Igloo Blasts
ChiefDVB Proves He’s Too Cold
The first track of any project is paramount. It reveals the vibe or overall feel of a project. Released in the middle of winter, the aptly titled Igloo from ChiefDVB hits hard from the first snare. The opening track breeds expansion and experimentation as evidenced by "IGLOO IGGYZ ICEE’s" vocal sample, plucked from an educational video or phonograph which explains the Eskimo’s home.
This mix on "IGLOO IGGYZ ICEE" is so in pocket, you’d think Def Jam created it. From headphones to the backseat of the Jeep, the low and high ends throughout Igloo are flawless. As for lyrics, ChiefDVB doesn’t understand emcees caught in the matrix, displaying his disgust for the non-hungry with: "Nowadays rappers wanna have cry offs/the sad truth is life’s a bitch, get the time off." Simply put, ChiefDVB is making zero excuses for the major moves he’s making.
The alliteration of song titles adds to the uniqueness of the project. Similar to Kendrick Lamar's albums telling stories in multiple ways, Igloo's promotion, medium, and even titles, become an extension of ChiefDVB's word play, explored more thoroughly by Syntax Vernac's article, "Yes, an Igloo in Las Vegas."
The theme consistently revisited is work ethic. On "DIRTY DUSTED DECI," ChiefDVB again questions the competition with: "Nobody wanna work, but everybody want millions?" The track also contains a catchy chant Luda would be proud of.
On "ROACH ROYCE REESEZ," ChiefDVB is comfortable being the trendsetter inside the parody economy of music with another strong hook: "Why do they want a piece of, everything you think of?" The question echoes Prince’s similar argument against record companies.
Despite low runtimes, it's the flawless compression on the vocals that change here and there, the larger than life mixes, and the Vegas word play that ensure ChiefDVB as a major player.
The hooks, especially on DIRTY DUSTED DECI and ROACH ROYCE REESEZ, as profound as they are, only hit once. Then again, ChiefDVB has made a career of the "less is more" mentality, proving that substance always overcomes runtime.
Overall, as impressive as the production chops and sharp pen of ChiefDVB are, it’s the storytelling skills on multiple levels that take the cake and complete Igloo.
Listen to a snippet here.
