VI.III: VI Dibiaci will have people feeling strongly about it as Levi Cartier is not the artist to sit in the safe zone. He dashes wildly through a myriad of topics without holding anything back and at times, even pushing boundaries at the risk of sounding offensive. But we got a hunch the rapper is not concerned with potential drawbacks. He goes for shock value and delivers it unapologetically: “This was definitely a story that I couldn’t tell because of prior activity I was engaged in during my “street running” days. I felt as if after I had served my time it was time to tell that story. So every song is a testament to the moods and positions I was in at that moment in my life”, shares Levi Cartier. A name you will remember.
1. The Vent
Never for a moment will it escape your notice the absolute candor that Levi Cartier engages in on the first track off the album, The Vent. After a cinematic intro speech (about what could be summed up as trust issues) sounding like a recorded message and a doleful piano selectively playing minor chords, the rap artist goes to rap with his usual, extraordinary fervor: “It feel like a n***a stuck I can’t just shake it off me/ The world is bitter to a n***a like the taste of coffee/ Be losing demons, but they always seem to chase and stalk me/ Try not to flex around my n****s cause it make ’em
salty”. Lack of genuine support from surrounding peers is evidently a matter the rapper is bitterly fretting upon, as by the following lyrics, we understand it being a persistent mental anguish that has taken over many aspects of the artist’s personal life: “Keep looking n****s in they eyes, see the greed in ‘em/ They watch yo pockets when it’s money or it’s weed in ‘em/ And I can’t find a b*tch to love me like my daughter do/ I get f*cked over listening to the sh*t my heart will do”. The almost 4-minute record abides no structural pattern, letting the protagonist air out his grievances in a most intimate atmosphere. The beat is minimalistic as it could possibly get, giving an official expression to the emotional ache from the lyrics. The Vent is a vital first component of VI.III: VI Dibiaci, the album, for it intensively beckons the audience into Levi Cartier’s mental and emotional state.
Song Credits: Levi Cartier – songwriter, Ziggy Made It – producer.
2. Green Light
The second track on the album has a full-fledged modern composition, using sharp drums, snares, intermittent percussion touches, an acoustic guitar, and back vocals as instruments. “I gave my n***a them the green light/ So b*tch I hope you got your team right/ You not as gangster as you seem like/ Them triggers squeeze when you see beam lights/ This big ol’ 40 gun you down/ Them silencers don’t make a sound” goes the naturally-melodic hook of Green Light. The artist dives into surreal details on the subject without any circumlocution, rapping about meeting his rivals in hell, turning enemies into t-shirts, and graphically grim sceneries. The featuring artist, PMG Monstro, counterbalances Levi Cartier’s ungodly threats with an emphasis on the spiritual aspect of this animosity: “B*tch, you ain’t really bout that sh*t say you ’bout/ B*tch, you just on the internet chasing clout/ B*tch, can’t go back to yo hood cause you ain’t allowed/ B*tch, know them n****s over there gon’ shake you down quick”. Green Light is a moderately-paced record fit for feeling like a villain while on a global lockdown. And definitely not for the faint of heart or moral troopers.
Song Credits: Levi Cartier, PMG Monstro – songwriters, BG on the Track – producer.
3. Super Trap
Out of the three records so far, Super Trap is surprisingly the most commercially-constructed song. Levi Cartier turns out to have an inclination towards shockingly long hooks: “Cocaine residue inspired by the contents of the beaker/ I’m surrounded by the remnants of the tenants that be keeping us/ Awake at night I paid a cluck a nicc just for us to sweep it up/ Facetiming yo b*tch, she telling me I don’t sleep enough/ Damn right, narcotics on the table, lil n****s with pistols rolling weed/ Sleep is inappropriate, kitchen smelling like Coca leaves/ Tune heads smoking tunchie, addicted to scented potpourri/ Proceeded reputation, be cautious how you approaching me/ Supa Trap, money got me, Supa Trapped/ shooters all around me, everybody got they toolies out/ It’s one way in, and one way out, trenches like boobie trap/ But we ain’t ever moving out/ Welcome to the Super Trap” Albeit having a verse-like length, the hook of Super Trap rapidly grows on anyone listening as it brings a wave of color and diversity to Levi Cartier’s repertoire. If the artist usually raps just as hard on the hook as he does on the verses, Super Trap is a nice change of scenery, bestowing a radio-friendly appeal and format. The verses talk about both the fast money and the stress that comes with this lifestyle. A must add on trap music aficionados’ playlists.
