Inside The Credits 040: Dahi
The Lasting Presence of Dahi
There was a three step process for Dahi, formerly known as DJ Dahi, to reach his career peak. He produced early on for Southern California blog era phenoms Pac Div and Dom Kennedy, step one and two, resulting in classic mixtape records like “Posted” and “My Type Of Party.” Then in 2012, Dahi laid an instrumental that would catapult his career into the ether, for what now feels like an everlasting eternity. To me, a top five moment from Kendrick Lamar’s “The Pop Out” show, post his Drake battle, was when Jay Rock came out for “Money Trees.” This song, with its beat by Dahi, has stood the test of time. Seeing the two Black Hippy affiliates take a victory lap onstage atop its canvas of sonic prowess felt emotional. Dahi may never make a beat as impactful for the rest of his career, yet with a monumental peak so early it’s incredible how lasting his musical legacy has become. Dahi never seemed to feel like he needed to reach that pinnacle again because, in fact, when the song dropped, as great as it was, its timeless essence seamlessly blended into the world of Kendrick’s album surrounding it.
Dahi is the perfect producer to close out my first year of Inside The Credits posts due to how much of a presence he has in the shadows, until he pops out and truly reveals his worth. His camouflage-like impact is, in fact, his legacy. When you look back at his catalog he has a plethora of what you could call hits. Yet, somehow he isn’t referred to in enough conversations about the top producers of the last decade plus. This, I think, is due to how cleverly he plays the background. His reclusive mastery on tracks for nearly fifteen years makes it feel like his music has always been laced through my psyche, even if his presence never quite reached my frontal lobe, until now. While traversing his credit history, I was stunned at the sheer volume of moments where his instrumentals had an impact on my ears and life. “Money Trees” always felt like it scored my 2012 feeling of wanting to make money from my art. I was training to do just that in my college theater program, pursuing a dream I no longer hold. When Kendrick and Jay Rock reminisced and fantasized upon Dahi’s dreamlike sequences, it probably happened because the instrumental sounded like their imaginations coming alive. No other beat I’ve ever heard captures that feeling so specifically, yet for Dahi, this was just his entrypoint.
Dahi’s hypnotic instrumental spurred classic rap lines from Kendrick and Jay Rock like, “Hot sauce all in our Top Ramen, ya bish. Park the car, then we start rhymin', ya bish. The only thing we had to free our mind. Then freeze that verse when we see dollar signs,” and “In the streets with a heater under my Dungarees. Dreams of me gettin' shaded under a money tree.” So naturally, right after “Money Trees,” he made a beat for Drake that had the same result. Dahi’s pulsating beat for “Worst Behavior” in 2013 spurred Drake’s classic sequence of lyrics, “Bar mitzvah money like my last name Mordecai, Fuck you bitch, I'm more than high, My momma probably hear that and be mortified, This ain't the son you raised who used to take the Acura 5 a.m. then go and shoot Degrassi up on Morningside.” When I heard these bars in college, they perfectly encapsulated the sentiment I held of breaking out of being the innocent kid my mother raised. Dahi’s swirling drums and strange sample sounds gave Drake just enough room for braggadocio and self awareness. Upon each album release from Kendrick and Drake, their Dahi produced tracks acted as their third or fourth biggest records rather than being standouts like “Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe” and “m.A.A.d city” or “Started From The Bottom” and “Hold On We’re Going Home.” This allowed Dahi to act as the background secret weapon rather than the catalyst for instant classic status.
