"Ramble on rambler. Gamble on, gambler. Too legit ta quit? Don't hurt 'em all, hammer!" -Playdough

I shouldn't have to tell you this, but I'm a huge Playdough fan. I copped his new album Writer Dye: Deux or Die at the release party he threw with fellow Dallas emcee/producer  J. Rhodes and really enjoyed it. Here's a little youTubery 'longside my impressions...

Here's the Sales Pitch-
Writer Dye is a project that has Playdough reimagining lyrics from iconic songs of multiple genres and molding them into entirely different songs. Playdough reinterprets songs from Bob Dylan, Coldplay, Led Zeppelin, Johnny Cash, Queen, Modest Mouse, Digable Planets, The Beatles, Bon Iver, The Strokes and other classics. Writer Dye features top shelf appearances from OhNo, Von Pea (Tanya Morgan), Copywrite, Theory Hazit and Adeem. Expect a strong emphasis on song writing as Playdough continues to challenge his own wordplay and delivery. It's an artisitc approach to songs you probably know, but what other emcee could flip this concept like Playdough does?
Okay, so my take? This is a nice record. Deux of Die works as background music thanks to fresh production by J.Rhodes, GrandRiggity, ForBeatsSake, M. Slago, OhNo and more. 

My favorite track on the album right now is the Theory Hazit-produced A to the Zeppelin (which I posted on YouTube so you could hear it), pro'lly 'cause of that line I posted for the title... But as I listen to the record repeatedly, the lyrical dopeness is pretty evenly distributed. Despite using a legion of producers on this record, Deux or Die doesn't feel like a thrown-together hodgepodge of tracks. Playdough's use of sing-song hooks and commitment to wordplay holds the record together. More than his previous records (except perhaps the previous Writer Dye record), Deux or Dye's sound leans heavily on classic rock for it's spinal structure. On some songs, it almost feels like a rap-rock record, while being rooted in a classic hip hop sound by his superior lyricism and generous cutlery by frequent accomplice DJ Sean P(atrick) and DJnous of Technicali.

David Rodriguez aka Dr. Gorilla paints better than me. I ain't hatin'...

Playdough is great at making deep or challenging ideas more pallatable through slick use of humorous stories and wordplay. When other emcees join in, they're happy to play along. This dynamic is in full display on Deux or Die, with features by indie rap luminaries like Copywrite, Adeem and Von Pea. So anyways, for those skipping to the bottom, this is a dope record. Click here to cop it cheap via bandcamp. 
 
holla!
-samax.  

ghettoManga.com

comics. hiphop. news. art. culture