Dre the 5th

The first thing that underground “back pack” listeners see as a struggle for hip-hop, is the mainstream MC’s lack of depth in lyrics. On the other hand many people feel that “conscious/ political” artists are too serious, and are not understandable, going over most people’s heads. Along with that, the production and concepts don’t vibe in SUV Sub- woofers or in clubs, ultimately sounding like a lecture, rather than good hip-hop music to be enjoyed.

Both sides have legitimate arguments. People want to have a good time, and floss the biggest rims, have the newest shoes, and drink top shelf imported liquor. Hip-Hop fans also should be educated in depth, about the society in which they live, if not, how else can one fix a problem that they don’t understand? You can’t do algebra if you can’t count. These artist (2-Pac, Al Green, Kanye West, Ice Cube, Marvin Gaye, Flavor Flav, David Banner, Mac Mall) all led lives that could be considered as negative to some extent, but they also had deep knowledge to share.

In an attempt to integrate both sides of the street, Dre the 5th brings to the intersection, mainstream beats, matched with subtle undertones for overcoming the struggle that many minorities and “lower class” citizens deal with. The Bay Area native touches each corner of the block in his releases, from the Liquor Store to the Library, from the School House to the Dope House. In general his concepts stand between being a hypocrite to being absolutely real. Just think, did your high school teacher ever smoke weed? Even so were they a good teacher? Has your sweet church going grandmother ever cursed you out? Does that cancel her faith? Have you ever cheated on someone that you truly cared about? We all have flaws, we all have contradictions, and in his music, “Dre the Fifth” laughs while he points them out, including his very own. This artist is not the average one track mind MC, so take a listen.