In the modern music world, it’s not so difficult to find artists who dip their toes into different genres, but it is almost impossible to find someone who does it to the same level of quality and meticulous attention to detail as IAMDDB.
Take just one listen to any IAMDDB track and it’s clear she has a sound quite like no other. Raised in Manchester but born in Portugal, she has been exposed to music from all across the world and even played in a band in Africa while visiting her Dad back in 2015. Her influences sprawl from Erykah Bhadu to Bob Marley and stylistically she pulls from components of jazz, R&B, and hip hop to create a lush and entirely unique sound. Her creativity knows no limits and her refusal to conform to not just British musical norms but music as a whole is what makes her such a special talent.
Not many artists can float between different styles this effortlessly and be so experimental with their cadences, rhyme schemes, and production but IAMDDB makes it look like a walk in the park. Her first viral hit ‘Leaned Out’ was just scratching the surface on what she’s capable of as her bouncy trap production and silky vocals took social media by storm. Usually, when an artist finds this winning formula they’ll stick to it, cultivate it and focus their whole attention on that one popular style. Fortunately for us, it seems the last thing IAMDDB wants to do is make her sound predictable and stagnant.
On her 2019 EP Swervvvvv.5, there were even instances where she strayed from her typically melodic and laid-back deliveries and attempted some more aggressive styles of rapping. All of which hit just as hard as she intended. As she progresses she continues to find new ways to innovate the genres she so IAMDDB has never set herself any boundaries and continues to thrive on her own terms, incredibly she still hasn’t signed a major label deal and has released all her music independently. It seems that by not tying herself to a major label there is no pressure on her to sacrifice her creativity for commercial success and she’s most definitely thriving this way.
IAMDDB- Sweg, from IAMDDB Youtube Channel
IAMDDB may not have the huge mega-hit that everyone on the planet knows but she is providing something much more substantial and intriguing than that. Over the years her evolution as an artist has been nothing short of incredible and she continues to crush stereotypes of what a rapper is and can be. She’s proving to everyone it’s okay not to follow the rules.
Words by Chris Saunders
Graphics by Latisha Fleckenstein
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