Childish Major's 'Dirt Road Diamond' Shines Bright
Photo: Mario Kristian
South Carolina native Childish Major returns to his roots with his newest release Dirt Road Diamond. To get here, the journey for Major hasn't been easy. A year and a half since his breakthrough solo album WOO$AH, and more recent collaboration with Dreamville, it's evident that Childish has truly grown and fully rounded out his trappy R&B sound.
Rhythmic singles like "Shine" and "Feelings Hurt" almost bookend the insightfully-constructed album. You'll want to both cherish the world he's created and use his lyrics as Instagram captions. Childish proves he can do anything be it songwriting, singing, rapping, or producing – his talent isn't held back on this project. Dirt Road Diamond even sees collaborative moments with hip hop greats and newcomers like Ludacris, Earthgang, Buddy, and Tish Hyman.
There's something for everyone on this project. Lyrically, Dirt Road Diamond covers a range of topics from telling haters off, trusting the wrong people, and relationships taking a turn for the worst. "To My Little Homies" is a clever ode of wisdom to the kids back in Major's hometown. He gives them advice to get rich, save tips, and study for scholarships. Instrumentally, it's more of a hard-hitting back beat driven record. Anthemic in nature, it's a song whose hook begs to be heard: "get rich dog." "For You" is a melodic R&B lover's dream. Bouncy and fun, it's impossible to not bob your head along with its natural bubbly cadence. All the while, Major sings about supporting his girl doing what she has to do to get by.
"Her type used to be the slow dance, romance, hands full of flowers
Now she all about a pole dance, gotta make a dollar
And I ain’t mad at that
Sometimes it go like that, you gotta get it like that"
Dirt Road Diamond consists of so much soul. The project makes you feel nostalgic as if you've been with Childish Major on his journey all along. After producing for artists like SZA, Arin Ray, Rick Ross, 6lack, and Future, Major has already demonstrated his skills in the world of hip hop. But it's more evident now than ever just how boisterous his solo really talent is.
Listen to Dirt Road Diamond below, and stay tuned for Childish Major's "All Eyes On" performance coming soon!