The talk of New York or better yet the veteran emcees beefing over old Harlem war stories for entertainment. All the humor, rumors and nostalgic value was briefly enjoyable but lets allow the bullshit to take a back seat to those preserving the flame of NY through more sustainable means and V Don has been heating shit up for a while. The Harlem native producer has been handing out mesmeric loops reminiscent of the sound synonymous with NY’s heyday in an era where Hip Hop’s mecca is an afterthought in the mainstream.
V Don has assiduously positioned himself for man of the year consideration by not just making beats but grabbing the boards for entire projects supplying production that seizes ears and forces you to pay attention. Since releasing the gritty “Omerta” with Lil Eto and “Deutsche marks “ With Willie the Kid, V Don has taken time to upload “Lost gems 3” a collection of instrumentals that remind his work is well enough to stand alone but also dares a rapper to attempt to keep up with the ascendancy of his production. V Don’s work is only built for the lyrical proficient, it’s the reason Dave East choose this sound to self diagnose his mental disorder on “Bipolar” and musical protrude from his contemporaries.
His signature loops play like hood operas and serve as perfect canvases for the lyrically dense. There are often accompanied by samples that seem whimsical in their selection and add of level of personality to tracks. Paula Patton voice faintly in the background of a track that carries her namesake is Don taking a unique approach that allows brash lyrics of Willie The kid to be easily digested. Elsewhere in his discography you can discover how he’s perfected imperfection, opting to purposefully glitch samples in a manner that lends credence to the authenticity of the music, as if the beat is alive. It’s the same feeling one experiences when listening to vinyl, which Don often releases his work on; but even In its digital format the texture in the production is still apparent. This ain’t your homie who just be fucking off making beats and stumbles upon some dope shit, nah all of Don’s shit is intentional so much so that the chopping of the drums manipulate your heartbeat into synchronicity.
his dope ass production is becoming an arena of sorts that houses those who are at the forefront of returning the East Coast to a prominent position. The likes of such including Shady/Griselda artists WestisdeGunn and Conway, while also being able to assist longstanding crews like G unit and The Lox find a sound that’s suitable for what they offer.
While V don is giving you that New York shit you love he’s not one to be boxed in, and is just as effective when utilizing the components more revered in other regions. Be it helping 2 Chaniz reconnect with his former rhyme partner Dolla Boy by supplying a beat intended for speakers stuffed inside a Chevy trunk. On “Live and Learn” the infectious loop is still there but it’s stuffed with bass leaving enough room for Playza Cirlce slide rhymes between the space between the beat. It’s clear there enough in Don’s arsenal to bring New York back and resuscitate anyone else in the game that may need a shock regardless of region. Which is evident in Trae Tha Truth swanging thru utilizing Harlem producers work.
V Don is a real threat with his unorthodox approach to music. You can call for beat and get a musical film in return I.E. the aforementioned “Omerta” and “Destche Marks” which are both being heralded as classic amongst those in the know. While this is in large part to the emcees ability; it’s V Don being able to execute a vision with production that allow the listener to see with their ears. Peep the bridge at the end of Eto’s “High” and tell us that shit doesn’t sound like a movie score. And that’s what the game is missing, you need a V Don who’s willing to see the music through and provide the cohesiveness that constitute albums while still being able to create tracks that are catchy enough to stand alone,. It could get crazy in 2018 if V Don continues to pass out his sonic jewels to worthy emcees.
-Matthew Carroll
