‘Dingo vs Dingo’ by Dingo Duke – An endless stream of powerful, sturdy lyricism

TAKUDZWA HILLARY CHIWANZA 

Dingo Duke’s unhinged rap style evidently makes him endearing to ardent listeners and followers. And the admirable bit of this is that his relentlessness in delivering unfettered raps accords him a handy edge over the mediocre. His lyrical content may come off as unbridled hedonism to those harbouring reservations, but that’s just about it. 

Rap inescapably entails a flair of the raw and uncut like that. In this, Dingo Duke comes off as a rapper unafraid to graphically illustrate the hard-knock life of urban youths in contemporary Zimbabwe. 

Perhaps there are ferocious, deep-seated contradictions running amok in Dingo Duke’s consciousness—generally, this being the bane and blessing of the creative. Artistry thus becomes a double-edged sword whose gravity weighs down the rapper's pen to ink some sense.

We feel this is what Dingo vs Dingo by Dingo Duke is all about. We see Dingo Duke stretching his lyrical flex in what appears to be a challenge to the self. He probably interrogates himself: How far can you go, Dingo? Show me—show the world. Paint it as it is. 

Dingo vs Dingo is an attempt by Dingo Duke to revel in the desire to transcend the confines of what is regarded as ‘the way to do rap’. Dingo vs Dingo is a series of ‘double drops’ meant to showcase tracks perceived to be convincing enough. We wouldn’t apportion an iota of blame to those who perceive this as platitudinous. 

Because Dingo Duke is good like that. And a project such as Dingo vs Dingo opens this truism to the world and beyond. He tries the route of the eccentric with this scantily known body of work. 

Whether or not he executed this noble attempt with excess success, it is clear that any instrumental oozing thumping kicks, accelerated tempo, and a flair of the underground indubitably leads Dingo towards profuse lyricism. 

It may seem roughshod, but that’s he specifically designed it to be—somewhat, the crux of Shebeen rap. 

The excruciating external and internal factors shaping the lifestyles and urban cultural dispositions of the youth empowers Dingo Duke with sturdy lyricism. 

Put succinctly, Dingo’s unfiltered rap stories and determined lyrical flows are helpful in telling some modern youthful stories in a sea of vast troubles. 

Or so we think. 

For Dingo, the industry has given him some moments of dejection. For him, Shebeen rap is representative of urban culture in its entirety. 

He says some producers have failed to really grasp the core essence of Shebeen rap; so for Dingo (and his long-time collaborator Dough Major), it is an atmosphere. A movement. A life they live. 

Dingo vs Dingo thus points to what Shebeen rap is all about. Some may get it, some may not. Ultimately, it is up to Dingo Duke and his associates to push more boundaries in making this concept lucid. 

You can listen to the tracks in Dingo vs Dingo by Dingo Duke via the link below and arrive at your own verdict: 

https://youtube.com/@dingoduke2424?si=zZe-GsZ_a96Sup6Y