LISTEN

Artist – Deante’Hitchcock

Album – Better&psig=AOvVaw0WyIf0sXDgKUzZZE_1e9HT&ust=1610156927364000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCIipqpKci-4CFQAAAAAdAAAAABAJ)

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BACKGROUND

Deante’ Hitchcock is an Atlanta-based rapper that has been gradually gaining buzz since 2016. His first mixtape, Good, helped get his name out there, and to kick-start the trilogy of his career – Good, Better, Best. Good was the first mixtape, Better is his first album, and Best will be the name of his last. At this point in the background, I’m required to point out how most people have heard of Deante’ – his car freestyle series. This has become somewhat of a point of contention for Deante’, because while he appreciates what those freestyles did to build his buzz, it’s frustrating for an artist to be known for one thing they did when they’ve got so much more to offer.

For many rap fans, the first time they heard Deante’ was on the J Cole-driven Revenge of the Dreamers III. Deante’ was one of the many talented people that were invited out to those sessions, and his connections with fellow Atlanta-based rappers JID, 6LACK, Young Nudy, and more likely helped with that. He only ended up appearing on the track “PTSD”, but many un-initiated fans took note of how slick he sounded on the track. That may have been the last piece he needed to begin the process of putting out his debut commercial album, Better.

Better shows Deante’ re-writing the script on what kind of rapper he is. He’s done with people who recognize him going “oh, you the dude who freestyles in the car”. That series did what it was meant to do, and got his name out there. People know he can rap now. But he’s got so much more to offer, and his experience on tour with JID helped mold the direction he took with Better. While talking with JID, he decided to transition into a soulful direction. They had similar experiences when touring – they blew up as rappers, people showed up to see them rap their asses off. But he felt a disconnect from his audience, feeling more like a spectacle to watch than an experience to engage in. His new direction stemmed from that, with more “soulful” production and more “call-and-response”-type tracks. He wanted the audience to be a part of the experience, rather than onlookers.

TRACK-BY-TRACK REVIEW

I Remember

The opening track to Deante’s debut commercial album finds him looking back at everything it took to get here. Going from starting out to putting out your first album is such a monumental effort for any artist, and every step along the way is a part of molding you into the artist you’ve become. For Deante’, that meant a lot more than just struggling as a rapper. He’s spent most of his adult life dead-broke, and those struggles are such a huge part of what fuel him. Everything it took for him to get here – and everyone who helped him along the way – is incredibly important to him, and it only makes sense that he spends the opening track to his first album reminiscing on those times.

If I said it, I done lived it

N*gga how could I forget it?

I remember everything.

In-house producer Brandon Phillips-Taylor brings a beat that’s certainly interesting. At times it can border on being noisy, and that’s a constant throughout this record. But even if the actual instrumentation can overwhelm at times, he has such a dope way of layering in background vocals that it usually makes up for it. They give some depth to the sound in certain points, and it makes things feel richer in certain points. Even with the instrumentals, he’s never afraid to peel back and add in sounds and layers to give lines or hooks more power or clarity. The fact that he also produces the vast majority of this record gives it more continuity as well, and when he plays with the depth and layers of the record, it really shines.

As far as the actual content of the track, it brings new fans up to speed with who Deante’ is and what’s brought him to this point. It also serves to introduce them to Deante’s style as a rapper, and the best way I’ve found to describe it is….casual. In the best possible way. I don’t know if that makes any sense, so I’ll try to explain. When Lupe Fiasco starts rapping, I feel like I have to focus on the bars like a final exam just to make sure I catch some of what he’s saying. When Kendrick starts spitting, I’ve gotta sit up in bed, like just as a respect thing. And that’s not to say that Deante’ isn’t a high caliber rapper, because he absolutely is. But he just makes the listener feel comfortable, like he’s just some dude telling his story and trying to make it big doing this rap shit. I can’t help but want to support someone who’s so clearly a genuine dude making genuine music. This track, and the record as a whole, feel conversational, and within a few listens you start to feel like you know him. That’s where his biggest strengths lie, because while he’s really good at, you know, rapping…. so are a lot of other people who make way less interesting music. Deante feels like he’s someone you’ve known your whole life, and the fact that he’s got insane talent for rapping is just a bonus.

