It’s been 6 months since NJ rapper and underground veteran, Da$h, released his Is He Dead Yet? project in September of last year. He stayed relatively quiet after that release, until recently announcing the return of “Skrewsday,” in which he releases something for his fans every Tuesday. Since the announcement, he’s delivered three music videos from the aforementioned project and continued to tease his collaborative project with the $uicideBoy$, Walk the Plank. On this past Skrewsday, Da$h saw it fit to release a brand new single and visual titled “Inception,” produced and directed by fellow New Jersey native, Revenxnt.
The track features a stand out piano sample that is cut up into a fragmented, staccato melody over loose, shuffling hi-hats. Mix that with the booming 808 and it all makes for a disorienting, yet oddly hypnotizing experience. This is quite fitting for a song that borrows its namesake from a film revolving around the concept of dreaming. The music video aptly matches this aesthetic, by including washed out frames with film grain and superimposed images that skip around and fade as Da$h recites his way through this dream, or nightmare.
In the film Inception, dreams are used as gateways into the subconscious and are manipulated in order the affect one’s actions. Da$h uses this reference to create parallels in his own life, examining how his drug use can grab a hold of his subconscious and affect his behaviors. In the opening verse he raps, “treat my life like inception when that reefer ignited.” He goes on to further clarify about how other drugs can make him “impolite and shit” or how they can affect his sexual relationships. Positive or negative, these changes are acknowledged along with the associated risks as evidenced in the final refrain.
Stuck in my ways
Been up for some days
Bitch, can you blame me
Way I be playin’
Momma be prayin’
That Jesus could save me
Ain’t shit but a dub
Just call up the plug
This shit gon’ change me
Given Da$h’s recent productivity since the return of Skrewsdays, it’s likely that he’ll continue dropping more new music into the near future. Other than his Walk the Plank collaborative project, he has also announced a collaboration with Thelonious Martin as well as a new double A-side to be released soon. Until then, stream “Inception” below.