2014 was an essential year for Dahi that resulted in an end of year first: a front and center smash hit. He began by producing arguably Schoolboy Q’s best festival set record ever in “Hell Of A Night.” I remember that song coming on in my car on shuffle years later re-reminding me of how great it was. A classic Dahi sleeper slap. Then he dropped “Hearses” by Smoke DZA feat. Ab-Soul and “Babylon” by SZA feat. Kendrick Lamar, which served as back to back catalog entries proving his prowess in backing silky melodies. With those records Dahi shifted his hip hop ethereal soundscapes into more alt r&b laden arrangements. Next came “Mamacita” by Travis Scott feat. Rich Homie Quan and Young Thug, which was by all means a dynamic lead single but not the true breakout for Scott which would come later on his track “Antidote.” The Dahi produced western guitar laced heater, was the first Travis Scott song that proved just how universal he would become. I sent my best friend Days Before Rodeo introducing him to his lasting Travis Scott fandom, so it will always hold importance to me. Then Dahi produced two undeniably underrated songs on what I consider to be Big Krit’s best studio album, Cadillactica. His production on the title track and “Third Eye” showed how he could bring out both of the best parts of Krit: speaker rattling spacial trunk music and smooth southern twinged love songs.
The culmination of the year as a whole though, came in the form of J. Cole’s legacy-defining hit off his opus, 2014 Forest Hills Drive, “No Role Modelz.” The thing about this classic production is the song isn’t necessarily centered around it, so Dahi still sort of played the background. There are other songs on the Cole album like “G.O.M.D” and “A Tale Of 2 Citiez” that had standout beats that people immediately praised. But it’s important to point out just how good of an instrumental Dahi concocted. The background alluring synth sequence holds the whole song together and sounds like a sonic back of the mind reminder for Cole to not fall for the life of sin that he raps about. Then the build of atmospheric cacophony in the hook is what truly makes the song anthemic.
In 2015, Dahi jumped out to the immediate forefront for the first time. “I Don’t Fuck With You” is still probably Big Sean’s most universal record that has received as much praise for its beat as its content. Dahi’s offering to the overall arrangement though, is most likely weaved into the beat’s underbelly. You immediately hear where Kanye’s chipmunk soul sample chops come into play as well as Mustard’s bounce (two also credited producers on the track). If I had to guess, Dahi’s work is the glue actualized by a looming synth/bell pattern that feels like it was grabbed straight out of the Star Trek enterprise. He couldn’t help but to weave in rather than stand out. Next, Dahi returned to his natural habitat producing quintessential album tracks on Vince Staples’ early classic record Summertime 06. This album makes me think of my first year in New York trying to be an actor. I would play it as I woke up early for auditions and commuted on the subway. Dahi’s singular production style shined specifically on three tracks, “Lift Me Up,” “Birds & Bees” feat. Daley, and “Lemme Know” feat. Jhene Aiko. These songs proved how Dahi could balance three textures simultaneously: smooth, grainy, and gloomy. This helped perfectly capture Vince’s melancholy playfulness.
Dahi also went back to working with Travis Scott in 2015 on what many consider to be the best instrumental on his debut studio album Rodeo. “90210” feat. Kacy Hill is not a single from the project, but is the track that left the most lasting impression on the expansion of the Travis Scott sound. Dahi helped Scott create a universe on this song of lust, adventure, and haze via synth layering, bassline sequencing, and sleek transitions. While Rodeo isn’t one of my personal favorite Scott projects, that track is easily one of the most memorable that I played relentlessly in my earbuds. Lastly, in 2015, Dahi played a key role on Mac Miller’s GO:OD AM, the project that solidified my fandom. Dahi was able to prove the range he could provide for Mac’s palette with his softness on “ROS” and his kaleidoscopic verve on “Jump.”
2016 had Dahi traversing a few different genres and energies. He produced “U With Me?” for Drake proving his affinity for moody and toxic musings, “Drug Dealers Anonymous” for Pusha T & Jay-Z displaying his ability to weave his atmospheric sounds into stark coke rap arrangements, and “Cinderella” for Mac Miller and Ty Dolla $ign showing how effortlessly his winding grooves supported songs about romance. All of these tracks acted as intriguing offerings to me that year even if they weren’t my absolute favorite songs. However, Dahi’s production on Banks’ album The Altar in 2016, particularly on the track “Haunt,” was a different story. I remember making a best of Banks playlist a year or two ago and being struck by how much I felt I had missed that song on my initial album listen. It is easily my favorite track from that project now due to Dahi being ahead of his time production-wise. Banks is the peak of the femme fatale sound to me, even with all the other singers who have garnered more acclaim. “Haunt” uses jungle adjacent sonics and swirling vocal samples to chronicle the internalized chaos of toxic romance. This type of record feels like it could’ve dropped in 2022 and still felt progressive. Yet, Dahi was helping Banks make something that Billie Eilish would’ve been praised for in her rise years before it happened.
