Dirtbag 'Eyes Above The Water' album

Perception often becomes reality -- even when it isn’t accurate. But when we take an honest look at a person, a topic or a work of art, the true nature will be revealed.

That’s why it takes more than one look, more than one listen, more than one exposure to grasp the gripping music of hip-hop visionary Dirtbag. “A lot of people talk about the wolf in sheep’s clothing,” Dirtbag says. “I’m the sheep in wolf’s clothing. I’m coming at you gangster, but in my true heart I want love.”

With his stunning debut album, Eyes Above The Water, the Miami resident vacillates between his rugged street smarts and brutally honest examinations of racism, religion and relationships, resulting in one of the best debut albums in hip-hop history.

Indeed, Dirtbag gives listeners a chilling look into his volatile world on the harmonica-propelled “Confessions.” He raps about his own transgressions and regrets dancing with the Devil. “It’s a personal song between me and the most high,” Dirtbag says. “It’s like what if you died right now and the Lord asked you straight-up, ‘Why do you deserve to come to Heaven?’ I might not deserve to go to Heaven, but if I can’t get to Heaven, at least let my loved ones in.”

“Colored Boy Gone Crazy,” in which Dirtbag tells his fans that doctors and lawyers are needed in the community, and “I Bet Ya,” which features the talented lyricist explaining how the civil rights leaders of yesterday would be disturbed by the careless behavior of today’s ghetto thugs, highlight Dirtbag’s ability to deliver bone-crushing music with a message.

Dirtbag then looks inward on the moving “Fly Away,” detailing how he and many others focus on their immediate surroundings rather than their innate potential. “Nine times out of 10, we think we bound for hell,” he raps. “So our heaven be the Benz and the dope we sell.” “It was a song I made when I wasn’t even signed,” he says of the powerful cut. “That was the struggle. Anybody that wasn’t down with what we were trying to do, they could fly away. It’s about proving them wrong. It’s taking everything negative that they put at you, all the reasons they say you can’t make it, and you’re turning it into something positive.”

Shifting gears, Dirtbag delivers a sure-fire party anthem on the tempestuous, Timbaland-produced “Here We Go.” Here, Dirtbag plays with his rhythmic delivery, changing his style from edgy yet straightforward to energetic and stylized.

Born in Knoxville, Tennessee but raised in Miami, Dirtbag quickly learned the need to be able to adapt to any situation. At first, he was giving with the people he thought were his friends, defending them in fistfights and offering them his last bite of food. By the time he was 13, though, young Dirtbag realized after his own fights that his friends didn’t have his back and that he would have to fend for himself.

When he recognized that he was too slow to play football, Dirtbag had to find another outlet. Rapping was something he was good at, so by age 15, he was committed to rapping. His hobby quickly turned into his passion. Looking for a shot at exposure, Dirtbag in 1996 entered a talent show. Victorious, his prize was studio time with producers Cool & Dre. While working together, Dirtbag and the beatsmiths agreed that whoever broke through first would bring the other along. Dirtbag scored a regional hit in 2000 with his fiery “Get Buck” single, but Cool & Dre hit paydirt when Fat Joe used several of their beats on his 2001 album, the platinum J.O.S.E. (Jealous Ones Still Envy).

With this national exposure, Cool & Dre signed a deal for Dirtbag and their Epidemic Music with industry powerhouse Jive Records. Their friendship makes their working relationship that much stronger. “Every tight artist has got that tight producer that they’ve got that knack with, that they vibe with,” Dirtbag says. “And that’s what I’ve got with Cool & Dre. They bring out the soul in me.”

Soon after signing with Jive, Dirtbag teamed with Mystikal and Busta Rhymes for “Keep Doin’ It,” a teaser single for the forthcoming Violator 3 compilation. The song’s high-energy video introduced Dirtbag to a national audience and earned him accolades in XXL magazine, among others.

With the stage set for his first album, Dirtbag hopes that people realize that he’s got more than one message within his music. “I contradict myself a lot and I sound hypocritical,” Dirtbag says. “But that’s just what it is. You can take me two ways. You can either take me like, ‘Damn, that man’s stupid and I’m going to learn how to do his stuff,’ or, ‘Damn, he’s real and if a CD like his can blow up, I know if I get my game tight that I can.’ But no matter what, I helped you.”

Especially if you keep your Eyes Above The Water.

Do you also would like to share your opinion? If so, please register or login here.

Details

Popular Songs

New Songs

Dirtbag - Eyes Above The Water