The past several years have seen the DMV rise into the upper echelons of regional hip-hop hubs, especially in the underground. A short drive into Maryland out of Washington D.C. will lead to Montgomery County where Dirty Shafi has been steadily releasing mixtapes and working on his come-up over the years. On his newest music video release for the track, “Leaving Again,” Dirty Shafi highlights the difficult, personal realities that accompany his rise and the effects it has on his relationships.
Shafi’s opens the first verse with the lines, “They say the top gets lonely, That’s how it’s supposed to be,” setting the stage for the sentiment of the entire track. Over the harpsichord melody provided by producers Cecil and Obi-1, Dirty Shafi openly struggles with how his line of work and his pursuit of riches clashes with the romantic relationship he has with his girl, as well as the familial relationship he has with his mother.
In his romantic relationships, Shafi makes it clear that there is no love lost. Money changes the context of these relationships and trust isn’t something that can be bought. He knows as much as he raps, “I even went to flood my wrist so you could notice me, I know you don’t love me for me no, no.”
On the second verse, Dirty Shafi delves into his mothers point of view and expresses how concerned she is with his lifestyle. At one point he evokes her voice as he asks, “Shafi aren’t you tired of this shit?” His following rebuttal isn’t necessarily one of disagreement, but more so one of remorse and repentance coupled with clear resolve.
It’s a duality that is made even more pertinent by the visuals, shot and directed by JV Productions, that depict Shafi in his neighborhood with his crew interlaced with images of him kneeling to pray. Success isn’t always easy and “Leaving Again” paints an honest picture of the necessary sacrifices that are made to reach the top.
Having released two full-length albums last year, and his project Scars this past February, there will surely be no shortage of new music from the DMV rapper in the near future. Until Dirty Shafi’s prolific output resumes, “Leaving Again” can be streamed below.