On his newest tape, the Baltimore rapper exhibits a dexterity beyond his years
Young Don picked up rapping as a preteen, and years of practice molded him into one of the most self-assured artists in his age bracket. With a smattering of mixtapes and YouTube loosies under his belt, the 17-year-old has cemented himself as one of Baltimore hip-hop’s most promising young voices. His latest full-length, LIFE OF A DON, builds on the momentum of his 2020 tapes Strictly Business and Ghetto Vacation, adding new dimensions to his rich inner world.
The term “versatile” gets thrown around a lot, and it’s usually shorthand for “comfortable with more than one sound or emotion” when applied to regional rap stars. But throughout his budding career, Young Don has shown stylistic range above and beyond that of his peers. He’s a genuinely versatile writer and performer, capable of conveying a broad spectrum of moods without compromising his viewpoint. Whether he’s spitting acapella verses on IG live, trading flows with DMV luminaires like GG Rondo and No Savage, or trying his hand at UK drill, Don’s nasal timbre cuts through the noise with clarity and unusual composure. As writer and DMV music scholar Lawrence Burney noted in his recent profile of Don, “His music isn’t just filled with empty one-liners about money and possessions he doesn’t have. It’s from the soil.”
Clocking in at 27 minutes, LIFE OF A DON provides a tight showcase of Don’s creativity and technical prowess. He sounds fully in control of his rhythmic gifts, snapping into bouncy double-time on “Bring Em Out” and “Sport mode,” then slowing his delivery to a menacing creep on “Going For Broke.” Thematically, he balances macho posturing with earnest reflection, and delivers some of his most personal fare to date on tracks like “Pride” and “House Arrest.” The chorus of “Pride,” in particular, reckons with a near-death experience in lucid terms: “My life was flashing before my eyes / So many times I cried, don’t really know who gon’ ride / But one thing I know, that Imma keep this gun on my side / I got a problem with pride, but some shit I can’t hide.”
On top of his preternatural poise, Don’s attention to detail makes LIFE OF A DON immensely rewarding. His artful similes – “12 on my back like Brady,” “They know I got pull like a tow truck,” “Slicing the beat like a cold cut” – reveal a wordsmith with a deep love of language.
LIFE OF A DON is doubly impressive when you consider that Young Don has been incarcerated for the past several months. He’s cobbled together a cohesive project from his stash of unreleased music, and there’s no telling what he’ll accomplish once he’s free. On the tape’s outro, Don calls in from behind bars and strikes an optimistic tone about his future: “You rap n***as go ahead and have y’all fun, ‘cause we ready to wrap this shit up with a bow and tie. I love y’all, and I’ll see y’all real soon.”