Album Review: Dynamic Duo - Vol.5 Band of Dynamic Brothers

Dynamic Duo – Vol. 5 Band of Dynamic Brothers

01 Prize Beyond One’s Reach (Dynamic Sinsa Rangers)
02 Money Isn’t Everything feat. Kang San Ae
03 Toad House (One More Drink) feat 0cd
04 Don’t Need Change (Keep the Change) feat. Garie of Leesang, Bumky of Komplex
05 Rascal (Guilty)
06 Why Are You Leaving Already (Be My Brownie) feat. Bumky of Komplex
07 Biggestmasgicalvision
08 Fireworks
09 Sauna feat. E-sens of Supreme Team
10 Moonstruck feat. Simon D of Supreme Team
11 Brothers (The Toong Bros) feat. Topbob of Komplex
12 Ugly
13 End (Apoptosis)
14 Spring Time feat. Kim C

PURCHASE THIS ALBUM

Hip-hop
veterans Dynamic Duo (Choiza and Gaeko, aka Double D) return to
mainstream music with their fifth album before heading off to fulfill
their military duties. This time around, Double D is assisted by Garie
of Leessang, Bumky of Komplex, Topbob, Kim C, 0cd (from their Amoeba
Culture label) and their protegees, Supreme Team (E-Sens & Simon
Dominic).

The group does a great job of balancing hip-hop head
bangers, soulful tunes, acoustic tracks, and even some reggae. Tracks
that qualify as certified head bangers include the high energy ”Prize
Beyond One’s Reach,” “Fireworks,” and ‘”Sauna (featuring E-Sens).”
Other than the tracks mentioned above, the rest of the album diverges
itself from traditional rap and aims for a musical marriage with
different genres.

This is apparent in the title track
“Guilty,” which is a smooth R&B number laced with soulful vocals
from Gaeko. Other worthy soul tracks of mention include “Don’t Need
Change (Keep the Change) (featuring Garie & Bumky),” “Why Are You
Leaving Already (Be My Brownie) (featuring Bumky)” and the album’s
closing track “Spring Time.” The songs with Bumky truly shine on their
own due to his spectacular vocals, which get showcased at the end of
“Don’t Need Change” and on the hook of “Why Are You Leaving Already (Be
My Brownie).”

One of the more unique tracks from the album is
the song “Ugly.” There is a very distinct reggae influence from this
track and it features humorous lyrics from both Choiza and Gaeko whom
each proclaim to be “ugly but she loves me.” Unfortunately, this track
can be quite forgettable if you are expecting them to rap on it,
because they don’t. It can be hit or miss with some listeners, but
nevertheless, it is not a true mishap. One of the missteps on the album
is the Topbob assisted “Toong Brothers.” The beat feels very uninspired
and the hook/chorus is annoying. Another track that felt disappointing
was “Moonstruck,” because the production just comes off as an odd mix
between U.S. hip-hop producer Swizz Beatz’s work and Latin salsa. Simon
D – one of the underground’s most respected emcees – was the only
saving point of this track, even if he sounded out of place on it.

Overall,
Double D really went all out and put their best musical effort on this
album to satisfy their fans for the next 2 years until their return.
The album serves as a creative launchpad for the future of the Amoeba
Culture record label (Supreme Team & 0cd), as well as a Double D’s
evolving sound onto other genres beyond hip-hop. Longtime listeners
will undoubtedly like ‘Band of Dynamic Brothers’ but it is a shame that
they will have to wait patiently before newer material is released from
the duo.

Rating: 4/5

Ratings breakdown:
5/5 – Even if you’re not a fan of this artist/group this album is a must buy.
4/5 – If you’re a fan of this artist/group, you must buy this album.
3/5 – If you’re a fan of this artist/group, you might want to add this one to your collection.
2/5 – I don’t think a fan would even buy this.
1/5 – You might as well just flush your money down the toilet.