MUSIC: REZONDADAWN “TWIO2” MIXTAPE REVIEW AND STREAM

RezonDaDawn gives us an introspective look into his world via TWIO2; “I think the narrative did stay true to the Black man’s POV,” he shared. His revelations on his childhood, being a black father and the community-at-large give listeners a slice of not only his life but a slice of the Black perspective. “I think trying to make music relatable is something the great artists do. How do I make [myself relatable] to everyone else? I’m trying to relay that message now with the project,” said Rezon.

TWIO2, the second installment in The Wait Is Over, gives us a sampler pack of RezonDaDawn’s talents. “It was created in 8 months: 6 months to record and 2 months for everything else,” shared Rezon. From production to rapping, the Richmond-based artist stitches together narratives of self. He expertly enlists the talents of other hometown favorites like Michael Millions, Noah-O, Skinnyy Hendrixx, and YT.

The mixtape is equal parts growth and gold; as listeners, it’s easy to hear the production value sitting pristine. “Money interlude” ft Skinnyy Hendrixx is arguably the smoothest track on the tape (from a production standpoint) with its jazzier undertones and deep percussion. On the same note, the lack of seamlessness is noticeable at the end of this track as well as others. For maximum listening bliss, it’s recommended to listen to the tape in order. Even then, I believe there is room to improve in song sequencing. While the mixtape highlights Rezon’s versatility, it does so at the cost of the mixtape’s cohesiveness. Ultimately, I question Rezon’s sonic discernment as much as I’m intrigued (and impressed) at the different subgenres he can traverse.

There is growth in Rezon’s lyricism. His attention to acapellas and spoken word pieces gave a mature feel to TWIO2. “I had my friend Yung Shepard, do a lot of speaking pieces,” Rezon shared. “He’s a really positive dude, he’s a good alarm clock to have. So I wanted to incorporate that into the music to really inspire people.”

With the verses that we hear end in the word ‘author,’ Rezon sheds light on the distinction: “I wanted to give the listener a more theatrical POV. Rather than just saying ‘here is the next song’ I wanted to give some depth to the record.”

Overall, this project was a good marriage of honesty and finesse. His flows are consistent and uninterrupted; the track “This Shit Here” is a prime example of his controlled attack. His flow is reminiscent of a man calmly giving an explanation then becoming more passionate over the course of the explanation. No breath issues and no pronunciation flaws make for a nice listen. While I think Rezon’s flow is better suited for his more mellow songs, he still does a good job on the quicker joints.

Some of the content featured in TWIO2 is a point of contention for me. The controversy behind the welfare queen bars is a double-edged sword. While single mothers pimping the government system to get assistance with the children that they’re keeping away from their dads/ we truly do miss them/ sh*t is sad (“Money interlude” ft Skinnyy Hendrixx). Clearly, as a listener of the entire project, you’re intrigued by Rezon’s blend of honesty, transparency, and boldness. On the flip, the positive spoken-word nuggets are contrasted by some anti-femme messages. Maybe once, on “Freedom” we hear:  peace to my queens from Kemet. Similar to a lot of contemporary music, the misogyny is moderate; limited to a few bars within the entire project but regardless of every woman’s sainthood, as a femme listener, I’d be remiss if I did not keep a critical ear.

“The wait is over… my son was being born. I had a lot of things converging in my life at the same time. I just wanted to put some records out. [This] mixtape series… I honestly didn’t give too much thought [at first]. It developed a little bit more and I wanted to use a code name. Make it hashtag-able.” Rezon’s attention to digital digestibility is a smart move. The simple moniker TWIO seeks to become a shorthand way to recognize the artist’s hard work. TWIO has become the acronym for the legacy he’s building with his music. “As the series gets bigger, hopefully, my career gets bigger. Y’know what I mean? We’ve leveled up since the first one. We’ll try to succeed with the second and go way ahead with the third…. I do [this] to let people know that I’m actually a super-saiyan. I’m not like Piccolo. That’s what the series stands for: I can rap, I have bars. Hopefully, people love it.”

At just under 40 minutes with 11 diverse tracks, new ears and original supporters’ attention spans should be able to handle the tape. Without a cohesive sound, it’s anyone’s guess if folks will love it. What I can deduce, is that TWIO2 does a solid job at being a cool mixtape and stepping stone for more.

Tico Nichole is a VCU graduate, lover of tacos, music-head, and badass writer. Follow her on twitter at @IGetSalty