Review: ThisIsDA – Super Arkane (Produced by Mankub)

Super Arkane is the long-awaited debut LP release from aptly named Bristol hip hop artist, ThisisDA. The alter ego of 19-year-old David Aidoo comes from a family of musicians, with his younger brother Just Scribble causing ripples in the UK rap scene. David is no stranger to the game either, being tipped by BBC Introducing in 2012 and supporting grime artist Tinchy Stryder soon after. His unique style encompassed by the onomatopoeic genre of boom-bap has attracted attention across the spectrum with support pledged by Scroobius Pip to Chris Brown.

The album sees a partnership with Mancunian producer Mankub, responsible for the funky soul vibe emanating through the backing tracks. Unlike most vocalists’ albums, ThisisDA chooses to selectively showcase his own voice with the sole exception of ‘Taking Over’, which features Temz. The addition of a softer female voice brings a more melodic downtempo side to the LP, which at times can seem repetitive due to their monotonic nature. But I must say that the combination of dexterously delivered lyrics over the definitive instrumentals of Mankub creates a prominent blend.



Lyrically each track tells an almost autobiographical story of coming of age in the urban ecosphere, without falling into the habitual trap of an unrealistic egotistical hoodlum filled narration. The occasional skit breaks up the album, sampling quotes from movies including American Gangster and Single White Female. This is a brief insight into the spread of David Aidoo’s talents who, aside from his music career, is a published writer, photographer and producer. After completing a BFI Film Academy course, he was named as one of the promising future talents in production.

This free release LP will go a long way to showcase the talents of both ThisisDA and Mankub, tipping both of them as ones to watch in 2014.

Words: Charles Veys