Song Credits: Levi Cartier – songwriter, Mini Producer – producer.
4. Answers
We’re slightly biased towards analyzing Answers as we’ve already covered it in an article of its own. As we previously stated, it is an uncommon masterpiece that is filled with vivid depictions of the struggling relationship between the artist and God. “When I wrote this song, God I wrote it for you/ I was hoping you would notice, and maybe would listen/ I used to pray every day like my granny would say/ But you would never pay no attention/ What did I do, or what could be done?/ I’m under the impression that I was your son?” Ooof! The atmosphere is an increasingly heavy one with undertones of a possible, permanent rupture. Besides the obviously interesting narrative, the audience has the satisfaction of hearing Levi Cartier singing, rapping, talking, and just enjoying himself in various states of energy and delivery. It is the tamest track so far which renders it a top contender for surviving the album in time.
Song Credits: Levi Cartier – songwriter, Desmonte Kent (D-Thrilla Beats) – producer.
5. Dreams
Even though the title might allude to some elevated vibes and good feelings, Dreams is the very antithesis of that. It finally shows the gut-wrenching reality that comes with the fast life: “PTSD from the sh*t I done seen/ I can barely get sleep from all the sweating and twitching/ Brought all my pain to the booth, and started singing my truth” Why are admissions like this pivotal to the molding of our future as human beings? Because many choose to romanticize violence, hustling, and associated behaviors without talking about the downsides of it. Heck, nothing in life is black or white. It’s all gray. But admitting that uncomfortable area is what makes the difference in one’s message. Levi Cartier keeps his flow in the same sped-up, cursive manner, and dazzles the listener with his unforgettable remarks: “My insecurities are haunting me clearly/ I never thought I would make it this far/ Stuck on this road got nowhere to go/ But at least this time I am the one that’s driving the car/Is it Yahweh, or Jesus, or Buddha, or even the infinite conscience/ or maybe Allah took me from the trenches?” The collaborating artist, Wild Wild, is the one whose voice we get to hear on the choruses and who does a wonderful job at efficiently adding a melodic factor to the record. Dreams is a rap ode to one’s trials and tribulations that penetrates the soul and presents the public with astonishing objectivity regarding the high-risk life.
Song Credits: Levi Cartier – songwriter, Ziggy Made It – producer.
6. Color Purple
If you enjoyed Green Light, you will love Color Purple for the evident musical similarities the two share. Lyrically, we prefer the latter as it feels like the pride of Levi Cartier’s lifework. “All my life I had to fight/ Drown my pain in color purple/ This money she gone keep me right/ Keep these squares up out my circle/And I been sipping on the Ceilie/ While I’m smoking on the seaweed/ Popping Xo purple Genie, Yuh/ I wish my granny Nem could see me/ I gon’ end up on the T.V./ I told ’em but they didn’t believe me” The verses are balmed in just as much coldness as vulnerability that shows, “I turned my pain into a hit/ No containing this sh*t/ High anxiety straining my patience/ Illusive with
answers it is what you make it/ I hope you don’t fall in love with me baby/ I lost my mind while In incarceration”. The vocals are auditorily more enhanced than the previous songs but it doesn’t change the audience’s perception of the artist. Levi Cartier sounds good regardless if it’s singing, rapping, talking. Also, peep those suave violins that protrude for the first time on VI.III: VI Dibiaci. Color Purple is a hot-n-cold record, granting the audience with serious openness only to remind you right after that the end goal is a materialistic one.
Song Credits: Levi Cartier – songwriter, Mini Producer – producer.