I Got Money Now (feat. JID)

Earlier, I mentioned how Deante’ went on tour with JID on his Catch Me If You Can tour. That was actually my introduction to Deante’ – I had no idea who this dude was, but he came out with this energy that was absolutely undeniable. The way he rocked the crowd, you would’ve thought it was his tour. And one thing that stood out was how much you could just feel him savoring the moment, looking from fan to fan and holding onto that eye contact just a little bit longer, getting a big smile when he saw someone really into it. I was up front, and apparently I looked impressed, because he pointed at me and gave me a little nod, like “This dude’s with me” And he was right, I’ve been on the lookout ever since. So for me as a fan, having JID on the album only made sense, and brought things full circle in a way.

Okay, end anecdote, let’s talk about the song. If “I Remember” is about looking back to the come-up and what it took to make it here, “I Got Money Now” is the triumphant follow-up – he’s here. He went through hell and back to get a bag, but now he’s gonna make sure you know he’s got it. It’s what he calls an “Affirmation” song – he made the song before he actually had money. It’s a sort of music equivalent to speaking things into fruition. That’s probably why it still feels relatively down to Earth, even though the hook has him shouting “Shut the fuck up, I got money now! (Bitch!)” It doesn’t feel like an ordinary “rapper telling you how rich he is” song, because he doesn’t sound like he’s taking himself all that seriously. The way his personality shines through into his bars allow him to go from venting his frustration about not being able to help his mom with the bills straight into Jumanji references. His rapping feels hungry as fuck, and it helps that he’s coming so hard while talking about just why he’s so intent on making it – he’s been broke, and he’s not about to go back to that shit again.

The JID feature is honestly a tough one to pin down for me. It doesn’t feel like it’s on the same level of some of JID’s other features, but he honestly brings a really nice verse to this one. He’s got a bunch of really nice flows, some crazy internals, and he fits the vibe of the track perfectly. I honestly wouldn’t change anything about it, he compliments Deante’ so well. Yet, it felt to me, and to several other people I’ve talked to about it, like it just wasn’t as good as his usual stuff, and I really think a lot of that comes down to Deante’ stepping up and delivering such a good performance on the track. Most of the time, the JID feature steals the show, and when he doesn’t, it’s kind of like, “oh. alright.” It showcases how talented Deante’ really is, because not only is he one of very few to hold their own with JID during this run he’s been on, but he arguably outshines him.

Attitude (feat. Young Nudy)

While the first two tracks were as good of introductions to Deante’s music as you could expect, they did have a pretty similar tonality. So naturally, you follow it up with the Young Nudy-assisted “Attitude”, which Deante’ described as being “like a Bee smoking a Black and Mild with some Air Forces” in an interview with RESPECT. Whatever comfort zone you found yourself in after the first two tracks is gone in an instant. The beat builds into this sort of moshing chant, with layers of background vocals escalating into “Can’t be scared, hoe; Can’t be scared, lil n*gga”. The energy is totally different, but Deante’s humor and personality don’t feel out of place at all. Again, his personality is just so big you can’t help but feel like you know him. So even when a brawl is about to break out, there’s no surprised when he’s dropping one-liners about wa’alaykumu s-salam, Rubik’s Cubes, or Optimus Prime.

The Young Nudy feature effectively works opposite of Deante’s verse – he’s not gonna try to impress you with clever bars, because he wants to make sure you know he means the shit he’s saying. It’s a really interesting dynamic, because Deante’s humor makes Nudy’s verse feel more serious, and Nudy’s aggression makes Deante’ seem more lighthearted than he otherwise would feel on the song. All in all, they play off of each other really well and the song serves as a great juxtaposition from the first two tracks. It gives a little more insight into who Deante’ is as well – just because he’s not constantly taking himself too seriously doesn’t mean you should try him.

How TF (feat. 6LACK)

How Deante’ managed to transition from “Attitude” straight into “How TF” without it sounding insanely out of place, I have no idea. But it works, and this song is an even bigger departure from “Attitude” than the first two songs were. First of all, the instrumental on this thing is just so damn good. It’s a nice little ear-worm in its own right, but it’s not overbearing to the point of being the main focus of the track. It’s still a little spacey, and that lets Deante’ shine through with plenty of different flows in an otherwise short verse.

