Baby by SlimDjim Music Review

SlimDjim is a hip-hop recording artist, songwriter and producer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. With just as much lyrical genius and musical fortitude as thought provoking motivational quotes as” when it comes to doing things the right way and succeed, always remember that you are your own worst enemy” that I found on his Instagram profile. Or this. “One of the many keys to happiness is finding the right balance between what you need to do for others and what you need to do for yourself”. Slimdjim appeared to have found that balance and has vocalized it in the track Baby. Which begins with a soft 16 count piano intro on ‘sustain’, to emphasize an echoing effect.   A short pause, then the piano comes right back to carry the melody. The piano is strong and profound, the melody is catchy and soothing.

This track Baby is definitely a love song. The artist begins by expressing how much he loves this woman. Head to toe. She has his ‘eyes wide open’, is a actually an expression that one would get if they were surprised at what they saw. This gives the impression that it is love at first sight.  The lyrics go on to reveal the lengths that he would go through and the things that he would do to keep her, if she would let him. That he will provide for her and will make her happy is the bottom line. Even if it’s just for one night. Throughout the track and from this point, the artist Slimdjim reveals how talented he truly is. During the chorus also during the hooks, there are overlaid percussions, with lead guitar to bring out the unusual ‘husky’ voice that Slimdjim uses while singing this song.  This vocal effect gives off an rnb feel ‘not so much of a hip-hop feel to the song Baby. Even further, leaning more to a combination of pop and new era hip-hop. To keep the time, Slimdjim uses a unique hand clap, along with a steady click, that balances the track back to a hip-hop genre. One cannot help but to bob their head while listening to the track. A good tune to dance to, with a smooth grove.

Taking his lady to the Virgin Islands and Fiji are just a few of the places mentioned within the lyrics. Along with purchasing many items to please her. Taking her scuba diving and living life on the edge, if that’s what she wants.  The chorus is rich with electric guitar accents. That significantly blend in with each verse. The transition between hook and chorus is smooth and easy allowing for easy listening and singing to. Moreover, the hook is catchy and leaves you in anticipation for the next verse.  The accent is apparent during the entire track and that alone gives it a wonderful Island feel. That is amazing in itself!  Overall, the track has a cool island vibe to it, which can be felt. This artist is unique in himself and cannot be compared to artists of the hip hop genre, because of the variety of his music. Being versatile is expected and Slimdjim puts forth an enormous amount of versatility. The song Baby shows just how versatile Slimdjim is, also his potential to be an even greater recording artist and performer. I am looking forward to more tracks like Baby from Slimdjim and also anticipate the production of greater hip hop music.

By Linda Dawkins

10/22/214

Exclusive Interview:

EV: How did you hear about Exposed Vocals? What made you decide to sign up?

I heard about Exposed Vocals on twitter. I decided to check out the website and what I saw there interested me so here I am.

EV: So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become an artist?

Long story short, I was born in Europe (Switzerland) and grew up all over the African continent. Growing up, music was always a big part of my life. I learned to play the piano as soon as I started primary school, then the flute and eventually the drums and the guitar when I was about 11 years old. I started recording recreationally in high school, and published my first few tracks early in my college career.

 EV: How did you come up with that name? What was your inspiration behind it?

A good friend of mine gave me the name slim djim in high school and it stuck. I guess I always had a fairly slim frame, plus, the rhyme helped.

EV:  What do you think about online music sharing? Do you ever give your music away for free? Why?

I think in this day and age, it is a practice that can be very useful, especially if done wisely. It is even more important for new artists trying to make a name for themselves since it can help disseminate their music throughout society.

EV: Since everyone was a start-up once, can you give any smaller or local bands or artists looking to get gigs and airplay some tips?

Two things: make sure you really love doing it and persevere. Because of the way the music industry is set nowadays, new artists are likely to experience setbacks before succeeding.

EV:  Do you ever make mistakes during performances? How do you handle that?

Every artists makes mistakes during performances, some bigger than others. The key is to try and mitigate them by being well prepared beforehand. The better you prepare, the smaller your mistakes will be, and the easier they will be to manage in real time.

EV: Do you tour? Anything interesting happen on tour that you think our readers would enjoy hearing about?

I have not been on tour yet but check back with me in a few months and I will probably have something for you. (smiley face)

EV: Where do you usually gather songwriting inspiration? What is your usual songwriting process?

My songwriting inspiration comes from a variety of sources: Life experiences (mine or from people I know), listening to other artists I appreciate, listening to a beat. The actual songwriting process depends on the inspiration…

EV: Do you have a band website? Do you have a Facebook or Twitter? Do you use Bandcamp, Spotify, ExposedVocals or SoundCloud to share your music?

The website is currently in the works. In the meantime, I can be found on SoundCloud (slimdjim), Facebook (slimdjim), Twitter (@slimdjim), Reverbnation (slimdjim)

 EV: What are some really embarrassing songs that we might find on your mp3 player?

Good Question. I’m not sure… I’ll have to check…

EV:  If you were given half a million dollars and a year off, what would you do? How would you spend it?

Probably invest it in my next project and start working on it. I can take a year off when I finish my career.

EV: Any planned studio upgrades? What are you working with now?

There are always studio upgrade plans. Some of the key elements I am using in my studio right now are an Audio Technica and a MXL condenser microphones, a 24 channel Behringer mixing board, Adobe Audition, KRK return monitors, a Yamaha keyboard, a Scarlet Focusrite audio interface etc…

EV: How do you find ways to promote your music? What works best for you?

I promote my music three different ways: Live performances, professional services, and social media. All work together to provide me with the coverage I need while focusing on my target audience.

EV: If you could perform anywhere and with any artists (Dead or Alive) where and who would it be with? Why?

Tough one… There are a lot of great artists that I would love to work with if only to learn from them first hand. To pick one however is an impossible choice (laughter)

EV: So, what’s next? Any new upcoming projects that you want to talk about?

I have put out a few singles so far, so my next logical evolution would be an album. Stay tuned…

EV: If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?

Engineering software.

EV: Do you remember buying your first album? Who was it? What was going through your head?

Oh yeah! G-Unit’s “Stunt 101”. Most, if not all, of the tracks on the album were very well put together!

EV: How do you juggle the rest of your responsibilities while trying to stay ahead in your music life?

I do my best to allocate the appropriate amount of time for each activities I need to perform and stick to it. Staying organized is both the biggest challenge and the key to making it work.

EV: What should fans look forward too for the rest of 2014 and beyond?

Finally an easy one… More tracks, with a quality that keeps getting better and better (smiley face)