DOG – Monster CS (Cleopatra Records)

I admit I am a bit late to the party with this genre. I heard about it from fellow music enthusiasts, but somehow I never paid much attention to it. Sure, I am a big fan of the nineties emo scene, and there are bands I dearly listen to even today, but for some unexplainable reason, I avoided any new emo music for so long. Perhaps we had some emo rap artists on our pages before, but I can’t recall it, so I’ll say with great assurance that DOG is the first one. Cleopatra Records released a full-length album on a limited edition cassette, but it’s not his latest release. DOG has released some tracks like Up Now and One Last Breath right after this cassette. Considering the number of recordings he unleashed since 2019, you will notice he’s a prolific artist.

Monster contains eleven tracks that will probably suit fans of contemporary music. If you’re a newbie to the genre, think of emo rap as an improved subgenre of modern rap music. It’s a departure from old-school hip hop, and it sails much more towards contemporary rap waters, but still, it’s far away from something you could hear on commercial TV stations. Also, if you’re looking for similarities with the Midwest emo scene, forget about it, because it’s more similar to modern emo, indie, and pop-punk music. Actually, The Monster comes close to pop-punk more than you can even imagine. DOG arranged these tracks to suit any pop-punk fan, but there’s even more. Soundwise, this tape possesses many qualities, and you’ll hear it as soon as you put it in your tape deck and press play.

Perhaps this type of music is not my cup of tea, but I can’t deny DOG included some ear-appealing pop-punk riffs into his songs. Besides the beforementioned riffs, some arpeggiated chord progressions undoubtfully resemble late nineties emo tunes. The lyrics and DOG’s singing technic also play a significant part in defining his sound, and these songs will undoubtfully resonate with many emo, pop, and rap fans. Maybe the autotune filter spoils a listening experience at some tracks, but after all, this is emo rap, not regular emo music, so those who’re into the genre will unquestionably appreciate this tape. What I adore the most about these tracks are the powerful, creatively composed, dynamic beats that define almost every song included on this album. This tape showcases all the creativity of DOG, who put so much effort into this tape. As I said before, emo rap fans will probably appreciate this album a lot, so if this genre is something you dearly love, you should head over to Cleopatra Records and order this limited edition cassette.