MP3: DJ Dahi – “Drop”
After Contributing Several Beats to Dr. Dre’s Compton, the Acclaimed Producer Teams Up With Coors Light for a Dance Track, Debuted by The FADER
08.10.15
The Song:
Most known for his hip-hop collaborations, which include Big Sean, Kendrick Lamar, Wale, Vince Staples, and most notably Drake for his hit record “Worst Behavior,” and his pop collaborations, which include Madonna and Lily Allen, Inglewood-based DJ and producer DJ Dahi is taking another step forward with “Drop,” his official introduction to electronic music. The single is a dance track, recently licensed by Coors Light as a TV ad as part of their #CLreFRESH series and showcases Dahi’s versatility as a multi-genre producer. In the three and a half-minute record, Dahi switches through several electronic arrangements, from dubstep-influenced drops and exotic arpeggios to half-time time signatures and heavy-led synths. While still keeping its body cohesive, Dahi demonstrates his unorthodox approach while keeping the listener engaged until its conclusion. Meshing together his own style of production, Dahi creates a refreshing new sound while simultaneously giving the listener something familiar to grasp onto. “It was all spontaneity,” Dahi explains, “which is great in music… It’s kind of just melting pot of sounds or vibes but I think overall the whole thing is about, kind of just, energy.”
Following “Drop,” Dahi is working on a joint album with producer Blood Diamonds, his collaborator on five tracks for Madonna, followed by a solo album that’ll serve as a collaborative album with several artists. “It’s very influenced from my upbringing and what I listened to growing up and kind of making it contemporary,” Dahi explains about his solo project. “Using that sound of the ’90s.” Additionally, Dahi, who connected with independent label TDE during their rise to stardom, wants to continue to help young developing artists grow. “I’m really just looking for new artists and trying to develop that,” Dahi explains. “I’m making music that’s something new and want to break someone and really be behind something that nobody knows about…not so much me being an artist but me creating a bigger platform for artists that I’m working on so they can have their own way.” Dahi additionally worked with Dr. Dre on Dre’s recently released album, Compton: A Soundtrack, and is working on new music with Mac Miller, Kali Uchis and Travis Scott. Stream “Drop” below and be on the lookout for new music later this year.
Listen to “Drop”: https://soundcloud.com/dj-dahi-1/dj-dahi-drop
Check out the FADER premiere: http://www.thefader.com/2015/08/10/dj-dahi-drop
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DJ Dahi Background:
DJ Dahi has always forged a unique path for himself. With production credits on tracks from top tier artists including Kendrick Lamar, Drake and Big Sean, the Inglewood, California native has spent the past few years gradually shifting the boundaries of hip-hop, blending sounds from both coasts while blurring the lines between rock, rap and pop. “In order to separate yourself from other people, you have to have some sense of a sound and what you’re doing,” says the 32-year-old, who has also worked with Madonna, Lily Allen and Lupe Fiasco. “I look at music as always being able to capture the moment. You’re creating a world. I think that’s what makes me unique—I really pay attention and try to pick up things.” His ability to consistently buck trends is rooted in his days growing up in Los Angeles, where he was exposed to a multitude of artists across genre lines.
Born Dacoury Dahi Natche, he was raised in a Christian household where gospel and soul reigned and developed his musical skills playing a variety of instruments in jazz band. As a child of the ’90s, he gravitated towards rock music (Oasis, Radiohead) but became infatuated with hip-hop while attending Oakes College where he deejayed and began making beats sampling unconventional records, inspired by producers like DJ Quik and J Dilla. After attending audio engineering school, he began working with red-hot local artists like Pac Div, TiRon & Ayomari, and Fashawn, and through his manager linked with Top Dawg Entertainment to produce “Sexting” on ScHoolboy Q’s breakout mixtape/album Habits & Contradictions in 2012. From there, Dahi became a force to be reckoned with, lauded by Complex magazine as one of the best hip-hop producers at the moment. “I want people to feel like they know where they were when they heard my music,” he says. “Just really connect the music with a memory, and really touch people in ways that other people may not. That’s how I want to be remembered.”
Links:
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“Drop”: https://soundcloud.com/dj-dahi-1/dj-dahi-drop