This new rapper collective is on the verge of breaking through the underground into the limelight.
'You're listening to a documentary: an intimate look into what it's like to be the hardest rapper to walk the planet' - Jayden Cyprian, on one of his newest singles, Stir Stir. Under normal circumstances, this would be a gross exaggeration and a plea to be easily humbled: I was skeptical on first listen. It's clear that if you're going to be making unfounded claims about your rapping talent without the listener numbers of premier artists, you have to be motivated enough to back it up. But while this assertion might still be hyperbole, in this case, it isn't far from the truth.
Doing What We Love (DWWL) is a rapper / producer collective and label comprised of six artists: Ajhani, Jayden Cyprian, Charlie Bett, Cola Cartel, Hiwraeth, and Procopolis. Emerging from the swamplands of Broward County, Florida in 2021, they grew up under the shadow of hip-hop collective Members Only, who they brand as their greatest influence. Since 2021, they have released over five full-length albums and multiple EPs, to marginal critical reception. Despite this, their commitment remains alive, witnessed through the effort they spend on animated previews and social media marketing. I stumbled across DWWL by pure chance and was shocked by the depth and achievement they have accumulated over the past three years. Personally, I would chalk up their lack of commercial success to simply poor luck, as DWWL is one of the most promising underground hip-hop acts of the 2020s.
I had the privilege of interviewing DWWL on their history and music, and if I had one take away it would be that their admiration and love for each other is the key to their success: I can only imagine how artistically productive it would be to compose music in an environment like DWWL.
DWWL's inception was the design of resident rapper Charlie Bett, who explained how their friendship and music was the link necessary to build their label, "I thought up the concept of forming DWWL because I knew all of these talented people who were eager to expand their creativity and work alongside one another and to me it felt like a perfect opportunity to build up this connection and bond with these close friends I had through the art and music itself". Bett describes his music as an outlet for his personal strengths as well as vices, having started writing in high school as a coping mechanism. After recruiting Cola Cartel, Bett felt emboldened to officially begin his career, and after a few preliminary singles and EPs, DWWL would release their first full-length album in 2021.
Hurricane Season: A Mixtape Done Right
Brotherhood - this is the word I would use to describe the feeling of DWWL's debut mixtape Hurricane Season. Community is purpose: like it or not, we love to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. DWWL is one big extended family, literally: all of the members are descendants of one grandmother, so their chemistry together is generational. As resident rapper Ajhani put it, "family is a beautiful thing". Despite being short and sweet, Hurricane Season gives listeners a proper introduction to each of the members of DWWL and their corresponding artistic personas: no member has the same approach to a beat. While the mixtape is appropriately amateur, this only serves to develop an intimate and welcoming experience that imbues the listener with a sense of familiarity. DWWL could be your friendly neighbors from down the street: no drama, no hostility, only irresistible vibes. In this way, DWWL has captured the perfect mixtape ambiance, as the lo-fi quality and nostalgic sampling gives it the impression of long-lost buried treasure. Hurricane Season's merit is directly tied to the power and spirit of DWWL as a team, where each feature brings novelty and develops DWWL's status as a sum of its parts.
At its core, Hurricane Season is a producer album from Hiwraeth, who is the only member of the group not native to Florida, having met Cola Cartel and Bett online eight years prior. He displays a talent for memorable gimmicks such as the opener Miramar, originating a creative utilization of a classic sample which - despite appearing in tracks by contemporary hip-hop staples - has to be my choice pick for its sound. While other artists tended to chop the sample for a speedy and cinematic effect, Hiwraeth does the opposite with a relaxed and funk-infused approach that values simplicity over technicality. This is a characteristic that I respect about Hiwraeth: he stays humble, allowing the rappers to take the lead while continuing to emphasize their styles.
The track True Love is Charlie Bett's introduction on Hurricane Season with a mature delivery fit for his attitude of vengeance that's highlighted by the climactic horns and breezy guitar loops. Given that Bett is the founder of DWWL, it's surprising he doesn't have any solo efforts so far. That's a shame, since he is gifted with a gorgeous voice, which I wish he used more to exhibit his singing talent: the most impactful moments of the track. In the music video, the monochrome lighting and palm tree motel setting supplement the crime-thriller aesthetic of the track: I can easily imagine it as the theme for a cheesy drug-bust show.
Bett claims that one of his inspirations was his mother, who used to sing Spanish operas to him as a child, which made him fall in love with music. Throughout DWWL's work, they switch between rapping in English and Spanish often as a way of recognizing their roots. This is first evident in the track For My Home, where DWWL embraces their Caribbean ancestry with a Spanish chorus while critiquing their mainstream portrayal by the media.
DWWL also flaunts their R&B influences in both the production and vocal harmonies. In Facelift, the seductive and dense production is paired with weary and heavy-hearted melodies. The lyrics demonstrate the vanity of putting on a mask of cheerfulness when it doesn't solve the underlying insecurities that plague their internal well-being - 'the smile I've got on is makeshift'. This sound is straight off of Brockhampton's 2019 album Ginger, and in many ways, DWWL holds kinship with the critically acclaimed boy band in their expressive delivery and carefree energy. If anything, Hurricane Season illustrates the potential that DWWL has when they collaborate collectively for a full-length album: something I wish they would attempt more often.
