Kash Doll released her highly anticipated project with DJ Drama, a Gangsta Grillz mixtape, Back On Dexter, on Friday (February 10). The mixtape features Icewear Vezzo, Peezy, Payroll Giovanni, Sada Baby, YN Jay, Baby Money and more.
Kash Doll, a native of Detroit, first came to prominence as an opener for Drake on his Summer Sixteen tour stop in The Motor City in 2016 after making a name for herself on the mixtape circuit.
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After releasing several songs, she signed a record deal with Republic Records and dropped her debut album Stacked in 2019.
Kash Doll spoke with HipHopDX about working with DJ Drama, being one of the few women to have her own mixtape as a part of the legendary series and breaks down some of her favorite songs from the mixtape.
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“I’m honored for sure to have Gangsta Grillz. I remember hearing Drama’s tapes coming up so, of course, I’m honored,” Kash Doll told HipHopDX. “I just felt like it was only right if I was about to drop a tape, and Drama was back to doing them, I felt like it was only right when the label put it together and I was just like, ‘Okay, let’s make happen.’”
“THE INTRODUCTION”
Produced by Joseph McFashion, “The Introduction” is Kash Doll’s reminder to everyone about her status in the game. Despite her time away, it’s evident in her catchy lyrics and rhythmic flow that she hasn’t lost a step.
“The lyrics behind the song are meant to keep everybody updated on who I am and where I’m at in my life,” she says of the track. “There are a lot of lyrics in there explaining everything like, ‘Pardon my postpartum I’m back.’ I’m talking about my last deal and just about a lot of things to keep people updated. So that’s where I was coming from on ‘The Introduction.’”
“ON THE FLO” F/ Sada Baby
“On the Flo” is Detroit slang that simply means “It’s about to go down.” Produced by $K, Musik MajorX, and Alex Beats, the track captures the “essence of the D” according to Kash Doll.
“’On the Flo’ is one of my favorites and it’s a saying that can mean a couple of things. It’s just like, if you say, ‘We want to do such and such.’ Bet. It’s ‘On the Flo.’ That’s a song where I’m talking about getting money and talking shit. That’s what I love to do [laughs].”
“STRUGGLIN” F/ Lakeyah, Rmc Mike, Louti Ray & YN Ray
Another standout track on the mixtape is “Strugglin” featuring Rmc Mike, Louie Ray and YN Ray. The song is a Detroit-Flint alliance with some of her favorite collaborators. Kash Doll said she wanted to create a song where mic skills were on full display.
“‘Strugglin’ is with my Flint boys. Those are my guys right there. Flint is not too far from Detroit and they all come down and do a lot of records with Detroit rappers,” she said. “I just wanted to do something where it was on one of those fun beats where I can get on and ride you know what I’m saying? And I was talking crazy.”
“ADD IT UP” F/ Lakeyah
Speaking about “Add It Up,” Kash Doll expressed her excitement about the song and why she feels like there’s a lack of braggadocio rap in the game. She tapped fellow Detroiter Lakeyah to join her on the scorching hot track produced by Antt Beatz, Helluva and Joseph McFashion that she describes as a “Midwest banger.”
“Oh my God, that’s my song right there,” she said. “That made me feel good, that’s me. I like to talk shit like that. I like money. I like that money talk. I feel like there’s a drought of that in the game today. I love to talk about no money and boss bitches.”
“I don’t go back and forth with hoes. I don’t like that messy shit. That song does something to my soul,” she continued. “A lot of girls like to capitalize on the sexy and then a lot of girls kind of capitalize on the gangster talk so I was like, ‘Who else is in the area that can talk that talk with me?’ And that’s when we got Lakeyah. It’s a female boss anthem from the Midwest because we love talking about getting money.”
“ALL HYPE” F/ Babyface Ray & Tay B
Babyface Ray and Tay B accompany Kash Doll on “All Hype” which is produced by Damdooder and Joseph McFashion. She wanted to make another anthem for Detroit by having three of the city’s most highly regarded rappers on one track.
“When I started making the mixtape, I already had songs with both of them. I have a record with Babyface called “Allowance” and I have a record with Tay B called “Like, Whoa” and both of those songs are Detroit anthems. So we just all got together and Babyface Ray did his verse at the last minute. I walked in on him in the studio and said “Hey, man where my verse at? He went and did it right then and there. That song is for the culture.”
Stream Kash Doll’s Back On Dexterand let us know your favorite songs in the comments!
