The song itself may have been tailor made for the K-Town community I feel like I only appreciate this song because I spend so much time there. Dumb’s delivery has a little drawl, not as thick as Dirty South rap, but it’s a small vocal skew that adds a little flavor to his verses, and he has a good, easygoing flow that doesn’t emphasize or force out words. The song is decorated with a contemplative guitar loop, some electric keys, and a slow tempo. The album opens with a hood anthem “Town”, which weaves a pretty accurate picture of Koreatown. I couldn’t find the liner notes for this album, but I’m assuming most of the production was handled by Dumb’s resident DJ, DJ Zo. It was released back in November, so I’m a little late to the party, but I figured I would bring in the New Year with RapReviews with a positive review rather than a negative one. In doing some background for the album, I saw that this album topped the iTunes chart for a period, beating out major label stars like Wale and J. Dumb comes with quite a bit of buzz, especially if you’re Korean-American (which I am), live in LA (which I have), follow battle rapping (which I did), or follow anything from Project Blowed (which I don’t, Aceyalone and NoCan were the last ones I was really listening to). The next time a major label tries to a force a gifted, formerly underground rapper into some embarrassing trend-hopping Skylar Grey submission, they’d be well served to study a song like this.Hailing from Koreatown, Los Angeles, comes Dumbfoundead. It’s nice to know that some things are immutable: A rapper can hone his craft in the shadows and rely on old-school qualities and personal anecdotes to create a song that resonates with mass audiences. We’re used to hearing underground rappers complain about the life they want, but Dumbfoundead’s smart enough to take a breath and realize that by making a living off of his music, he’s made it. It’s the rare song that steps outside of itself and thoughtfully considers the artist’s station.
The third verse recounts Dumbfoundead’s rap story - from open mikes at Project Blowed to a decade of persistent evolution and steady ascent. Boy isn’t ready to handle the pressures that accompany it, but tries his hardest anyway. The second section breaks down a love affair without maudlin sentiment or patronizing cliche.
after moving from Korea when he was 3, and how they survived dangerous border crossings from Argentina through Mexico into L.A. During a moment in which many critics would prefer to champion banal self-help platitudes instead of serious heartfelt narrative, Dumbfoundead weaves a tripartite tale: The first 16 bars are dedicated to his mom and his sister who raised him in L.A.
Most striking is the way in which it succeeds. His latest video, ‘Are We There Yet?’ is already something of a smash, racking up roughly 350,000 views in 72 hours. Plus, the Project Blowed pedigree never hurts. Proudly Korean American but never resorting to cheap flag-waving tactics, he’s opted to rely on a slick creative flow and strong storytelling skill. He’s been able to amass fans on the Grind Time Battle League circuit, but he’s also cultivated a groundswell of support from the local and national Asian American communities, and just regular rap fans.
Nearly 60,000 Facebook friends, YouTube videos that regularly tread well into six figures in viewings, and tour dates all across the globe. He used that gestation period to develop a rabid and extensive fan base that even some major label rappers would envy. So if it took him a decade of to make a viral YouTube smash, that’s fine.
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