An Undiscovered Midwest Gem

I was lucky enough to get an early sneak peek at this project from Young Reese Dude before the full release on all DSPs today. He’s an MC coming out of Dayton, Ohio, and repping it well! This project is fully produced by Don Johnson, and this is part 1 of a two-part series, with dARK coming soon. But for now, we are in the liGHT, and Young Reese Dude guides us through these stunning beats as we ride along and pick up gems along the way.

As a new artist to me, I wasn’t sure what to expect from Young Reese Dude, but what I got was a pleasant surprise. I know some people will be thrown off just by the “Young” in the name, unfortunately, but don’t let that deter you. Young Reese Dude is a lyricist and an artist for sure, and over the beaming production from Don Johnson, these two made an incredible project here. “After Hours” sets the tone for the album and never veers from the goal at hand.

With beats filled with soul, musicality, a calming peace, and a flowing rhythm, Don Johnson put in work and is making his name known with liGHT. Every feature here showed up and put on a masterclass in how to smash a feature; Dee Dee really shined, and so did Ty Farris. All this while Young Reese Dude holds his own like a stone wall and delivers personal and thoughtful bars with his uniquely catchy voice.

Over the last week or two, I’ve found some amazing new artists to tap into, and Young Reese Dude is legitimately toward the top of that list! With an ear that picks some top-tier beats that also fit him and a brain that produces high-quality songs and verses on top of it all, he’s a standout. Midwest Hip-Hop has stayed consistent and bubbling, and it looks like I’ll have to keep an eye on Ohio and especially what Young Reese Dude is doing! liGHT is out now on all streaming platforms!

Standout Tracks: After Hours, That Goodness, Care, The Feelings & Fathers Style

Album Rating: 👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑 (9/10)