Risk & Reward is the latest album from DJ D Sharp & ST Spittin, a producer/emcee duo from the Bay Area, USA.
By Graeme Smith
I get sent a lot of hip-hop as part of running this blog, and I know the truly innovative when I hear it. That’s what you get with DJ D Sharp & ST Spittin, a passionate producer and charismatic emcee with good heads on their shoulders and the desire to take risks. And that’s what their new album Risk & Reward is all about: the joy that comes from taking big swings.
Across its eleven tracks, ST Spittin takes care of the rhymes while DJ D Sharp provides the production. Together they create a sound that is equal parts old school and Avant Garde. The beats are big, the vibe laidback, and the emotion turned right up, starting right from fun and memorable album opener, title track Risk & Reward.
But perhaps what sets the pair apart from the crowd are their ability to be vulnerable. There’s no posturing on Risk & Reward. We learn firsthand about the ups and downs of the hip-hop game. The soul-searching God in the Room is a case in point. Delicate beats underpin a free-flowing and heart-bearing verses. Profile Pics too, beautifully dissects the shallowness of social media relationships.
These vulnerable moments are tempered nicely with some lighter ones such as the sunny It’s Alright, the percussive Flashes and bouncy album closer Whata Ya Call That???
The album is wonderfully rounded out by plenty of collaborations. We hear from Stunnaman02, Mani Draper, Dustin Sharpe, HBK CJ, Khyenci, Ian Kelly, D.Bledsoe, and Champ Green. Many of these name, as well as D. Sharp, appeared on Blvck Saturday, the debut album by MacArthur Maze that I reviewed last year, so it was great to hear from them again.
Risk & Reward is available now through all digital retailers and streaming platforms courtesy of Table5 Music Group. You can check it out below.