The topic at hand is so fucking important. Deante’ has a way of saying what so many guys are going through in ways that they don’t know how to say. He makes himself feel so relatable, and you can’t help but attach yourself to what he’s saying. “How the fuck am I supposed to tell you that I love you and know I really fuckin mean what I said?”. When you first find yourself falling in love, there’s a weird thing that can happen where you almost doubt your own feelings, not even believing that you’re actually feeling what you’re feeling. You don’t know if you’re actually falling in love or if you’re just lusting over some girl and are too naïve to realize it. That fear is so overwhelming that you end up just pushing away from it – “Runnin away again”.

Deante’ gives such an honest insight into his own life here. He doesn’t really know how to describe his own feelings, but he’s trying his best. He doesn’t want to say anything he doesn’t mean and find himself regretting it later on, but he knows his indecisiveness is pushing her away. He just can’t bring himself to risk saying he loves her when he isn’t sure – “I don’t know…that love shit weird”.

6LACK brings another great verse, but from an older point of view. He’s struggling with similar themes, but for different reasons. Deante’ is worried about saying something he doesn’t mean, but 6LACK is worried about moving too quickly without taking some time to work on himself. If he doesn’t take that time now, he’s only going to hurt her. I think both of these verses showcase some of the struggles of being a young man trying to maneuver through love. For a lot of people, they didn’t exactly have the best examples of love in their homes. Without having a good example, it can be hard to really figure out how to say what they want to say. Personally, this is the track I come back to the most, and it hasn’t left my rotation since I heard it as a single. The beat captures you, and Deante’ absolutely steals the show.

Flashbacks (feat. Miguel and St. Beauty)

While religion has always played a part in Deante’s music, and had been mentioned a few times already in the project, “Flashbacks” is far and away the most direct example on Better thus far. Deante’s first verse is a long-form, almost rambling reflection on his upbringing, touching on hitting new lows, his mother’s faith, and the death of a friend. This is a different Deante’ than we’ve seen up to this point on the project, because while he certainly talks about real topics and does so earnestly, this track feels a little less calculated. On “How TF” or “I Remember”, it feels like he’s thought about everything he’s saying plenty of times before, and he’s prepared to talk about it at length. But on “Flashbacks”, it really does feel like he’s talking his way through flashbacks in his mind, just sharing whatever happens upon his mind.

I just want to really highlight the section where Deante’ talks about the church, and his thoughts on it growing up (and now?). The casual way Deante’ raps, combined with the nature of the topic and the way he addresses it, make for a track that feels so incredibly vulnerable. He doesn’t have the answers and it’s killing him. The other sections of the verse are great too, but this part is just fantastic and I wanted to give it some shine.

I need some straightforward answers, cause I been livin backwards

Can’t feel the pastor when he talkin bout upcoming rapture

Preachin’ money’s the root of all evil, but askin for money after

So comin up we ain’t have it to give but we still gave it

The church was makin a killin off of our little savings

But you can’t put a price on faith, thats how my momma phrased it

But momma if this the house of the Lord, how could we not appraise it?

I was young and confused with nothin’ to lose

Better to be human than God, word to Langston Hughes

Miguel and duo St. Beauty feature on this track, and there’s a part where they all harmonize and play off of each other that’s just gorgeous. They nail the aesthetic of the Phillips-Taylor production. Miguel offers a bridge to the outro as well, and, well, it’s Miguel. His voice is incredible and if you don’t know St. Beauty, just know that Miguel doesn’t outshine them for a second on this track. The aforementioned outro brings Deante’ back, and it serves to bridge Deante’s childhood thoughts from his earlier verse to the present. He’s “Still talkin’ to God”, and he acknowledges that while he isn’t what he was expected to be, he’s still leaning on his faith and knows that it will pull through for him in the end. Maybe it already has.

Gimme Yo Money

So, I’ll be upfront about this one. I don’t like this song. I appreciate what it’s meant to do. The last two songs were serious and, spoilers, so is most of the rest of this project. I’m sure if I was at his show in Atlanta and this song came on I’d have a fucking great time with it. I just don’t like it on the album, and to me it’s the only miss on the project.