The year of 2017 for Dahi was all about his work on Kendrick Lamar’s Damn. The best album of that year was held together by Dahi’s work that never quite made the forefront headlines, but absolutely made the album flourish. His work on “YAH,” “LOYALTY” feat. Rihanna, “LUST,” “XXX” feat. U2, and “GOD,” can’t be underestimated. Dahi provided essential background sounds to key points in the narrative. The themes of fate and purpose, and what core beliefs lead to those things being fulfilled, were supported by Dahi’s elaborately filtered and warped synths. Knowing these were the songs that Dahi worked on makes me feel like his sonic voice was one that spurred Kendrick to enter a sphere of reflection and analysis. This co-aligned with my personal state that year as I was really beginning to settle into adulthood and trying to figure out what that really meant.
While Dahi in 2018 produced immaculate tracks that impacted my psyche like “SIRENZ I Z1RENZ” by Denzel Curry feat. JID as well as “a lot” feat. J. Cole and “monster” feat. Childish Gambino by 21 Savage, his work on Mac Miller’s opus Swimming is what was truly everlasting. That album is, to this day, one of my favorites of all time and I listen to it every single time I fly on a plane. Interestingly enough, upon my first listen to the album I wasn’t really intrigued until I heard the Dahi produced track “Jet Fuel.” What struck me about it was how the beat organically brought reggae tones into Mac’s sphere, allowing him to poetically muse on the gray areas of perseverance. It felt so tied to the contemplations I had, at the time, about trying to navigate all my passions and life trajectories and feeling continually bogged down by the lack of progression. It made the rest of the album come alive for me upon my second full listen. I’ve never, before or since, had that same experience with an album and Dahi had so much to do with that. Upon my second, third, and fourth listen, another song that struck me most was “Self Care,” another Dahi gem. I’m not sure I could’ve identified then why it connected with me so deeply, but now I know it was because I needed to hear someone my same age acknowledge the need to really look at yourself and understand why you feel the way you do in your mind. I wouldn’t truly do that until years later. Dahi presents Mac on the song in a bubble of sound through his synth work and vocal sample braiding. The bubble makes it feel like the whole song exists within the confines of Mac’s psyche, which connects it to the core of my heart strings.
In 2019 and 2020 Dahi produced “BULLIES” for Baby Keem and “Bi Fren” for Omar Apollo displaying two sides of his melodic spectrum of production ability. But in that time frame the production he did that really stood out to me was for Childish Gambino’s 3.15.20. That album would more officially come out under the title Atavista in 2024, but I will always be way more attached to that original version. It is the only album I’ve heard that captured what the pandemic felt like. Its imperfections were actually what made it so alluring. Dahi’s production superpowers of making sonic clouds and sunlight intertwine made him the perfect craftsman to develop that sound. The pandemic was all about the simultaneous feelings of despair and enlightenment, a line only Dahi could musically straddle with true expertise.
2021 all felt like a build up to the epicness of Dahi’s 2022. He gave Brent Faiyaz and Tyler the Creator an alternative bounce for their single “Gravity” and gave Don Toliver and Kali Uchis eerie synth wonders for their single “Drugs N Hella Melodies.” He also gave both Yebba and Maxo Kream distinct open rhythms for their shifting tracks “Louie Bag” feat. Smino and “What I Look Like” feat. Freddie Gibbs. But his peak that year was on three essential songs on Baby Keem’s album The Melodic Blue, which served as slick and quick moments of openness and vulnerability he needed amongst his overarching youthful head full of steam.
