B-Dope – Still Unknown – New Album Review

     The STILL UNKNOWN LP is both a gift to B-DOPE’s day one fans and an introduction to those who are just finding out about him within and outside of South Florida’s bubbling Hip Hop scene. On the titular album opener, the Emcee also known as BOBBY DRAKE shares a little of his personal history that no one has ever known, divulging how he was originally named after his biological father, who didn’t stick around, so his Mother changed the name on his Birth Certificate from Jesus to Bobby a couple of days after his birth (or maybe it was Robert, either way his Government Name is none of our business). What’s important is the Divine calling that B-DOPE finds in this seemingly random act.  He explains…

      In the same short intro verse he gives credit to the Step Dad who raised him and made him the man he is today, a man of principles who had never given up on his dreams and passion, and never sold out on his preferred style of East Coast Boom Bap, even though it wasn’t the popular regional style of “The South”. Instead of bowing to the pressure to switch his style up, BOBBY stuck to his guns and attracted a crew of like minded aspiring artists who were on the same grimey wave as he was. Like they say, Energy attracts Similar Energy, and tho the name BOBBY destined him to be Famous and Dope, making him one of the cockiest mother fuxxers in the scene, he never tried to keep the spotlight all to himself.

    There are few artists in the Miami scene who have been members of more groups than B-DOPE has. On STILL UNKNOWN, he is not only focused on expanding His exposure, but also invites all his long time associates and several new peers to the table to eat. On the second track of the album, NO TIME FOR LOOKING BACK, BOBBY gives us a chance to look back at his origins. As a member of the FUNKIE LUNATICS (Originally a duo made up of B-DOPE, DJ CRAZE & MR. MIC RIPPA , until CUE 45 joined the group), BLUNT CREW and UNKNOWN FLEET (who BOB explains were the same Crew with a name change due to all the Fights they were getting in giving them a bad rep in the Club Scene and making it hard for them to get booked), and the legendary SCHOOL DAYZE, made up of Highschool Friends SIM. E AUTO and BOGEY, who at the time was known as D-RHYTHM.  B-DOPE wasn’t only known for being a problem on the mic, but also for rolling with a squad that had his back in any type of situation, rap or otherwise.  The hook work on “NO TIME FOR LOOKING BACK” is a thing of beauty, as each spitter kicks their own unique rendition of the pre-hook, leading up to the classic sample, “Fuck It Black, No Time For Looking Back Its Done” . All 3 verses remind us that time is too short to be stuck living in the past, and that these 3 are not satisfied with boasting about their old accomplishments. It’s time to conquer new ground.  B-DOPE doesn’t only invite his day one accomplices, like KAMIKAZE 777, ILLSEED, DJ EXES & CUE 45 to the album, but also calls upon the likes of SHOTTIE & BELEAF, who have both made a name for themselves and Miami’s new independent wave, getting attention not only outside of the state, but outside of the US. If B-DOPE, SIM-E and BOGEY form the “Golden Triangle”, BOBBY, and all of his special guests form  a “Diamond Octagon”, Meant to draw attention to Miami’s long and ever growing hip hop legacy.

As B-Dope describes, These 2 “Next Gen X-Men”

“Spit Lines in their Purest Form/ Even in his Prime, Optimis couldn’t Transform/ Your weak lines into something even greater/ I’m old school, VHS, but you just a Master Beta/” 

    The joint is called BAD AUDIO, but it is definitely one of the best joints on the project and on my list of songs to send out to our DJ Record Pool this month. “PAINT BY NUMBERS” is another banger featuring Miami Hip Hop General DJ EXES. EXES has grinded tirelessly for the past 5 Years to make sure that his name and that of the LO LIFE FAMILY are synonymous with Miami & Florida Hip Hop. He is now recognized as one half of the South Florida Hip Hop Promotion known as LA PLANCHA, and an Official DJ/Emcee of the LO LIFE FLORIDA Foundation. What you might Not know is that EXES and B-DOPE go way back, back to his original days as a crew member with BOGEY, SIM-E, & DEESOUL LOPEZ. The two flow seamlessly over an organ driven slow burner of a beat produced by BEN WORKIN. UNKNOWN FLEET Original ILL SEED reminds you how cold them “FLEET BOYS” can get on COLD WORLD where both BOB and SEED leave Earth with duel infectious cadences, and on YOU GON BLEED which is another banging single off the album, BOBBY gets extra vulgar as he sleeps with every female in your family tree, while SEED leaves you leaking that V8 Juice with a classic NY Block Hop flow over another disgusting BLUNTED BEATS instrumental.

      With all that said, some of the most standout tracks on the album are ones where B-DOPE is spitting dolo. The highly addictive NO FRONTIN, produced by WATSON GREEN, with its classic Hov hook sample scratch, where BOB attacks with one of the most consistent and smooth flows off the whole project.  This is definitely my vote for hottest song on the project, and the one I will be sending to DJs this week. Guaranteed to keep heads nodding feverishly. The album closes with a somber, rain soaked declaration of B-DOPE’s stubborn pursuit to be recognized for his Lyrical Skills and Star Power. On the TEMPER3000 produced closer, The King of Kendall declares that he is gonna “REIGN forever”, whether you recognize his Royalty Status or not. He knows he wasted a lot of years chasing someone else’s dreams, and refuses to give up on chasing his own from here on out. In an era where Uncle LL Cool J & Q Tip  just dropped a new album that charted on the Billboard Top 100, and where Hip Hops 50th Birthday seems to have reinvigorated the Hip Hop following globally, BOBBY is down to put in the work to make sure his name and that of his many crew members is no longer Unknown outside of South Florida. One listen of the “STILL UNKNOWN” LP will definitely assist in this matter.. Press play and do the knowledge.

     BOBBY has been doing this too long to give an album this good away for Free Streaming, so you can support him, Consumer to Artist directly at his Website, www.b-dope.com.  He also has 5 Videos for this New Album ready for release, which will first Premier Exclusively on his website.  You can catch the Newest visuals, superbly shot and edited by Miami’s Underground Visual Deacon, MR. BELEAF, for “YOU GONNA BLEED ft ILLSEED” below.

Make sure to follow B-DOPE on Instagram @bdope.bobhere 

and Spotify or your favorite DSP – B-DOPE

      SATURDAY 11/30 at LINCOLNS BEARD BREWING CO