Yung Baby Tate is all over this song, and it feels like it’s more of her song than Deante’s. It’s a fun track, and it made me more interested in checking out her individual work because if I was in the mood for that style of music, I’d be all over this track and I think she’s dope. It just doesn’t work with the rest of the project. The beat is actually really cool again, and Deante’s rapping is on point once again. Unfortunately it just doesn’t really work like it could have, or like he probably envisioned it.

Circles

This is the track that’s grown on me the most, and I think it might be favorite on the project. But my favorite track changes a lot, and that’s a testament to the quality of work. But anyways. At first, the looping vocal that comes in at the beginning and for the hook, the chanting “Round and Round we go” that’s way pitched up – I hated it. It’s grating, and I felt like the song deserved a better hook than this. I’m still not the biggest fan of it, but I think it adds to the concept of the topic. We’ll come back to that.

This song is another relationship one, and while it’s another impressively honest insight into Deante’s personal life, his pen is what shines. This track has so many flows packed into two verses, and they’re all just so goddamn good. Especially on the bridge before the second chorus, it’s such a quick section but it’ll play on loop in my head. I’m stuck on this part trying to figure out how to describe how much I love this flow in particular. The beat strips back for this section too, and he parallels how he feels with what she’s going through. And it’s just really good, I’m sorry that I’m not good enough at writing to really word it better than that.

The theme of the song is how their relationship keeps going in “Circles”, where a little fight turns into a big one. Eventually they always make up, but they both know it’s only a matter of time until they end up right back where they were, fighting over the same old shit. It circles back to “How TF” as well, because she just doesn’t feel loved like she needs to. That feeds into her not trusting him, and that’s what Deante’ feels like he needs out of the relationship to love her like she wants. It’s a circle. The abrasive, pitched-up vocal loop sounds like them fighting, and if you listen closely, it can be heard in the background of the bridge and other sections, albeit much quieter. Those problems are there in the background even when things are good. So even when Deante’ is flowing effortlessly over this smooth-ass beat, and it sounds so good, that vocal loop is looming. That’s the contrast in the relationship, even when things are going great and it seems perfect, those impending fights still loom, and they both know those problems are still there.

Shadowman’s Interlude

This interlude is broken up into two parts, the first being a short, reflective verse from Deante’ that toes the line being purposeful and aimless. He’s offering you an insight into his brain and everything he’s been going through in the process leading up to releasing this album. He’s cutting off friends, turning away hoes, battling the bottle and dealing with social injustice. There’s so much going on that’s bigger than he is, and as an artist it’s easy to feel like you have to talk about those things. But he has too much of his own shit to deal with to not give his own life and problems his full attention. But throughout, he’s still being funny and dropping references that seem like they’re trying to lighten the tone. It’s such an interesting juxtaposition, because he wouldn’t be talking about these things if they weren’t important to him – but that doesn’t mean it has to be 100% serious, 100% of the time. So in the same verse, he can say “Bad bitch gon’ let me hit, no Ken Griffey” and “ironic when the bottle’s empty is when I pour out my pain”.

The second half is a story told by one of Deante’s friends. It’s a short story about him and his friends seeing a truck on the side of the road. There’s a box on the end, and it falls off and then mysteriously slides under the car. They pull over and break it open, and find human toes inside. As the story comes to a climax, you can hear Deante’ and his friends react to the story in the background –

“Like walking toes? What the fuck?”

“My Aunt Dukes is like, ‘let’s call the police’

I was like, ‘Fuck that shit, let’s call a toe truck”

Of course it was just a set-up for a punchline. It’s a Deante’ track.

Growing Up/Mother God

This track is basically a song and a half, because “Growing Up” is a completely developed track, with two verses, a hook, and an outro. You can probably guess what “Growing Up” is supposed to be about. The first verse is a little more broad, reflecting more on what it’s like to grow up as a young black kid in America, and what it’s like to see everything going on in the news everyday. He transitions into a more personal verse afterwards, and it becomes less about growing up in society and more about growing up as a person. He goes on a personal, but somewhat odd tangent about having a direct conversation with God. Ultimately, it’s him re-affirming what he already knows – be yourself unapologetically, because you can’t be anything else.

