In the ever-fluctuating arena of hip-hop, it’s the innovators who thrive and Dutch rapper Dookie radiates audacity with TRIPLE VICE, his debut album in collaboration with producer YUNG UMBRO. With style and panache, the duo push deep into contemporary rap sounds and experimental ditches, crafting a record that ticks boxes for shock value, creativity and emotive potency.
In essence, TRIPLE VICE is a kaleidoscopic exploration of the heady nexus where lyricism meets inventive production. From the outset, we’re thrust into a realm where beats often dictate the rules. YUNG UMBRO conveys a masterful slice of bombastic rhythm with “Enkele Reis,” meshing traditional boom bap with glimmering, cinematic soul. Fizzling production sets the tone throughout the album, as Dookie flows with a bilingual swagger and natural ease that puts him somewhere in between Roc Marciano and Larry June.
YUNG UMBRO’s beats are a character in their own right, coalescing around Dookie’s lyrical narrative to paint an immersive soundscape that’s both eclectic and compelling. UMBRO’s sample-heavy sound is firmly entrenched in the modern aesthetic championed by the likes of The Alchemist and Futurewave, but he’s also got a style of his own, crafting heady head-nodders that manage to both captivate and create the perfect zone-out vibe for your next smoke session.
From gruff toughness to more pensive spaces, Dookie and YUNG UMBRO have created an album that strikes a chord not only rhythmically but also resonates on a universal scale. You don’t need to speak Dutch (or understand everything Dookie’s saying, for that matter) to appreciate the artistry on display here.
TRIPLE VICE peers into the uncharted territories of Dutch hip-hop, gleaning new dimensions in a genre that’s constantly redefining itself. With Dookie’s lyrical ingenuity and YUNG UMBRO’s deft production, the pair have engineered a provocatively daring album that’s sure to leave an indelible mark not only in the Dutch rap scene, but potentially beyond its borders as well.
Listen/buy: Apple Music | Rare Peeps (Vinyl) | Spotify
