Firm and brimming with an exquisite swagger, we find the velvet-toned lashings of a synth in the center of the spotlight beside Dude Reppin Knowhere in his new single, “Sneaky Style,” which is out now alongside a chic and sexy video for the track starring its star rapper There’s nothing conventional about DRK’s music, but there’s something all the more experimental about his most recent studio work, which sees him teaming with an able cast of costars for a rapid-fire video filled with rhyme and rhythm that is almost certain to stir up some praise from critics and rap fans everywhere.
Right off the bat, the masterfully meticulous mixing of “Sneaky Style” has an impact on the mood of the music. From the percussion all the way to the vocal interplay, every element here sounds unfiltered, raw, and intimate, to such an extent that I get a live vibe in a couple of different spots. It’s not devoid of a polished tone in the least, but there’s an artificiality that is incredibly common in contemporary pop that is completely absent from this single. Both the video and the song itself have an in your face-physicality that stops just short of being assaultive in style, and that alone is something worth writing home about.
The beats are consistently exotic in this track, and they complement the flexible stylization of the instruments wonderfully. It would be pointless to deny the fact that “Sneaky Style” has a ton of layers and flowing sonic facets for audiophiles to sift through, but again, this crisp master mix makes it possible for us to enjoy every intricacy here without getting lost in the hypnotic harmonies underpinning every verse. This is a superbly engaging pop song, and while it could have been a little edgier in its transition from one stanza to the next, I wouldn’t change a thing about its overall cosmetic comprisal.
If you’ve never heard DRK’s work before, 2022 is the time to get into his sound, as it has unquestionably evolved into a relentless entity that is above comparisons with his less than erudite peers in hip-hop, R&B, and electropop. He’s come a long way since first debuting on the scene, and though I think that he’s yet to reach his creative peak, “Sneaky Style” brings him into the studio with an agenda of equal caliber to his talent and ultimately presents us with one of his most refined and robust compositions to see release thus far. Dude Reppin Knowhere is riding high on his experimental harmonies right now, and once you give “Sneaky Style” a listen for yourself, I think you will be, too.
