Doeman - Barrio God Vol 2 (Album)

This year, Doeman has been working hard in secrecy where one minute he’s dropping a hot single in surprising fashion, and the next he’s going ghost for a period of time. Without missing a beat, he appears briefly dropping a release, then goes back to the vault and brings another boastful release better than the last and remains to be complacent with the way he’s moving. One of the best examples of this mysterious shift from him would be with his latest album, titled “Barrio God Vol.2”, the follow-up to his 2018 predecessor. It came as a surprise since a few days before the initial release, it was announced with great anticipation being built for his loyal fanbase, and man, did it get its deserved attention. With the cover art to the tracklist featuring artists like Southside Hoodlum, Lilly Aviana, Emilio Riojas & more to the production curated by Bamsworth Belli, Rapid Ric & others to readily seal the deal, making this one of hip-hop's biggest surprises of the year so far.

Starting the project off with another memorable collaboration from Doeman & Southside Hoodlum, the two “Barrio Boyz” connect in this soulful-sampled record going back to back with menacing raps that will keep you laid back and cruising to the rhythm. It’s one of the hardest tracks we’ve come across, and we’re not talking just from the tape but in general, which if I know Doe, he’s definitely planning a visual to this record very soon. (Just watch). Perseverance mixed with zealous for the culture, Doeman represents his heritage to the fullest in every record; take “Nothin 2 Somethin”, “Kids In Foil,” & his Emilo Riojas-featured track “T.S.R.S” for example, which he told the tales of his come up and the obstacles he’s overcome. Dealing with a lot of hate & grievance for his success, Doeman rises on any occasion to show his Lionheart sticking out his chest and becoming a figure in his neighborhood that making it without selling your soul is possible. Without a major label behind him, Doeman made it out of the mud with his brutherens which is why he’s fighting for them with every ounce of his being, DYNA familia to the end and let a hater crumble down if they think otherwise. I’m sure many listeners like myself gravitated towards the collaboration between Doeman & Lilly Aviana. Two inspiring artists from the syrup city linking together, you can only imagine what this feeling was like entering the record for the first time. Embarking in the background with her angelic vocals, Lilly creates this beauteous essence right out the gate, and Doeman for the first time on the album, slows down his tempo while keeping the beat sliding on swangas. At the same time, his suave demeanor accompanies the flow to remain pleasant throughout the ballad. A highlight of the album for sure, and we hope to see another collab like this from the two later in the future. What stands out about this album from the rest of his prestigious catalog is that he attempted to maneuver out of the norm for him. Not saying it’s a bad thing at all cause I enjoy hearing an artist stray away from his signature sound to try and adjust to something different; I think Doeman heard himself become adaptable in the project, which continues to hold the narrative that he’s still finding himself in the music and getting lost in the mix. Being a fan of Doeman for years, it’s great to see his growth continue to rise, which puts him in a better place to solidify his status of being the leader in the scene and an idol in Texas.

As mentioned before, Doeman has already started trickling away from the spotlight since the release of his album, which means he could be working on his following announcement. If I was a betting man, I’m sure more surprises are to come shortly. Expect the unexpected from Doeman while enjoying his latest project here, and make sure to share it on all social media avenues.