Let me start by making a somewhat bold claim: Josh Breezzyy is a name that should be on your radar, and you’re missing out if you aren’t tracking his career. Ever since I reviewed his Tortured Artist album, I’ve had the impression that the man has a deep conceptual creativity and an above average ability on the mic. While his latest single, “D.O.A.,” isn’t a Kendrick DAMN level of intricacy, it is definitely a reminder that Josh can hold his own with the latter.
The song isn’t anything deep or emotional. It’s a pretty straight forward “brag rap” hype song, but it lives in that space well. I asked where the inspiration for “D.O.A” came from and Josh essentially said he felt like people were sleeping on him and putting him in a box because of the tone of his last album.
“I felt everyone was getting a little comfortable and I needed to shake it up a little and show that I can do the commercial hit with ‘All I Ever Wanted,’ and RAP rap as well. Also, people were still painting me as the ‘Sad Story’ rapper after my last album, and I’m in such a great mental place right now, I wanted to get away from that label.”
Without a doubt, “D.O.A.” is a strong departure from Tortured Artist, and I think it’s real proof of the positive changes Josh has gone through. The overall vibe of the track is never too cocky or abrasive, as a lot of brag rap tends to be. Instead, it’s a song that somewhat mellows you out, but never leaves you feeling less than you felt beforehand.
The instrumental isn’t anything too complex. The melody and baseline stay the same pretty much throughout the whole track with just a few breaks here and there, but that is in no way a downside. I can think of a handful of songs just off the top of my head that had instrumentals that were too busy and cluttered, and that really ruined the potential of those songs. With “D.O.A.,” the simplicity of the beat actually allows the listener to engage more. It helps to draw you in, but doesn’t distract from the meat of song.
Although I don’t think this is Josh’s best lyrical performance, he’s not one to slouch when it comes to bars, and his flow is precise and clean. I didn’t think so during the first verse upon my initial listen, but the more I heard the song, the cleaner it got. Josh has some nice flow switches, a couple really nice bars, and a strong presence on the track from start to finish, making this single surprisingly replayable.
Overall, I’d say this song is a great song to tide over Josh’s fans until he decides to put out his next album, and if you don’t fall into that category, maybe “D.O.A” will sway your mind. If you disagree, then that’s on you, but don’t say I never told you so when his name is popping up in the future.
Rating: 7.5/10
Highlights: Energy, Flow, Production
You can follow Josh on Twitter, IG, and at his website: TheJoshBreezzyy.com