Forget fairy tales. “Catacombs,” the latest drop from MrZnote and DirtyWhite, makes no secret of being nothing but honest. A throbbing beat and a razor-blade delivery, and this track doesn’t walk, it stomps straight into the underworld full of swagger, attitude, and just a little bit of chaos.
“Catacombs” introduces a gritty feeling that plays like a late-night showdown between bass and bars. MrZnote comes in hot, part prophet, part neighborhood anti-hero, and delivers his words as cool and slick as they are sinister. There is a comfort about his confidence, the vague sense of assurance you only ever feel around someone who is just as likely to save your life and scorch you. DirtyWhite comes up with lines that land like a cheap shot in a backroom brawl. The chemistry between these two is palpable, they’re not competing with one another, they’re creating something filthy together. Something unapologetic. Something alive.
This track is not concerned with mainstream gloss or playlist politics. It resides in the shadows and keeps busy on the margins, where you can still smell the smoke and hear the echoes of basement shows and bootleg beats. “Catacombs” isn’t an escape act, it’s a confrontation of darkness with a grin and a middle finger. There is also an unmistakable MrZnote wink buried somewhere amidst the unrest. Suppose you listen closely enough, beyond the drumbeats made of pumping blood and the subterranean synths.