From South Jersey, recording artist, rapper, and producer FirstNameDane releases a vibe and a half with his latest fresh, oven-baked single, "Lasagna."
When describing FirstNameDane's overall sound, one can imagine Kid Cudi vibes, Kanye refurbished beats, and Drake B-side bars. Although he had been rapping since 12 years old, music wasn't a priority until later in life. The sample-chopping, ski-mask-bearing recording artist is continuously sharpening his sound while actively finding his voice.
With his latest single, "Lasagna," FirstNameDane serves up some honest and heavy-hitting bars that take us through running themes in his life. After our first listen, FirstNameDane left us impressed with his skilled bar writing and passionate delivery, especially as he rides the smooth and savory sonic beat.
Taking a deeper listen to "Lasagna," the track opens with a haunting synth melody and crisp hi-hats. As the sultry and melodic beat drops into this warm and passionate r&b atmosphere, FirstNameDane makes his way in and brings the heat right off the bat. As he begins to sing about making his moves in silence and steering away from toxic love in the process, he makes his way into the first verse with heavy-hitting bars.
As FirstNameDane jumps into his rap, he takes us through various relatable scenes, from his upbringing to his continuous grind on the way to stardom. We can't get enough of the song's dark and sultry tone, especially as FirstNameDane makes his way to the outro while serving his lyrically powerful bars for us to savor.
Feed on some hot and fresh "Lasagna" with FirstNameDane's latest single, now available on all digital streaming platforms.
Thank you for joining us at BuzzMusic FirstNameDane. We adore the dark tones and mysterious feel of your latest single, "Lasagna." What inspired you to write this honest and lyrically powerful single?
I've always admired enigmatic artists like Prince, Frank Ocean, and The Weeknd. They seem like they lurk in the shadows, and then reveal these masterpieces of work as if it's as easy as cooking a Hot Pocket. Lasagna came together rather swiftly and easily because it was so honest and I had been lurking in the shadows for most of 2021.
Did you create the beat for "Lasagna?" What sort of vibe or atmosphere did you want the sonics to offer, and how did you go about creating it?
I usually produce or co-produce my work, but John Christinzio sent me the foundation of "Lasagna." I sent that to Ty Key and he "dressed it up and made it real for me", as Future would say. John made a banger and Ty took it to space. You can really feel the song's eerieness.
We must ask, what inspired the song's title, "Lasagna?" How does it correlate with the song itself?
I grew up on Mixtape Lil Wayne, arguably the greatest run in hip-hop. Wayne has a goofy line where he says, "Real G's move in silence like lasagna". The first line of the hook, and the song itself, is "I'm moving in silence, I get my game from real G's". It's an ode to one of my favorite artists and an immediate illustration of who I am as an artist and person. I'm just a quiet dude.
What ideas or messages did you want to get across to listeners with your bars in "Lasagna?" What did you want your audience to experience and take away?
The song really came together seamlessly because of my desire to remind listeners I can really rap. In comparison to a busy quarantined 2020, 2021 was silent for FirstNameDane. I wanted to make a statement on my return and offer another dimension of my artistry. This was also a song for other creatives. It's difficult to consistently share your art and be vulnerable. I hope the second half of my "Lasagna" verse serves as a musical version of the Shia LaBeouf "Just Do it!" meme.
Should we expect you to continue creating moody and darker-toned songs like "Lasagna?" Is this ambiance a staple for your music?
"Lasagna" reflected where I was emotionally and artistically that day. Will I have another moment where I feel the urgency to remind listeners and myself that I'm a bad man? Of course. Will I have another day at the studio where I'm in a dark place? Of course. Those songs will be made. I'm not sure they will be my calling card as an artist but being a creative who finds inspiration from experiences, I can't count on more songs like Lasagna.