Deca - “Tuning”

SXSW 2023 - OEB Score: 7; Popularity Index: 7

Pairs Well With…Homeboy Sandman, Del the Funky Homosapien, Oddisee 

A rapper’s rapper, Deca is an expert of wordplay, weaving complex rhyme schemes while barely allowing break to even take a breath. Rhyming over chilled-out soul beats, Deca’s songwriting and flow is studied and precise. The NYC artist has been at it for over a decade, prolifically sharing a wide catalog leading to his ninth full-length in 2022, Smoking Gun. He isn’t one to stretch into unfamiliar territory, rather Deca continually hones a head-bopping, indie rap style that is reflective of the great wordsmiths of the past few decades. His lyrics are the type that could be color-coded with multiple rhyme schemes occurring all at one, cooly smooth while performed with expert-level ability. Deca performs at SXSW Friday night at Shangi-La for Dirty Looks, a twenty-minute set right before recent collaborator Homeboy Sandman. (Kevin McStravick)