Big Draco and the Legend of the Road Runner
“I can tell, deep down, you not gon’ make it”
-Big Draco
History has shown us time and time again that fortune favors the diligent. Those who put the hours and effort towards a craft are rewarded with a damn near undefinable ceiling. From the overgrown gardens of Jackson, New Jersey emerges Big Draco, one such face who effortlessly blends pop and rap on his debut album Road Runner.
Officially released on March 5, Road Runner is a nine-track long pivotal checkpoint on Draco’s journey to success. Clocking in at just around 22 minutes total, the album also features photography by elite sports and music photographer @bijannyfootball. This debut album is the fruit of a borderline frightening work ethic by Draco. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised in the least if Draco has dropped another song or feature by the time this review is published.
The album opens with a beat from Jersey producer Stam, who provides a futuristic instrumental for Draco to walk us through his woman woes over. Stam produces four more tracks on this album and knocks each one out of the park; a sure sign that even more work will make its way across his desk in the future.
On the second stop of Draco’s journey, we catch up with rising Charlotte star BIGBABYGUCCI, who reminds us that he, Draco, and company have been in LA treating life like a Grand Theft Auto V lobby. Over a certified trunk-rattler of a Fish beat, the two paint a million-dollar picture of the wild and fast-paced escapades that young Draco is getting accustomed to. Real ones know about the electric, almost violent energy that comes from a BIGBABYGUCCI and Fish collaboration; Draco’s clay-like versatility allows him to match their intensity step for step, and together they form the three-headed Cerberus that is “Pendulum”.
One thing that I admire about Draco is his composure on every song. Never rushed and always aloof, he gets and stays in his bag on a beat like Brady in the pocket. He uses his ear for beats like a bloodhound, dissecting and determining what kind of sounds he needs to tell his story, as well as where he needs to get them from.
On “Jiu Jitsu”, for instance, Draco hits the ground sprinting, tearing up an elite CHASETHEMONEY beat like the roadrunner tears across the desert sand. With virtually no time to spare in his schedule, Draco makes it clear that the bag is first and foremost on his list of things to obtain in this short life.
And if by now you don’t recognize that iconic, second-long “CHASETHEMONEY, CHASETHEMONEY” beat tag, then I simply can’t help you.
Producer Swell also blesses Big Draco with the mystical instrumental we hear on “SoCal”, a song that we hear more of the traditional Draco flow over. Slower, more melodic production lies nestled perfectly in between two high-energy Stam beats; a calm, cool evening in Southern California separating two days of nonstop adolescent debauchery.
Draco rounds out the album by dipping into his softer, more rhythmic R&B side on “See You Later”, where we also get a taste of how deep Fish’s bag of tricks goes on some surprisingly airy production. Young Atlanta artist Kevin Kazi, the only other feature on the album, takes the second half of the song and works his magic. Visuals of heaven, angels, heartbreak, and hedonism are twisted together by Kazi like a modern-age Sistine Chapel.
Ultimately, the main takeaway from Road Runner is that Big Draco’s feet have not stopped moving since the start of his career. The only times Draco appears to be at a standstill on this album are when he’s dealing with either women or an empty grinder. Aside from that, almost all of the track titles on the album pertain to some form of motion, a nod to the rolling stone lifestyle of the road runner. It becomes more apparent by the day that Draco’s drive and determination will inevitably be what separates him from his contemporaries.
Big Draco’s March starts off with a message to everyone that he’s well on his way up out of here. Given his fine-tuned ear for instrumentals, his tireless need to succeed, and the team of tremendous talent he has around him, it seems as if it’s only a matter of time. After all, when your debut album catches the eyes of entities like Lyrical Lemonade, reasons to slow down go well out the window.
Catch the Road Runner if you can.
Stream Road Runner, out now on all available platforms!