Jayden Cyprian: Power In Elegance
DWWL would then kickoff a flurry of projects that presented a deeper dive into each member's identity. Starting with Jayden Cyprian's solo project, I'll Start Here, which is the product of years of improvement. Like many upcoming artists of the internet era, Cyprian began his career on SoundCloud, releasing Comeback! - an album where Cyprian rapped over random youtube beats - in 2019. Listening to Comeback!, there's little indication of the talent that he would acquire in just three years before his solo debut. Fortunately, by honing his production through singles and his rapping on Hurricane Season, the result is a masterful display of his proficiency. I'll Start Here would be the first DWWL full-length to embrace the gospel sample trope - a tactic I am usually lukewarm towards. However, I put my biases aside in an attempt to understand Cyprian's purpose with I'll Start Here, and came away with a new appreciation of his capacity as a songwriter.
Unlike other DWWL projects, I'll Start Here doesn't rely completely on hooks or colorful delivery to be entertaining: instead, many of the tracks are streams of consciousness, maintaining engagement with poignant lyrics. I'll Start Here is a tragic album: Cyprian describes it as "a testament to my late grandma essentially proving that if I can attack these issues I've struggled with, I can make her proud and start to move forward".
Cyprian's production is an abstruse style that feels simultaneously detached from reality and full of warmth. The satisfaction isn't immediate, the structure is haphazard, and its virtues are more nuanced, but it still delivers for patient listeners. In a decade where abstract hip-hop is vogue, it's challenging to rise above the overly-saturated movement: listeners don't turn on to new music that doesn't get the blood pumping, and the truth is that few people will have the patience to listen to an album that requires analysis and concentration to derive enjoyment.
On first listen, I was not impressed with the opening track, Without You. There are straightforward comparisons to Kendrick Lamar in Cyprian's flow and delivery - which wouldn't be an issue if it didn't feel so derivative - and the outro is not stimulating enough to warrant its length. However, the track has slowly wriggled its way into my ears, and while I still believe it is the weakest track on the album, it is tolerable. Fortunately, Cyprian makes up for this slight misstep with the three-track run of Listen, Heart, and Hands. In Heart, Cyprian's attempts at singing are strained, but is appropriate for the loss he feels - 'you're my heart and soul'. Cyprian also utilizes the power of beat switches on the track - which is sorely missing in other DWWL projects - to symbolize the shift from mourning to hatred. 'I'm losing parts of me I didn't know were under fire', Cyprian cries out before cutting himself off, his screams echoing as if he was being dragged into a dark pit of hopelessness.
In Pace / Unworthy, the lyrics are juxtaposed with the production in emotional weight. In the second half of the track, his self-deprecation is at its climax - 'the shade stars oozing when I'm there, I feel unworthy I'm gone'. Cyprian has hit rock bottom, but despite this, the beat is vengeful and theatrical. The rhythmic strings combined with spiraling guitar solos and rising gospel samples mirror the subconscious desire to prove himself that builds in Cyprian's mind. The guest feature by Ogneiljay finally recognizes this - 'they kicked me down, I adapted, I'm a spore'. By tearing himself apart, he has reduced himself to a single-celled organism: ready to rebuild himself as a new man.
The closing track, aptly titled You, is a reflection on his journey to success. Cyprian lures the listener into believing that he's about to tie the album off as a neat package... then we get Cola Cartel's feature. This is a revelatory moment for the album, as Cola Cartel's childlike and unrestricted delivery concludes the album with a bang, as if Cyprian had been born again and was taking his first breaths of air.
Cola Cartel: Life of The Party
"The only album about love, ever" - this was Cola Cartel's response when I asked him to describe his DWWL debut Cabrera with producer Procopolis; DWWL has a pattern of arrogance, but what accomplished rapper doesn't? The best way to describe Cola Cartel is as the antithesis to Charlie Bett, as where Bett is down to earth and mostly predictable, Cola Cartel's delivery is soaring, erratic, and playful.
Cabrera starts slow, with a heartfelt intro followed by an interlude and a production-focused downtempo track. However, despite this lackluster first impression, in the 4th track, Cabrera kicks into high gear and doesn't yield again.
Cola Cartel's tone on Make Up is flirtatious and suave, complete with a classy beat and warped backing vocals. Compared to Hiwraeth or Jayden Cyprian, Procopolis has the most polished and full-bodied production choices, filling the headphones with analogue synths and pounding 808s. The lead single I'm Calling You caught me off guard, as the contrast between the verses, the singing, and the autotuned chorus made me wonder if Cola Cartel was accomplishing all of the vocal inflections or if there were hidden features. However, Procopolis assured me that I am schizophrenic, and Cola Cartel is the only vocalist: his range is infinite. On each track, it sounds as if a completely different person has possessed his voice, like he is featuring on his own song.
