but she’s basically just talking about how old ass motherfuckers always think that they can’t be taught anything by people who are younger than them. I feel pretty much the same way about this skit as I did about the first one. I don’t disagree with the sentiment being expressed, but I guess I’m just failing to see why this was included on the album because it doesn’t seem to be connected to any of the other tracks in terms of content. I’m not mad at it being here though. I don’t care either way. Anyway, the penultimate track is entitled Run This Town. The producer is actually credited on this track as Dru Billions. I couldn’t tell you why this is the only track where a producer is listed. I think this is a really well-crafted instrumental though. It’s pretty impressive to me. I don’t love the hook on this track, which clearly takes some influence from Rihanna’s performance on the Jay-Z single of the same name. It’s not terrible, but I think it kinda just overstays its welcome. DDA Tink just keeps repeating it over and over again, and it gets a little tedious. The first verse doesn’t start until 1:25. It’s a really great verse though. I think it’s one of the best on the album. This is a really good song. It’s one of the weaker ones to me personally, but I still really like it. The closer is called Love Jones, and it has an amazing, soulful beat. This is basically a love song dedicated to music. Her flow’s not too flashy on this track, but it works over this instrumental really well, and her vocal delivery sounds excellent. This feels like a really fitting outro for the album. It sounds like the credits rolling after the protagonist in a movie overcame all their obstacles and accomplished their goal. This isn’t one of the most memorable songs on the album, but I definitely enjoyed it quite a bit. I think it’s really good.

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^{This album is great. This is one of the best surprises of the year for me. There’s not a single track here that I don’t like. The rich, melodic instrumentals are really fleshed out and layered, and even the features were really good. DDA Tink can rap and sing really well, but what’s arguably more important is that she knows how to write songs. None of these tracks feel too scant or undercooked. Even the tracks that only have one verse manage to sound more complete and fulfilling than a lot of other underground rappers’ songs. I haven’t heard that many albums this year yet, but based on what I’ve listened to, this is a top three release of 2024 for me so far. This was a really fantastic introduction to DDA Tink as an artist, and it has me excited to follow her career and see where she goes from here because I feel like the talent is undeniable. This is the type of quality where I feel like success is inevitable. DDA Tink isn’t doing anything groundbreaking or unheard of with this release, but it’s just so well executed that I have to commend it. I’m so glad that this landed on my radar because DDA Tink is one of my favorite musical discoveries in a long time. This shit is really dope. Check it out, and let me know what you think in the comment section below.}

FAVORITE SONG: SLOW DANCING WITH THE DEVIL
LEAST FAVORITE SONG: LOVE JONES

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