7. Wendy Williams
We’re very much excited about this track as it’s our top favorite thus far, right in the same lane with Answers. Actually, scratch that. It’s our number ONE preferred record and Answers comes in 2nd. It got all the right things in the right places. Once more affirming his duality as a mainstream contender and as a bonafide underground rapper, Levi Carter raps in a light demeanor, breaking away from the weighty topics that have been brought up until now: “F*ck you like I love you/ but you not my girlfriend/ B*tch don’t ask me questions/ If you don’t want the truth/ You better not give away my p*ssy/ Or I’m gon’ beat your ass h**/ You know I get to tripping especially over you/ You always seem to catch me looking/ Yo friend thick as f*ck/ Wonder would it turned her on if she saw me f*cking you/ And yeah seen you calling/ But I was busy balling/ I didn’t feel like arguing/ Like I know you wanted to”. Levi Cartier’s innate cunning is the delight of Wendy Williams and makes the artist’s unlimited supply of punchlines a statement. Musically, the song heavily relies on synthetic sounds beautifully balanced and skillfully intercalated with the rapper’s voice. Interestingly enough, his flow is very different on WW and it just might remind you of the old Drake we used to love. A hungry, determined, ambitious artist. Oh well, we got Levi Cartier for that role now.
Song Credits: Levi Cartier – songwriter, Angel Beatz – producer.
8. Ikyfl
Woah! We weren’t ready for this one, I know you f*ckin’ lying takes Levi Cartier’s artistry to the next level. Those initial raps turn into a chant, one that reverberates swag and dominance. Also, our man of the hour goes so, so, so low with his voice that you might be shook and do a double take just in case Spotify maybe tripped and sent you to another artist. He makes marvelous use of his bass sound and subsequently enhances the flirtatious energy. While you guys may not know it, we the ladies, love a man with a deep voice. This one will do a number on the women tuning in to Levi Cartier. It’s extremely entertaining to hear the artist just be a man and be mesmerized by the power of a fine woman’s body: “She bounce that ass like a credit score/ I swear that ass so incredible/ I brought a bag I might let it go/ Hold on I’m ready to go/ Took that b*tch back to the spot/ and I ate that bitch twat like some edibles/ Beat that p*ssy royal rumble/ B*tch you f*cking lying/ It’s so good I bought her bundles/ Sh*t I know you f*cking lying” 😀 And the beat??? A legit banger with flawless production. If you’re mainly a mainstream consumer, you start working your way into Levi Cartier’s repertoire from IKYFL. Heck, we replayed this track more than any other record. IKYFL bridges the gap between club bangers and Levi Cartier’s self-chronicling raps.
Song Credits: Levi Cartier – songwriter, Angel Beatz – producer.
9. Losing Interest
Travis Scott fans rejoice! Losing Interest is for you. If Travis’s music was on steroids, this is how he’d sound. The way Levi Cartier ties the words with one another and makes it one continuous flow is a well-known peculiarity of the aforementioned A-lister. Losing Interest has that je-ne-sais-quoi that pulls you in and keeps you hooked until the last seconds. A sublime combination between an exquisite instrumental and realer-than-life lyrics: “If you gon’ leave then gone b*tch/ And hurry up leave me alone b*tch/ And why the f*ck you got my phone lit?/ I thought you was on grown sh*t/ Your own money with your own sh*t, but stay broke sis it don’t fit/ Now you on some b*tch sh*t”. The chopped voice snippets in the background give a grotesque feeling to the song while Levi’s vocals are fabulously natural and on-pitch at all times. He just continues to display a curious array of singing styles, rap flows, technical delivery. How come there’s so much talent in one guy while others can’t pull off a single record even when collaborating? The only time we’re glad life ain’t always fair 😀
Song Credits: Levi Cartier – songwriter, Angel Beatz – producer.
10. Kinda
Kinda is a gorgeous record and seemingly rooted in the same F# minor key as Bad by Wale. In Kinda Levi Cartier goes back to radio-friendly formatting and sounds, making ample use of enhanced vocals, the modernly classic claps, the soft linked synths in the background. It’s not stretching the truth if we say it’s a bonafide earworm. “I put this on my momma/ When I step foot in designer/ All my sh*t gone be Italian/ I ain’t doing no more China/ And my b*tch gone be so bad that you gon’/ Wonder where I found her/ All my sh*t gon’ be astounding/ I don’t want nothing around me/ that can be described as kinda” – affectionately sings Levi Cartier. It’s endearing that after a good 9 songs that revel predominantly in being about that life, the rapper goes to add a note of simple pursuit for a better self. When you hear the sincerity in his motives, you can’t help but be moved. “All my exes steady textin’/ Please come home what they suggesting/ But in jail they wouldn’t accept my calls man/ aaw man, Look at me now/ I wrote this sh*t back in jail/ I knew I was gonna raise hell/ I knew would come home/ Just to see the looks on they face/ As soon as I got out that cell.” We also observe an astute sense of melodically adapting the lyrics to the rhythm of the beat, merging the two in a singular identity. Breathtaking.
