6You’d expect an arrogant bar like “I’m the greatest rapper in whatever room that I’m in” to be uttered by an extensively tested rapper. Delivered in a po-faced cadence with a feverishly infectious flow, Djaji Prime’s verse on “Flight Mode,” a standout selection from Charlie X and Paybac’s Autopilot, is an instantly memorable introduction. While the above quoted line shines brightest from that 16, the entire verse reeked of an impenetrable self-believe, like he was actually daring listeners to doubt his greatness. It was only a matter of when, not if, Djaji was going to show his workings: teasers, however explosive, are simply precursors.
ExPRESSION, Djaji’s newly dropped debut, is a collage of snapshots that is impressive on its own merits, and also projects that the fairly fresh minted rapper is capable of greater things over time. There’s an admirable level of consistency across the 12 comprising tracks that clearly proves his breakout verse wasn’t a fluke, paired with a versatility that shows range and an intuition constantly in flux in service of refinement. Based on the workings, the tape is the portrayal of a budding iconoclast.
Listing recent work from pliable musical savant Phoelix and premier purveyor of whimsical trap Playboi Carti amongst his current favourites, Djaji’s wide palette directly influences his choice in working on developing kaleidoscopic sensibilities. He knows his voice to an extent, but he’s turning it inside out find the layers, their colours and their potency—on the second verse of “Mumu” alone, there are three different vocal textures and pitches, each comes with a slight alteration of the preceding flow. Since he’s still working out the aesthetic kinks, Djaji bets on pathos as elevation for ExPRESSION, and it works out really well.
Steeped in the same conceited aura of his showcase on “Flight Mode,” opener “Prelude: No Competition” meets at the intersection of triumphant salvo and required self-check. On one hand, the oversized conviction with which each bar echoes off the Charlie X-provided hydraulic bounce signifies boastfulness, “ain’t no competition when you winning” goes the chanted hook. On the other, he’s aware that he needs to earn his imperious posture, “you say you got talent/it’s time for the work,” he charges himself some ways into the first verse.
Semantics as side, though, and just for the levity sake, it is undeniable that Djaji is quite adept at knuck-if-you-buck, freewheeling energy music, and the varied approach to his craft creates a sense of novelty on each attempt. Spotting a mellifluous flow, “Hottest in the Streets” is an unassuming banger that encourages the listener to shimmy those shoulders or walk with a gangsta lean. “I’m the hottest in the streets/you are just a B-side,” Djaji sings over a sauntering beat, with a demeanour that’s just as exciting as it is detached. Later on the “hook it to my veins”-worthy “Scrap,” Djaji delivers two of the tape’s best verses in viscous form, and forms a rain-thunder partnership with the gloriously menacing ODC, whose sky splitting hook is the audio equivalent of getting mugged in a dark alley.
Keeping things from bottoming out, the healthy dose of self-revelation on ExPRESSION lends some consequence to an unashamedly cliché title. As the pivot piece, “Am I Wrong?,” a collection of pensive thoughts steeped in uncertainty, starts the tape’s run of contemplative and expressly messy songs. “Last Night I Shot My Heart” and “Lake Jabi Vibe” run with the same vindictive mentality, albeit with important differences. On the former, bouncing off a snarky Paybac intro, Djaji’s grungy energy carries the fervour of a drug-fuelled rage, while the latter, an abrupt tempo shift featuring Mon Lee’s comforting tenor as a north pole, functions as the hangover where Djaji admits “I’ve been writing songs as a form of release” over the stoned out jazz groove.
Laying out the initial, personal framework on the Ria Sean-assisted title track, each verse starts off with a maelstrom of outlandish brags, including trips to Milan and getting “sucked to wake” by ladies who “like my dick like they like the shawarma,” before barrelling into self-deprecating information. On getting to these jarring points—“you think you’re tough but you’re hiding in pain,” he snaps at himself—the urgency is palpable in his tone, running through those minding exposing lines like he’s trying to relay an important message on limited airtime.
The tactic of tacking revealing details and grounding considerations unto seemingly pompous songs reveals a key trait of Djaji and his music: He, as Kanye West famously rapped, “found bravery in [his] bravado.” Pushing out his ego, sometimes in the form aggression behind the mic, is a compulsive reaction to dealing with stress and his demons. As the bridge on “Last Night” goes, “Villainous vagabond, I’ve been hurting for too long,” a nod to the renegade protagonist on V For Vendetta that also appears on closer “The Damned.” Elsewhere on “Paranoid,” where he delivers an athletic performance loaded with hedonistic quips, he repeatedly chants “I don’t wanna be scared of nothing” like he’s in an out-of-body experience. All of this is expository points provide nuance to otherwise banal moments.
ExPRESSION also shines thanks to musical work from Charlie X. The masked producer continues his run of helming projects in their entirety—last year saw joint releases with Boogey and Paybac—and his work on ExPRESSION is as much that of guidance as it is symbiosis. Not only does he aid Djaji’s sprawling tendencies, working with a rapper finding his bearing sometimes pushes CHx into uncharted territory. There’s no song like the frivolously wry “Pot” in the producer’s extensive catalogue; the 808 & conga combination on “Scrap,” as well the exquisitely muted brass horns and homing strings accentuating the lazy roll of “Mumu,” where you’ll find a delightfully intricate Boogey verse, are the hallmarks of a beatmaker adapting to his partners in his own peculiar way.
Moonlighting as a rapper, Djaji’s day job as a journalist clearly plays a role in how he frames he themes. You don’t need to deeply examine thickets of his writing to see how reportage and extensive observation play key roles on ExPRESSION, it’s apparent. As a lyricist in autopilot, where he’s least personable, Djaji is consistently vibrant, striking and sometimes on the nose. Thankfully, the latter works because Djaji uses levity in making such lines land as deadpans—the whole of “Pot” is a prime example.
In terms of influences as well, his songwriting capability, which is remarkable—a handful of the hooks and melodies are catchy enough to farm out real estate in listeners’ head—owes to the fact that Djaji is a fan of a diverse array of music. Pulling from as many inspirations as possible is a major reason ExPRESSION is a peculiar offering, and also why Djaji’s peculiarity as an artist, with further distillation, is primed to become as resounding as his most popular bar yet.