Probe DMS

Probe DMS is an asshole. Well…kind of. Not the type of asshole that embodies the proverbial swag over substance ethos that seems to be holding court in indie hip-hop at present. But the exploits detailed on Life Is A Movie suggests you might want to hide your sister and your Stoli. Like any good emcee, NYC-based Probe DMS slathers on copious amounts of hubris and braggadocio throughout the course of this impressive debut.

While the lyrical themes here don’t stray too far from the usual, Probe’s production easily transform cuts like “Crack” and “Voodoo Magic,” which pay tribute to his prowess with the mujeres and the metaphors, into certified heat. But it’s the effervescent party joint “Ghost” that clearly steals the show here. However, what truly distances Probe from the rest of the pack is his unique display of depth of field on the latter half of the album.

His skillful wordplay is best exemplified on introspective tracks like “Off & On Love” and the valorous, semi-autobiographical “More Than Life (Life Is A Movie).” Probe drops hints at the full range of his musical capabilities when he illustrates his skills as a multi instrumentalist (keyboards, bass, percussion) on “Frogspawn” and his collaboration with broken beat legend Mark De Clive Lowe, “Drums & Synths.”

Probe DMS’ jocose tongue-in-cheek style withstanding, his striking production skills combined with his attention to lyrical structure makes it apparent that he’s not just here for shits & giggles. If life is a movie, the sequel should be quite an experience.

-Rico a.k.a. Superbizzee