DJ Akoza
Vol. 1


4.5
superb

Review

by HalfManHalfAmazing USER (12 Reviews)
November 5th, 2020 | 20 replies


Release Date: 2015 | Tracklist

Review Summary: A producer's producer.

DJ Akoza has mastered his craft. He's created a production style that perfectly blends the carcinogenic grime of RZA's grittiest cuts off Enter the Wu-Tang and the demented, cloudy sonics of underground Three 6 Mafia tapes. His beat tape, Vol. 1, is filled with instrumentals that sound like distorted jazz and funk playing through a possessed juke box.*

A typical DJ Akoza beat consists of clattering percussion buttressing a catchy albeit off-kilter sample of an instrument pitch-shifted beyond recognition. He snips menacing, out-of-context vocals from classic Southern rappers to create ear worm choruses. At times, he'll even throw in a glittery piano loop, a clanging bell, or a distant horn to bring his "sound collage" approach to hip hop production full-circle. Akoza's formula creates formidable results--tracks like "Smokin' Endo" and "Get Buck" are certified bops meant to be blared loudly in your car while cruising through the roughest part of town.*

If you're not listening to DJ Akoza, or the rest of Doomshop Records rap collective, you're simply missing out on one of hip hop's best-kept secrets right now. If the recent runaway popularity of labelmate Freddie Dredd is of any indication, Akoza will one day (and soon) cement his place as one of hip hop's most respected, in-demand producers. What he does to jazz and funk is what Kanye once did to soul and R&B records circa 2003-05, albeit switching out sunny exuberance for a sinister, enveloping darkness.



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user ratings (4)
3.9
excellent


Comments:Add a Comment 
HalfManHalfAmazing
November 5th 2020


2795 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Bump the whole tape here.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNO29lWxg_E&t=319s



There's something to enjoy for everybody.

HalfManHalfAmazing
November 5th 2020


2795 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Check out Freddie Dredd's recent single Cha Cha.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VGS1biCJDE



I know Sputnik's resident hip hop heads will love this one.

MiloRuggles
Staff Reviewer
November 5th 2020


3025 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

pospospos, shot for drawing attention to something sput seems to have no idea about.

Only heard Cha Cha so far, but holy fuck this fulla is doing filthy things to pitch and it's great news

Archelirion
November 5th 2020


6594 Comments


about half done now and this is pretty fuckin stellar
i'm definitely gonna need more doomshop in my life. This is some whacked out, dark stuff

HalfManHalfAmazing
November 5th 2020


2795 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

I'm really glad you like it, man! Check out Soulzay's Empty Vessels: The Lost Souls if you want some more awesome Doomshop.

HalfManHalfAmazing
November 5th 2020


2795 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

These Doomshop cats are on another level. Who knows, maybe their sound is the next to get blow up in hip hop, Milo.

Drifter
November 6th 2020


20838 Comments


Fire review gotta pos

HalfManHalfAmazing
November 6th 2020


2795 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

I appreciate the love, fellas. Give it a listen if y'all haven't already. More Sput heads need to hop on this. Hell, I'm sure the heavy metal crowd would probably dig this too.

HalfManHalfAmazing
November 16th 2020


2795 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

YOO NO FUCKING WAY



THE MAN HIMSELF ACTUALLY FOUND THIS REVIEW AND ADDED IT TO HIS LINKTREE.



I'M SO HONORED!

HalfManHalfAmazing
November 16th 2020


2795 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

https://linktr.ee/DjAkoza

HalfManHalfAmazing
November 16th 2020


2795 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

thank you, plain 8-sided shape.

HalfManHalfAmazing
November 16th 2020


2795 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

I'M STILL WAITING ON SPUT'S RESIDENT HIP HOP HEADS TO GIVE THIS A LISTEN

Drifter
November 16th 2020


20838 Comments


Ima listen to this rn

Drifter
November 16th 2020


20838 Comments


This is good but instrumental hip hop isn’t something I typically bump

HalfManHalfAmazing
November 17th 2020


2795 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

I'll happily take a 3.5 since it's not what you normally listen to. 😁 You should check out Soulzay's Empty Vessels since that one has lots of beats made by Akoza with vocals over them.

Drifter
November 17th 2020


20838 Comments


Word I’ll check it out

MiloRuggles
Staff Reviewer
November 24th 2020


3025 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Yo, this was dope. Some really cool samples sprinkled throughout too. Is Soulzay your go-to rec for this style + lyrics?

HalfManHalfAmazing
November 27th 2020


2795 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Absolutely. Give Empty Vessels a listen bro. Also check out Freddie Dredd's stuff too (you seemed to enjoy that Cha Cha song!) Another close stylistic cousin I would recommend is also DJ Screw (namely 3 In The Morning Part Two).

HalfManHalfAmazing
November 27th 2020


2795 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

I'm really glad I was able to show this to a few peeps on here and have it get pretty strong ratings!

unclereich
November 28th 2022


12031 Comments


Get Buck Get Buck Get Buck Get Buck



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