Dahi’s produced two crucial singles in 2022 for Smino and Ab-Soul which provided vulnerable groove laden canvases. Yet, the core substance of his work came on vital tracks within three extraordinary bodies of work. On Vince Staples’ opus Ramona Park Broke My Heart, Dahi took his and Vince’s previous work on Summertime 06 and made that sparse melancholy smoother and more full. Dahi’s finesse allowed for Staples to rap with as effortless a glide as he’s ever procured on “PAPERCUTS” and “DJ QUIK.” That album is directly connected to a trip I took to London for my 30th birthday. Like Summertime 06 reminds me of NY subway commutes, Dahi’s work on Ramona Park Broke My Heart reminds me of trips into Central London on the Overground.
Next came Dahi’s indispensable contributions to Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. Just like Dahi’s work aligned with my early subconscious thoughts about my mental health on Mac Miller’s Swimming, it aligned directly with me going to therapy on Mr. Morale. “Count Me Out,” produced by Dahi, was my favorite song of 2022 because of the way the instrumental lifted Kendrick’s verses about not letting himself get in his own way any longer. Now I know the direct connection between that song and “Jet Fuel,” as they both equally express how I feel about the need to be kinder to myself in my head through affirmations. Dahi has inadvertently soundtracked my path to healing. His production on the Mr. Morale album closer “Mirror” even feels like the culmination of that journey. Dahi’s crescendo of percussion and synths feels like when I finally told my inner child he is worthy of belonging and allowed to not know all of the answers.
Dahi’s final 2022 project he provided magic on was Steve Lacy’s Gemini Rights. This is where he arranged futuristic tracks similar to his work with Banks six years prior. “Mercury” sounds like it’s coming out of a space station studio filled with Brazilian bossa nova musicians. On “Buttons,” Dahi brought the essence of The Who’s Quadrophenia, combined it with acoustic songs by Muse, and then added in synths out of a Stanley Kubrick film soundtrack. Both songs are fusions unlike anything else I’ve heard and neither were the standout hits of the Lacey album, just like Dahi likes it.
After making perhaps the most enthralling pure r&b song of his career in “Sexual Love” for Maeta and James Fauntleroy in 2023, Dahi made three songs this year that lit up my ears, and also happen to be the best songs on each of their respective albums. The first was “In The Night” by Childish Gambino feat. Jorja Smith and Amaarae off Gambino’s album Bando Stone And The New World. This song feels like the pinnacle result of all Dahi has learned about what kind of hit record he can make. He used synths, open percussion, and vocal layering to blend the best of the silky melodic patterns available from each vocalist featured. It’s Gambino’s best pure single since “Redbone.” Next came “Love Is Blind” by Ravyn Lenae, one of her lead singles off her album Bird’s Eye. She sounds the most like a fairy of any singer in music right now and Dahi’s musical palette is perfect for surrounding that sound. The melodic sequences he made with plucked synths clearly spurred her most sticky lines. Lastly, “Old Life” is my favorite song ever by the Toronto folk singer Mustafa and was one of his lead singles off his album Dunya. He has such a specific vocal tone that needs Dahi’s bright yet solemnly emotive instrumental sequences in order to get the perfect texture combination. Dahi helped Mustafa achieve a new type of dynamism to uplift his depth.
While certain producers in the last decade have been dubbed the greatest of an era, I think you could make an argument that Dahi has become the most lasting. I also think that may just have to do with my personal taste. I can’t think of a producer who’s been with me as consistently as I personally developed my preferences as an adult. I think in writing my first 40 Inside The Credits posts this year, all along I’ve been searching for the producer who’s catalog held the most worth in my life. It took so long to find him because Dahi makes instrumentals that are always within my purview, but never separate themselves as their own entity. Dahi is always producing in service of the vocalist’s vision, it seems. By chronicling his career, I’ve realized just how much the purpose of this platform is eulogizing the artists who do just that. There is a sacred art to building sonic support systems and the producers who do that the best are heroic.
Inside The Credits 040: Dahi- The Playlists