Brandon Phillips-Taylor is behind the boards on this one as well (shocking, I know), and it’s just another really cool beat that continues to play into his strengths as a producer. He layers in additional vocals for the hook and he peels away parts of the beat within the first two verses. The fact that he’s been doing that for so much of the record makes it where you don’t even notice that stuff as much anymore, so you don’t realize that the second half of the song has already started. Any other record, it would be way more drastic for the beat to cut away in the middle of the third run of the hook only to be replaced with a piano and Alexe Belle (half of St. Beauty) singing added layers onto the hook. But you almost don’t comprehend it’s not just him toying with the beat only to bring it back like he does elsewhere, and it’s a beautiful transition. There’s some spoken-word from Deante’s girlfriend, and it takes us right into “Mother God”.

Somebody ask me why I think God is a woman

And I said, “Your momma cookin must not be as good as mine

Your lil sister must not warm you spirit when you see her crack a smile

Deante’ offers up an ode to all the women in his life, namely his mother, sister, and girlfriend (although he name drops a ton of other people that had an impact on him). It’s a really sweet, heartfelt verse, and it’s one of my favorites on the whole record. I could never summarize this verse down in my own words, because it’s so personal to him and every line is so important to him, and to somebody in his life. It feels like it would be disrespectful to be like, “Yeah, this one that he said is more important than the others”. But anyways, 10/10 verse.

Angels

Deante’ likes splitting his songs into two parts. Why would he stop now. The first half of the track feels like what you might expect for an outro to a rap album. He’s confident, he’s rapping his ass off, he’s unapologetic as fuck. Naturally, he’s sprinkling in real lines and wisdom throughout, almost as if he can’t help himself. Once again, Phillips-Taylor really shines. He builds the beat up along with Deante’s verse, and the background “ayy-ayy-ayy, ayy-ayy-ayy, ayy-ayy-ayy!” of the hook bring things to a climax as well. While obviously not the same style of song AT ALL, the way the beat builds throughout the first verse while Deante’s rapping gets faster and more erratic is reminiscent of Saba’s brilliant “PROM/KING”. That’s been one of my biggest takeaways from sitting down to write this; Brandon Phillips-Taylor does a really great job throughout this album and is an unsung hero among fans of the album, because I don’t see him get nearly enough praise when this project is discussed.

On the deluxe tracklist, the album actually ends after the main part of Angels, but on the original version, “My Bitch” is added onto the end of Angels as a part of the same song. Deante’ comes in acting like he’s gonna be on some weird-flex bragging shit to end his debut album, before turning it on its head.

My bitch!

Head so good, gotta wipe my ass when she finished

My wrist!

So bright light, probably make a n*gga mad when they hit it

I was just cappin, now that I got your attention, listen

He instead chooses to just fucking spit, and it serves as his “I’m coming for the throne” moment. I can rap with anybody, and as a matter of fact, I’ll outrap anybody. While the “Angels” part of the track might feel like more of a traditional album closer, ending it with “My Bitch” shows that Deante’ isn’t going to settle for doing what everybody traditionally does. It’s a statement of intent, and it’s an exclamation mark on one of the most impressive debut albums I’ve heard in a very long time.

FAVORITE LYRICS

I Remember

• “I remember ridin dirty when my motherfuckin gas gauge was broke, ain’t even know that bitch was ridin’ on E”
• “I remember shows in Texas, back when the venue name was long as my setlist; Shit was killin me, I just couldn’t express it; Grateful for what they gave me, but in my heart of hearts just couldn’t accept it”
• “Remember back when my bank account was so empty, I was too scared to check it;Now I’m checkin every check on my checklist”
• “Walter Payton, Barry Sands, how I ran through my advance”
• “A message to those who these songs end up reachin; The second you find out your worth, it increases”

I Got Money Now

• “I was havin withdrawals, now I’m at the bank, makin deposits; Shout out to 50, boy, Get Rich or Die Tryin, ain’t no other option” – Deante’
• “I’ve been fuckin’ the shit out my bucket list; Drop my nuts on the lips of a lusty bitch” – JID