At face level, Cabrera is sunny and optimistic, both with the production choices and the harmonies. In contrast, the lyrics tell an alternative story of insecurity and resentment. Even if the chorus of Make Up (I love the play on words here) initially seems like harmless compliments - 'take off your makeup, you don't need it ... you're better off' - it cleverly disguises the protagonist's fragile ego and jealousy of his partner, along with his possessive obsession with her; even when the beat in I'm Calling You is playful, the lyrics reveal a relationship in chaos, where the protagonist's doubt of his worth causes him to overthink a lapse in attention - 'and if that's my fault, and it's the line that I crossed, then I got no "buts" like no'. In the end, constantly needing words of affirmation ends up destroying a connection that had no issues to begin with, and the production choices begin to reflect this in later tracks.
Just like the album cover, where one side is bright and the other is dark, the same can be said for Cabrera. After Checkpoint, which marks the turning point of the relationship and the beginning of the bleaker chapter of Cabrera, the pain sets in. I'm After (Hedgehog's Dilemma) is long and polarizing, with every stage of grief packed into 6 minutes of anguish. Cola Cartel explained to me the metaphor of the hedgehog as this, "a challenge of human intimacy. It describes a situation in which a group of hedgehogs seeks to move close to one another to share heat during cold weather. They must remain apart, however, as they cannot avoid hurting one another with their sharp spines". His lust for his partner only drives him away from her, as his hatred for himself grows - he begins to refer to himself in the 3rd person. The production is harsh and industrial, depicting the emptiness that the protagonist feels after valuing his righteousness on a relationship. While the narrative might be too on the nose to allow for much interpretation, it is well executed and relatable for most listeners; in any case, the narrative is secondary to production and delivery, which Procopolis and Cola Cartel achieve with flying colors.
Cola Cartel is the most prolific DWWL member and released his follow-up, Conundrum: Rebuild, in 2022. To me, the impact of Conundrum: Rebuild pales in comparison to Cabrera: the choruses lack the earworms of Cabrera and there aren't any stand-out production choices. However, given the glowing reviews the album got, it's probably still worth a visit. Out of all the DWWL members, Cola Cartel has the greatest potential, and I'm excited to see what he has to offer in the future.
The Horizon Is Bright For DWWL
DWWL still has a lot of room to grow. In 2022, DWWL released a small EP titled Joaquin's House - named after their 3rd concert venue. While I am impartial to most of the tracks, the electric and artificial production of Battlefield is some of their liveliest work.
However, there is nothing more enthralling than Jayden Cyprian and Procopolis's new EP, Jaycopolis, which is what initially turned me on to the group. While previous DWWL projects could be dismissed as derivative or tedious at times, Jaycopolis proves that DWWL has the imagination as well as the expertise to evolve into their own identity. I have never heard hip-hop approached this way before; to put it into perspective, I believe without a doubt that both Stir Stir and What Am I Doing Wrong are the two best hip-hop singles of 2023, and if expanded, will become impossible to ignore by mainstream audiences. I have listened to thousands of albums, listened to countless hours of music, and Stir Stir has become my most replayed song of all time in under a week. The simple answer: it goes hard. The long answer: DWWL has finally found the formula to success through inventive song structure, expressive delivery, and robust production.
Peeling back the layers of Stir Stir, its position of superiority quickly becomes apparent. Despite being a hype track, the lyrical simplicity is as memorable as it is hilarious. The chant, 'rich, rich, rich' is begging to be sung by a sold-out audience, and the emptiness of the chorus contrasts well with the dense and furious verses. Procopolis's production feels expansive and haunting, like a supernatural episode.
What Am I Doing Wrong is even more ingenious, as the robotic intro yields to a slippery verse that seamlessly transitions into the sung chorus, capped off by Cola Cartel's exhilarating feature. The tension is always building, the pace always climbing to new heights, and the listener always on the edge of their seat. DWWL have finally found a sound that is completely their own: nearly impossible in today's musical climate.
DWWL's 2023 output so far is the most promising yet, releasing three EPs in six months. Resident rapper Ajhani finally released his debut EP in late March, which featured three solid tracks, the first being my
favorite: a hype song featuring classic Procopolis energy on the production. So far, Ajhani's presence in DWWL's music is minimal, but Ajhani is currently working on his full-length LP Movies; as is Charlie Bett on his own, who details it as, 'something very personal and vulnerable for me to create, so I've been taking my time with it'; Jayden Cyprian also has a sophomore album in the works titled Boy. The future is full of potential for DWWL.
Hopefully, Jaycopolis is just the beginning, and with the pace accelerating, we can be sure that we will have more sooner rather than later. In the end, DWWL isn't motivated by the pleasures of success and fame - though they don't refuse them. Instead, they aim to make a difference in the lives of everyday people, as Cola Cartel revealed, 'What keeps me motivated is the thought of what's to come. People forming memories to the music, having a positive impact. Getting people to dance, cry, and think differently'.
Ratings and Links
DWWL - Linktree
Ajhani - Linktree
Jayden Cyprian - Linktree
Cola Cartel - Linktree
Hiwraeth - Hurricane Season
Jayden Cyprian - I'll Start Here
Cola Cartel & Procopolis - Cabrera
Jayden Cyprian & Procopolis - Jaycopolis
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