Ka$hdami is an up-and-coming rapper born in Las Vegas, Nevada and raised primarily in the DMV. He first started writing and developing his music skills between the ages of 8 and 13, before dropping several singles and projects from 2018 to the present day. The rapper, who is currently 19 years old, just dropped the latest in a long line of projects, titled oasis. Despite his young age, Dami has amassed a loyal following of over 1.1 million monthly Spotify listeners and even managed to pull in over 500,000 streams on oasis in less than 24 hours, showcasing his high-profile viral output.

Like many modern young artists, Ka$hdami broke into the industry by blowing up on social media apps such as TikTok, with a viral pop-rap sound that spread as the backing music for a number of highly-proliferated videos. Like many TikTok-era rappers, Dami has tailored his music to cater to the platform's algorithm, which seems to remain the case with his latest album. In fact, the longest song on oasis clocks in at just barely over 2 minutes. The full project touts 12 tracks at a full length of 18 minutes. Here's a brief look at the project and a review of the material therein.

Despite having spent years tinkering with music behind the scenes, Ka$hdami is still a relative newcomer to the hip-hop landscape. As a result, it becomes rapidly clear on oasis that he is still developing his own sound, and remains in the shadows of his favorite artists sonically. The opening track to the project, “Ain’t Me - Intro” sees the rapper doing a semi-decent Juice WRLD impression, with emo crooning vocal passages leading into a break-up voicemail from an unnamed female love interest. 

Despite touting his namesake, the track “Kount Kash” sounds like the young MC’s best attempt at performing a Young Thug track at karaoke night, with high-pitched vocal inflections contrasting against the low-end 808s. Subsequent songs on oasis borrow flow patterns, melodies, and rhyme schemes from the likes of Playboi Carti, Trey Songz, Trippie Redd, and other hip-hop & R&B acts who have taken the time to carve out unique sounds within the industry. While Ka$hdami’s take on these sounds is perfectly acceptable and sonically enjoyable, it’s hard not to see that the 19-year-old has a lot of growing to do before he can deliver a unique classic all his own. 

Some of the best songs on oasis, such as “Loyalty,” offer interesting production choices which should, in theory, provide the record with an identity of its own. Unfortunately, the hyper-brief run-time of the record, at just one minute and 16 seconds, leaves little to no time to get invested in the musical themes or concepts at play. Furthermore, comparing Ka$hdami to his contemporaries, such as 19-year-old Redveil, displays how shallow and empty Dami's lyrical content can be. Most tracks on the recent project have very little to say beyond the run-of-the-mill references to partying, being gangster, and stealing girls from uncool peers.

The only track on the album that is truly terrible is the penultimate song, "UshyGushy." "UshyGushy" is nearly unlistenable, with jarring and unpleasant vocal tenors, disgusting juvenile references to female anatomy, and lyrics that reference the video game Minecraft, truly making the song sound like an anthem for a 10-year-old's Twitch stream.

Despite the clear and present issues plaguing the release, oasis still displays a good deal of musical talent. Ka$hdami is obviously more than capable of delivering smooth lyrics and carrying a tune, and his ear for production is genuinely quite refined. Even though this project is unlikely to wow new listeners, Ka$hdami seems to have what it takes to become a formidable force in the rap industry, as long as he continues to refine his sound.

About The Author

TeeJay Small is a professional humorist, pop culture columnist, and an avid enjoyer of all things hip hop. When he's not compiling dozens of monologue-style jokes about the most absurd news headlines, or furiously scribbling rewrites for his television pilot, you can find him carefully analyzing the lyrics to the latest Griselda or Dreamville releases, or digging in the crates to find the hottest up-and-coming rappers. After receiving his bachelor's degree in English/Communications from UMASS Boston, TeeJay set out on a journey to travel the world and develop a culturally diverse media career. He has been personally assured by both members of EARTHGANG that he is, in fact, part of the culture.

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