Attitude

• “Okay, you bein out doing you, I been outdoin you”
• “12 got the call, they pullin’ up, what?; Who? When? Where? Better duck-duck; They askin questions, they just *pop* *pop*; Don’t fuck with pigs like wa’alaykumu s-salam”

How TF

• “How the fuck am I supposed to tell you that I love you and know I really fuckin mean when I say it? ; You know I’m dealin] with a million fuckin things in my head”
• “Look, I understan- wait no fuck this shit, no I don’t; Wait forever while you get you together? No I won’t.”
• “She wanna ask me, she was like, ‘what are we?’; I had to look at her and be like, I was like; ‘We are homo sapiens, we human beings, we you and I; Deadass, that’s it, that’s we; I mean I fuck with shawty but it’s like, I don’t know, that love shit weird”

Flashbacks

• “I was young and wide-eyed, unaware of incoming karma; They say the first child should pay for the sins of the father; So I bought em’ out tomorrow, like fuck it”
• “I seen a rose grow from out of that concrete, yeah right there up my block; Right on the corner where DeVonte got shot”

Gimme Yo Money

• “Her pussy bomb, they won’t even let her through TSA”
• “Real saditty, pretty wih the paw print tats on her titty; Trickin n*ggas out they dough, if you got it she finna get it”

Circles

• “Then she bring up my old chick; My old ways, my old grips; My old hoes, my old bitch; Like damn, why you always stressin old shit?”
• “So we fight, we fuss; We fuck, we stuck; She need love, I want trust; But pretty soon we’ll be back on the same ol shit”

Shadowman’s Interlude

• “I ain’t have to have no Fairy God parents to get rid of them Vicky’s, Poof”
• “I’m Martin Luther King and Trayvon; Needed a third life, I live twice like James Bond; Just in case I get Marshawn Lynch’d ’cause I ain’t forget where I came from”
• “Spent my past life becoming one with the Henny, liquor, all of my things; It help me take the mask off, when I’m sober I’m Bane; Ironic when the bottle empty is when I pour out my pain”

Growing Up/ Mother God

• “Tired of makin the same New Years Resolutions on the fuckin yearly”
• “But even in the Belly of the Beast, was still God’s Son, I mean that Sincerely; Hope I never let Nas down, but Nas ain’t the n*gga that’ll need to hear me; Why? He already got a million, but my n*ggas still stuck at the bottom; Feelin like there ain’t noone who really got ’em”
• “We don’t judge a fish on if it fly or not and tell birds to swim; Be what you is, even when it hurt you”
• “Couldn’t cut her loose if I had scissors, that’s Love Galore”
• Again, the whole last verse is incredible

Angels

• “Know I ain’t perfect, but my little sister think I’m the shit”
• “Don’t let no hard time ever make you softspoken”
• “Ay, I got “Me Versus Me” tatted as a reminder that this life ain’t forever; So everyday I’m breathin, I’m gon be better”
• “My life do a 360 five times on the fuckin’ yearly”
• “Been a prisoner in my mind, in a cell of my own creation; I wanna escape it, but then again I don’t because this; Made me everything I am, just pray I never forget”
• “Man, I’m from Atlanta hoe; Hot Lemon Pepper my ten-piece and Pink Lemonade with the Simply”
• “Prayin for me to fall off, you gon always be down on your knees, hoe; My shit been groovy since I was in Juvy, 400 Degreez, hoe”

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

• Were you familiar with Deante’ before this project? Where did you discover him, whether it be from ROTD3, his solo work, his freestyles, etc?
• What were your favorite songs? Did you prefer the more serious songs, or the more light-hearted ones?
• How important is the in-person experience at a concert to your enjoyment to somebody’s music? Is it important enough to be worth it for someone like Deante’ to change their style just to suit that better?
• Do you think Deante’ is someone who could realistically “blow up” and actually be a big name, or is he more likely to end up with a passionate fanbase that gives him a career/audience without gaudy numbers (a la Denzel Curry, Vince Staples, Isaiah Rashad)?
• Where would you like to see Deante’ go next with his music? Who would you like to see him work with?