[Music, Review] 413 by Damius

Artist: Damius
Genre: Horrocore
Playtime: 14:49
Available at: iTunes
Label: /
Released: February 28th, 2020

Tracklist

1.) Pray (feat. Lo Key) 
2.) Purge (feat. Brotha Lynch Hung & Twisted Insane) 
3.) Kill or Be Killed (feat. Jamie Madrox) 
4.) Betrayed (feat. Skribbal, Blaze Ya Dead Homie and Boondox) 
5.) Get Off Me (feat. Monoxide)

Review

As you can see above, Damius has assembled some of the Underground's finest champions for his 413 EP. This is an impressive feat but also presents the dangerous possibility to sound like the guest spot on your own tracks, something I'll return later to. Lo Key opens the song "Pray" with his unmistakable, powerful voice which is why the first song on this EP is also my favourite. I definitely have to praise the beats and the production, which is superior quality-wise compared to most other Underground rappers.

To be honest, I bought the EP because of the features, so I admit I never heard Damius before. In my opinion .... The angrier the better. I did not fully enjoy his following offerings, due to him often sacrificing variance for speed. The lyrical content was, as to be expected from Horrorcore releases, okayish. Only song I truly dislike it Get Off Me. Monoxide's verse is highly enjoyable, but the hook kills the song for me. The verses of the aforementioned Underground veterans each with their unique style felt oftentimes more powerful and (partly) due to their experience well de- and refined. Thus, Damius' own verses feel more like the actual guest features on Pray, Purge and Betrayed. 

Conclusion 

The 413 EP boasts high-profile features but Damius himself fails to leave a lasting impression on me. While the choice of beats and the quality of production is more than sufficient for this project, Damius' style of rapping isn't cutting it for me. Thus, I'd rate this EP a solid 3 out of 5 stars.