Pop Sensation Dan Gemini Drops New Single

“Grime Lounge” is the UK equivalent of what the American music world calls “pop rap/hip-hop” with its focus on audience pleasing beats and rhythms married to personal lyrics. Dan Gemini demands consideration as one of its foremost practitioners on the basis of his new single “Slide It”. It’s more than a musical triumph for the Luton Town native. It’s a personal victory born out of horrible injuries the young artist suffered during a violent brawl. Those injuries left him unable to speak for months and two years passed before Gemini realistically entertained the idea of performing again.

He’s back, however, and in a big way. “Slide It” introduces Gemini to newcomers as a premier talent and far removed from the countless shooting stars lighting up the global hip-hop scene before fading into obscurity as quickly. His flow grabs you from the first line for a variety of reasons. Gemini has the innate skill to hone in on a track’s rhythm and ride it in a musical way. He is equally capable of bringing his personality into the vocal delivery in a way that draws listeners deeper into the performance.

His phrasing packs a punch. More than personality appears from his flow. His delivery doubles the track’s rhythm and gives it extra percussive power. He’s the whole show, really. The arrangement is bare bones and relies on little more than handclaps, strong bass, and occasional keyboard touches. This puts the onus for getting the song over with listeners squarely on Gemini’s shoulders and he bears the load without breaking a sweat.

The track has the expected personal touches. It emphasizes strength over vulnerability but the confidence radiating from his writing and delivery never smacks of empty bluster. It is, instead, phoenix-like. Dan Gemini is an artist reborn from the ashes of a previous life, albeit in full command of the lessons learned in earlier guises. That man is still there. “Slide It” proves though that the performer we hear now is far richer and wiser than before.

He is also more in command of skills than ever before. Listeners will be hard pressed to find even one extraneous note or word during this track. Gemini sharpened even second to a knife’s edge and “Slide It” will cut through any resistance to its charms. He carries himself like a veteran performer with youthful energy to burn and has unerring instincts for shaping his work. “Slide It” runs less than three minutes long, but there isn’t a listener around who will feel cheated.

We can expect more greatness from this young performer. He’s learning more and more with each performance, without question, and future tracks will continue pushing his art to its limits and beyond. His fearlessness and skills are a winning combination for a long and rewarding journey in the music world and his name will spread much further than his island home. “Slide It” is just another step toward his rightful destiny and we should follow him all of the way. 

Trace Whittaker