If you’ve been to any club or house party around the UK, you will have heard of D-Block Europe. I recall visiting a friend in Berkhamstead in 2019 and being met with absolute dismay and disbelief when I mentioned that I have never heard of D-Block. Nonetheless, I’ve made a complete turnaround since that day and have found a deep love for the tracks which come out of London’s South East side.
The group comprises three members, including Lil Pino, Adam Nathaniel Williams or Young Adz, and Ricky Earl Banton or Dirtbike LB. D-Block released their first few tracks under DBE in 2014, a while after the three rappers began their solo careers.
However, The rap collective has been unstoppable since 2017 when they released Large Amounts, among many other singles. Since then, we’ve received countless bangers from a fine mix of albums, mixtapes and singles.
Grab your Bluetooth speaker, maybe a drink or two and enjoy the immaculate vibes of D-Block.
THE DISCOGRAPHY
The tale of the D-Block discography is a tricky one. The rap group tends to make trap tracks suitable for most settings, especially social ones. However, the group has a few bangers that tip the scale in either direction. Some of the songs listed below will evoke an emotional feeling that you might not expect, while others will get you jumping out of your chair. Regardless, you’ll receive quality from D-Block 9 times out of 10.
WHEN YOU NEED SOME QUALITY BANGERS
It’s really hard to nail down D-Block’s sound as a collective. However, both Dirtbike LB and Young Adz have a distinguishable tone to their voice that is easy to spot.
In 2018, the group released a track titled nASSty, which shut down UK rap for quite some time. The vulgar lyrics paired with a catchy beat turned into an anthem for young men in a similar fashion to Way 2 Sexy by Drake. Similarly, Nookie with Lil Baby had the same effect on men when it came out in 2019. Both of these songs are staples from the group from a singalong standpoint.
Moving to a more tropical island feel, we have Mood from Home Alone 2. In conjunction with M Huncho, the trio create a super uplifting tune that still carries on their usual topics of money, drugs and women. Although the topics are similar to other trap songs, something about D-Block’s presentation makes the bars seem far more enticing and positive. This can be seen strongly in Mood, as well as Make You Smile and UFO, which calls for the aid of AJ Tracey and Aitch.
WHEN IT’S TIME TO SIT BACK AND RELAX
Love, Perkosex, Last Night in Barcelona, Darling
Growing up surrounded by drugs and violence shaped Young Adz, as well as the rest of D-Block. He’s been heard in countless interviews describing how his day-to-day life is affected by his upbringing. We, as listeners, get to hear the pain in his voice and lyrics throughout countless chill songs from the trio.
In Proud, we hear what seems to be a conversation with his daughter in which he expresses his love for her and desires to be with her at all times. As we can hear in the track, this isn’t always possible as external forces stop them from crossing paths. Proud truly tugs at your heartstrings and is bound to make you pull in the people you love.
Songs like Love and Darling have the same vibe, except with less extreme lyrics. Both songs give off a lovey-dovey feel while being a bit more positive. Ever farther from Proud is Perkosex and Last Night in Barcelona. All four of these songs are quintessential if you want to get a true feel for what their sound is like as a collective.
WHEN IT’S TIME TO PARTY
D-Block’s more upbeat tracks are a solid mix of summer vibes and classic trap tracks, which are bound to get you bobbing with your friends. Abloh, Cut Me Off, and She’s Not Anyone is going to get you off your seat without a shadow of a doubt. You’ll also probably feel your hips whine a little bit which is a natural response to their summer staples.
We Won and No competition are both tracks that fit their trap sound better. They encapsulate D-Block’s classic tone through a mix of lyrics which pump testosterone into your veins. Pair that with some beats that make you want to jump around, and you’ll find yourself either jumping into a pool fully clothed or pouring champagne over your Rolex.
MORE ON CULTED:
See also: COULDN’T BE BETTER? COULD IT? OTTOLINGER SS23 JUST LANDED