Dope’Doug
“Feelin‘MySelf”
Luminant Entertainment

Although hip-hop’s been steadily gaining ground in the Korean music scene, it’s hard to deny that many of the new rappers coming out have a similar style -- teetering between their underground roots and a more pop-friendly style. The difference between the two sides is not only in the lyrics, as rapper Dope’Doug shows in his seven-track EP “Feelin’MySelf.”

The first five tracks of the EP are about different topics -- staying true to yourself, believing in yourself, letting everything go -- but they all sound the same, with dreamy sounds, slow BPMs and Dope’Doug’s voice dragging over the words in his unique style.

It’s not until the last two tracks, “All Ours” and “I’m a Dream,” that the pace picks up to one that is more familiar to hip-hop fans. These two tracks show that Dope’Doug, who so far has been known as a friend of Brand New Music rapper Hanhae, knows how to manipulate his voice for a more commercial beat. But the better achievement is in his first five tracks, where he formulates, and solidifies, a memorable style that he can call his own.

By Won Ho-jung (hjwon@heraldcorp.com)