A Missed Opportunity

In 2019, I had Duke Deuce earmarked as one of the bubbling artists poised to break through in the game. With his refreshing brand of “new crunk” music and a focus on fun, infectious Memphis-influenced dance beats and lyrics, he brought something new to a landscape full of doppelgangers. However, mostly due to a contentious label situation, Duke never seemed able to take that next step and secure a crossover hit. Now, having seemingly been overshadowed by other Memphis newcomers (Glorilla and Key Glock come to mind), Duke has dropped a fresh project this year in hopes of getting back to what he does best—making catchy songs and capturing the original magic of modern crunk. Unfortunately, with Rebirth, that effort falls flat.

The album starts off interesting enough with the catchy track “Stand on Business.” Featuring a monologue from Chief Awasaan, the track sets the tone with an upbeat, bass-driven beat and a memorable mantra. However, the rest of the album seems to run in place, with little differentiation between the other tracks and very little that compels a listener to revisit this project after the initial listen. At just 30 minutes in length with 11 tracks, the album has only two features. While Made Men Mafia definitely held it down on the closing track, the God-awful “Blues Clues” featuring Kelow Latesha unfortunately did the featured artist little justice, standing out as one of the worst tracks on the project. Whoever decided to pair a sample from a beloved kids’ show with explicit lyrics should be fired from Duke’s team—definitely a misguided decision.

While there are a few tracks that could possibly find their way onto a gym playlist, another gripe with this project rears its head: the production and mastering are simply off. At times, the bass overpowers the vocals, and other times the beats just don’t feel crisp, especially for a project released by a seasoned artist. This is probably my biggest letdown as a supporter of this artist’s success.

While I do not come into a Duke Deuce project expecting mind-blowing lyrics, crazy features, or introspective songs, the one thing I do count on from this particular artist is a fun experience. Unfortunately, this project fails to meet that expectation. Hopefully, Duke can bounce back with his next project, but outside of a few moments, Rebirth ironically feels DOA.

Standout Tracks: “Stand on Business” “Loyal”

Album Rating: 👑👑👑 (3.5/10)