Underground hip-hop veterans, Dillon and Batsauce have been making unorthodox rap music together for nearly 20 years with a simple formula: Batsauce makes the beats, Dillon writes the songs, and whatever happens, happens. After carving out their own lane with a catalog of EPs and LPs over the past two decades, the duo has finally slowed down enough to ask themselves, “what have we done”?
Is the title of their latest effort rhetorical or meant to be an actual question? If so, Dillon and Batsauce probably don’t want to know the answer. They probably don’t want you, the listener to think too much about it either. Instead, What Have We Done is an invitation to experience the trials and tribulations, the small wins and the big losses of being aging independent artists in an increasingly cut-throat world for music makers.
But Dillon & Batsauce aren’t the only ones on this joyride, we also hear from a well-curated crew of characters they’ve befriended along the way, from bonafide legends like Grand Puba and Kool Keith to modern day rap heroes, Quelle Chris & Reef the Lost Cauze. The end result is a collection of songs that runs the gamut from personal to aspirational to … delusional. Whether it’s “too much’”or “not enough,” the answer to the question, “what have we done?” remains open to interpretation. Perhaps it’s not a question at all, but merely the naturally visceral reaction when career creators look back at a life lived on the edge.
What Have We Done is due out July 12 via Full Plate. In addition to hitting DSPs, the album will be available on vinyl, CD, and cassette, with various merch available including T-shirts and collectable keychains. In the meantime, head over your preferred streaming platform to support the Grand Puba assisted single, “Cannonball, “ a funk-infused banger where Dillon and the legendary emcee trade verses and clever wordplay about relationships, wack rappers, and everything in between over Batsauce’s infectious production.
© 2024, Seth "Digital Crates" Barmash. All rights reserved.
