Richardine Bartee
As someone who has had the honour to listen to and support several artists, it is always a privilege to give feedback to anyone who wants it. So, when artists at all stages of their careers reach out, I must review them as any industry personnel would. Otherwise, it may cost them in the long run. When we received an inquiry from Philadelphia’s D Kirk KV on Instagram, I couldn’t wait to hear what he had. At first, I wanted to assign the review article, to one of my contributor’s, but I didn’t feel they were seasoned enough to convey our collective thoughts, professionally. Instead, I decided to take it on.
Three months ago, D Kirk KV released an eighteen-track album called ‘Oceans’, which features production from various producers including DJ Mustard (‘Special’ featuring RNB Base) and CashMoneyAp (‘She’s A Vibe’ featuring Bptheofficial). The most notable songs are ‘Birthday’, which boasts the best hook on the project but doesn’t credit the featured artist, and ‘ithinkiminlove’ featuring Hrtbrkfever because of how it incorporates Wayne Wonder’s 2003 popular Reggae song ‘No Letting Go’.
For me, D Kirk KV’s production choices are great, but surprisingly he doesn’t meet the bar of most of his musical collaborators. Often, throughout the project, his monotonous crooning style seems to decrease the energy level of the alliance. I’d like to hear how he progresses over time. As a songwriter, his concepts have connectivity, but his overall vocal delivery must improve to attract the audience he wants. As an audience, we’re left wondering what makes the Philadelphia artist standout from his vicious competitors.
Listen to the project below. To us, it feels more like a mixtape created by an artist trying to find their way than a fair introduction full-length LP.