Song Credits: Levi Cartier – songwriter, BG on the Track – producer.
11. Suspect
In characteristic fashion, Levi Cartier couldn’t leave y’all thinking he’s just the good guy. He smoothly reverts back to the initial message of the album and brings to the table yet again his strongest cards: violent threats and indifference. “What, you think you gone slide on me n***a?/ Do you know who the f*ck you f*cking with n***a?/ This B.T.G. n***a what the hell you talking
bout?/ On Yoda, I’ll run a n***a over, for real” goes the introductory speech. Levi Cartier then adds a convincing oomph to the beat with a catchily-assembled hook: “Rule number one stay strapped/ Uh Huh. When you riding, gotta keep it in ya lap/ Uh Huh. See a .40 will make a n***a get back/ Uh Huh He was gangsta, till he heard that Click, Clack/ Uh Huh, Pap, Pap, Uh Huh/ Ima check da pistol and da clip, before I put on my jeans/ Cuz I’ll be a murder suspect before I be a murder scene.” The rest of the lyrics are too graphic for us to quote in detail, but let’s just say… If one had the Suspect text before his eyes without hearing Levi Cartier’s voice and tonality on other records first, you’d think El Chapo is about to come after you. There’s no other way to put it.
Song Credits: Levi Cartier – songwriter, Ziggy Made It – producer.
12. Turpentine Lamborghini
“Diamonds shine, when I’m leaning/ Trying to find out the meaning/ Smoking loud then I watch it rise to the ceiling/ Can’t explain how I’m feeling/ Young n***a slicker than a Turpentine Lamborghini” goes the hook of the twelfth record, the one record that strikingly stands out as it boasts a lo-fi quality opposed to the hi-fi production style that we’ve been accustomed to so far. Levi Cartier’s flow is probably the only ingredient that feels familiar on this track. What will peak the audience’s interest is the way the rap artist addresses the narrative as if giving advice rather than reiterating his own experiences: “She trying to pay you/ Then don’t let her play with her nose/ Keep your game sharpened and cold/ Don’t get attached to her/ Get to the stacks, and then blow/ Don’t need a suit, just a code”. We’re willing to bet he’s directing this message towards his younger self.
Song Credits: Levi Cartier – songwriter, Angel Beatz – producer.
13. The Team
Despite us not expecting major changes towards the end of the project, Levi Cartier actually crowned his masterpiece of 13 tracks with an intricately-balanced song, The Team. We say balanced because it stands firm in its message, it exudes that IDGAF attitude without getting too graphic, it gets cocky but within reasonable limits, it obliterates traitors but not without giving props to family and real friends. No other record would have been more perfect for ending VI.III: VI Dibiaci. “I got my strap/ Right on my lap at every redlight/ Solo dis medical/ Just trying to get my head right/ Seen so much I sh*t I want to scream, and never switch up on the team/ And I, promise I’m gone thug it out/ I am thumbing until I die/ Foreva keep it gangster even/ Though my momma tried/ I’m just trying to make a profit/ If you want it I got it” The Team is remarkable in its musical and lyrical strength for it proudly sets in stone the album’s force and quality. In his ever-expansive artistry, Levi Cartier goes faster on the hook this time than on the verses. He also switches his signature flow to a more constant one in the 2nd part of verse 1: “Shook off the timid sh*t/ I clear my record of
blemishes/ And if I lose a fight we got run that back like Emmitt Smith/ And Slab that’s my big brother/ You can’t pay that h*e to switch on me/ They trying to separate what we done made/ You n****s tickle me” The melancholic piano tinges the song’s vibe with a sad undertone giving that much more potency to the rapper’s message. And props to the producer! Nothing to reproach.
Song Credits: Levi Cartier – songwriter, BG on the Track – producer.
Additional Credits: Hosted By The Real DJ Static; All Tracks were engineered by Drew Dixon; Mastered by Jeff of Session Works Studios
For a spiritual trip meshed with brute lyrical force, make sure you add VI.III: VI Dibiaci on Amazon HERE, on Apple Music HERE, and on Spotify below:
Written by Mariana Berdianu
Blue Rhymez Entertainment ©2020
Blue Rhymez Entertainment 