Drrt Gang delivers a track that demands attention. “ART OF SELF MED” hits with precision and intent, inviting you to listen closely and catch every detail.
ART OF SELF MED
The production on this track serves as a deep, resonant space for reflection. The complexity of the arrangement—especially around the 2:09 mark as requested, where the beat shifts or a particularly impactful sequence of bars lands—suggests a moment of profound realization. It is where the listener is invited to meditate on the space between the hustle and the stillness. This is the heart of the group’s mission, showing that their freedom is found in the depth of their artistry, not the width of their reach.
To listen to Drrt Gang—the collective of Shahrukh Masnad, Jo, DrrT9, and Razin emerging from Dhaka, Bangladesh—is to witness the sonic cartography of a movement. They aren’t simply making music; they are actively working to place Bangladesh on the international Hip-Hop industry map, creating sounds based on mood rather than genre. This ambition is a heavy weight, a creative calling that demands a certain duality of confidence and vulnerability. The singles “ART OF SELF MED” and “TAKA ৳” are the two sides of the same coin: the self-assured swagger needed to capture attention, and the quiet internal reflection required to survive the spotlight.
Hip-Hop in Dhaka has always been a vessel for social expression and a reflection of the city’s pulse, a tradition rooted in the early 90s with groups using rap to address political and social realities. Drrt Gang stands in this lineage, but they speak in the language of the modern, globally connected independent artist.
“TAKA ৳” (Taka being the currency of Bangladesh) carries the undeniable energy of a group focused on their worth. It is a track about staking a claim, about the hustle, about the tangible validation that allows an independent vision to thrive. In this context, confidence is more than ego; it is the necessary shield. It is the bold, undeniable energy required to cut through a saturated global music market and force the listener’s ear toward a sound born thousands of miles away. It is the poetic refusal to be overlooked.
But what is the cost of constantly performing this level of taka (worth) in an age of constant visibility?
The real introspection arrives with “ART OF SELF MED.” The music industry today demands not just great art, but an endless stream of content. Artists are expected to be masters of their craft, producers of their work, and marketers of their entire lives, often leading to a profound social media burnout. The independent artist, working to put an entire culture on the map, is uniquely susceptible to this exhaustion.
This track is the audible search for an antidote to that pressure. It is the moment when the bravado of the stage fades, and the artist is left alone with the weight of expectation. “ART OF SELF MED” is the recognition that true self-mastery lies not just in the relentless pursuit of success, but in the deliberate art of self-preservation. It is the quiet commitment to the craft over the metrics, the dedication to the internal landscape over the external scroll.
The duality here is a profound, necessary tension: the group must be confident enough to demand the world listen, yet vulnerable enough to retreat and protect the wellspring of their creativity. Drrt Gang’s sound, which flows based on a mood, is their self-medication—a way to ensure that the music remains a source of genuine expression rather than a factory for content. By focusing on mood, they protect their ability to delve into different sounds and melodies, preserving the creative core that made them exceptional in the first place. This is a crucial lesson for every creative working under the digital microscope: the greatest revolution is often the one we wage quietly against our own exhaustion.
TAKA ৳
This track is kinetic energy defined. It is built for motion, a relentless beat reflecting the non-stop necessity of the independent grind. The delivery is sharp, confident, and direct, cementing their identity and cultural influence. It functions perfectly as the declaration of arrival, a statement that the work—and their culture—must be paid attention to.
To amplify the crucial cultural message Drrt Gang is carrying, future releases could benefit from the inclusion of more distinctively regional melodic elements or instrumentation. While the current trap sound is internationally accessible, leaning into the unique sounds of Dhaka in a more prominent way—perhaps in an extended bridge or outro—would ground the art deeper in the movement they are championing. Sonically, they have the confidence; now is the moment to showcase the full poetic depth of their roots.
If it resonates, share it, comment, and let others in on the energy. This is music meant to be heard, discussed, and passed on.
