Digga D’s soul-stirring new mixtape, Back To Square One, is both a heartfelt ode to his roots and a sincere portrayal of evolution and growth. It’s fair to say that the notorious young star has had a tumultuous past and, with this project, he paints a picture of the crossroads that he has reached, torn between maturity and introspection, and his reckless, hot-headed youth. But despite his chequered past, he has become a pioneer in UK drill. As he settles into his early 20s, Digga is building a book of wisdom with lessons learnt from all corners of his colourful life; Back To Square One is a chapter of this coming-of-age story as it unfolds.
Digga D serves up a stunning opening to the mixtape with the mesmerising track, “Fighting for My Soul”, where he takes the posture of a rapper with wisdom well beyond his years. The meaningful lyrics and intimate delivery are full of depth and introspection as Digga explores topics of vulnerability, faith and protecting his energy. In the mixtape thereafter, we are guided through a dynamic but cohesive collection of tracks, with subject matter varying from playful sparring, brazen sensuality, shameless flexing, humble faith and hard-hitting truths about life on the streets.
Two singles were already released earlier in the year with a great reception: first, the hit track, “Energy” sees Digga doing what he does best, leaning into his quintessential ad libs and effortless flows, followed by a striking collaboration with Potter Payper in “Façade”. In the mixtape, Digga also forms a match made in heaven with M Huncho in “Baby Mum’s Crib”, venturing into slick vocals and R&B sonics.
Digga D changes lanes to traverse the realms of hip hop in some stand-out tracks: “I’m From…” with its mouth-wateringly infectious hook; the slick, show-stopping beat of “Soft Life” which will get you up out of your seat; and “Bine On Em”, where he samples Luniz’s iconic “I Got 5 On It”, taking an old-school classic and making it his own. This game isn’t new to Digga, who seems to have mastered the art of fusing new-school British rap with old-school American hip hop. Perhaps this is modern music at its finest, when it stands on the shoulders of golden classics from the past, reworking and reimagining timeless recipes.
But Digga makes sure to go back to his core drill roots with hard-hitting, “DTF” and tongue-in-cheek, “F*ck Drill”, reminding us that he can run circles around his peers as a UK drill trailblazer. After all, as he poignantly states in the mixtape’s breath-taking trailer: “drill is not me – I am drill.” In the confronting song, “Me And Kinz”, the rapper tells a dark story of street violence, further portraying the haunting life stories that have moulded his art. We also see Digga spit further truths, being his headstrong self in tracks like, “Burn Bridges” and recently released single “Kindness for Weakness”, where he audaciously calls out fakeness in the industry.
A surprisingly tender moment comes in the sobering penultimate track, “Cherish God More”, where Digga opens up about the need for gratitude and faith as he battles with trials, tribulations and losses. And in the closing song, Digga digs deep again, winding down with an introspective monologue where he acknowledges his position as a role model, whilst reminding us that he’s still learning and growing too. He takes time to unapologetically double down on his decision to continue rapping about weapons and violence because that’s his truth, and all he can tell is his story.
In Back To Square One, Digga has chosen to shine a light on the highs and the lows of his life and career, paying homage to all of the different versions of himself. He both draws us in and pushes us away, with the final words of the mixtape being: “Don’t worry about me, worry about you.” Perhaps the further layers of vulnerability and intimacy that we’re missing will be unveiled with more time and growth; let’s hope so, because when Digga D truly lets us in, his music will strike an even deeper chord. But overall the body of work is versatile and fulfilling with high-quality production, satisfying vocals and faultless bars; at times deeply moving, at times youthfully playful, and at times simply a joy to the ear. Built on the foundation of chart-topping work and unprecedented success, for Digga, this fourth project is mixtape to be proud of.