“Five Rings” From Dici

In the world of fine arts, there are Characters and Caricatures. 18 year old Rapper/Producer/Entrepreneur, Dici, blurs the lines between the two, with his undeniably audacious presence. His new single, “Five Rings” is a relatively straightforward track, that clocks in at under three minutes. It’s a bit of a leap for Dici, as in addition to his more traditional Rap style, Dici actually does some traditional singing on the chorus. The conclusion is that Dici might possess much more sensitivity than we originally perceived.

If you don’t know much about Dici, you might not believe it, when you find out. Born in Italy, and raised in Miami, Dici started his first side hustle in intermediate school. He customized sneakers for his classmates, and charged them for his services, accordingly. He has established his own record label, also called Dici, under which he distributes all of his own recordings. He speaks three different languages, English, Italian, and Japanese.

“Five Rings,” will be featured on Dici’s forthcoming EP, Doses. The young artist recently took some time away from his music, to focus on finishing high school. Now, Dici is back with a redirected focus, and he seems as inspired as ever. It’s important to acknowledge just how much drive and initiative, Dici shows, at such an early age. It goes deeper than him just wanting to be a star, as he has educated himself in so many other facets of the industry.

“Five Rings” is something of a side step for Dici, as he goes for melody as much as fluidity on the track. Admittedly, hearing him like this might have to grow on you, but I can speak from personal experience, when I say that it indeed will. The chorus demands to be played on repeat, and leaves you with the feeling of a deep exhale. You’ll find yourself lost in the moment, at times, even when Dici snaps things back into focus, for the verses. It’s a highly engaging track, with a few imperfections, but nothing that diminishes its pleasure.

It’s well understood that Dici is almost entirely self produced. While “Five Rings” features a competent arrangement, it does suffer from some voluminous issues. The chorus in particular, allows you to feel you’re floating on a cloud, but it makes Dici as though, he is being swallowed by one. He is slightly inaudible and eschewed at times, and it feels like something that could have been fixed in performance or mixing. This is rather out of habit for Dici, who typically displays microscopic commitment to detail.

Make no mistake, though, “Five Rings” is a satisfying listen, that shows a rare side of Dici. It’s not so much that he explores uncertainty or even vulnerability on the track, as he does a Dici sized dose of sentiment. You get the feeling that Dici is being ultra real, with something that holds great meaning to him on the track. Reportedly, the song was inspired by a piece of literature, penned by a Japanese author, Miyomoto Musashi. It seems that Dici is an advocate of Kejutsu, an ancient form of martial arts. While Dici has taken a leap with his new material, he still flies as high as he ever did, by embracing and displaying his authentic truth.

Nicole Killian