Album Notes

The latest epic chapter in the sykophunk saga. D-O-E is uncompromising as he tackles social issues and current events in what he calls his "most important release ever." Covering a spectrum of both musical and vocal styles, this album is a showcase of sykophunk's evolution into a powerful weapon against the oppressive forces of society.

The album opens with a gritty, distorted rhyme intro over a dark trip hop beat, as D-O-E sets the mood for the relentless audio attack to come. The first single, "Everyone is a Hustler Now," addresses mainstream hip hop and the economy in an entertaining yet brutally honest way. Songs like "Green" and "Robo Sapien" use the attitudes of rap and hard rock to fight back against a crooked government, media brainwashing, and social inequality. The goth-rock inspired "Independent" is a cynical take on the struggles and successes of being an independent artist. "Always Be a Hater" provides a funky interlude spiced with humor, though D-O-E still manages to make piercing points with his witty style. With the final track, after more examples of forceful alternative hip hop and poetic spoken word over electro-ambient soundscapes, the album wraps up with the heartfelt, retrospective song "Life."

Be Middle Class or Die Trying is D-O-E's opus; a testament to the progression of the sykophunk genre and how far D-O-E has come as both an artist and a person.