Country Dons Show What They’re About On Debut Mixtape

Star Rating: 3.5/5

Country Dons are a U.K. Drill trio who have been making some noise for a few years now. Their debut single ‘Sticky Situations‘ was a massive hit, garnering over 17 million views on YouTube. This overnight fame has led to collaborations with SL and Charlie Sloth, and features on most of the famous freestyle platforms. Their recent ‘Plugged In,’ after less than 24 hours of release has over 100k views to date.

Through these link-ups, the trio of Rokky, BLAZE, and Maroc have built up a fan base. Now, they have finally dropped their debut full-length project. As they revealed in their interview with us back in March, they have brought versatility to this project.

‘Welcome To The Country‘ is exactly what it says on the tin, an insight into the world of Country Dons. At a length of just under 47 minutes and 14 tracks long, it doesn’t outstay its welcome. It’s packed full of bangers whether the U.K. Drill you expect from them or more Trap and Autotune influenced sounds. If you’re a fan of the group, you’re sure to be happy with how this mixtape has turned out.

Country Dons clearly have their influences, whether from idols like Blade Brown or the more melodic sound of people like M Huncho. But, this isn’t any copy-and-paste job. They use these influences to their advantage with a sprinkling of the trio’s confidence and catchy flows.

They kick things off with ‘Family‘ which opens proceedings nicely. The orchestral and grandiose production is a perfect start to the mixtape and fits the themes of trap life and wanting to shelter the women in their lives from that reality. The chorus was very catchy, reminding me of Australian drillers ONEFOUR, and was a great taste of what was to come.

‘Red Light‘ was another highlight early on, with its samurai movie-inspired production. The Country Dons matched the beat with their heavily autotuned delivery, with tales of showing the ‘Red Light‘ to certain people. The project does focus on these themes of trapping, women, and fame quite a bit which can get a bit monotonous at points.

For example, ‘Pull Up‘ (not their song with Charlie Sloth and Suspect OTB) while enjoyable feels like them running on autopilot with a beat that we’ve heard before. ‘I Know‘ also sees the Dons discussing similar themes of female relations and fake love, over an average piano production. These songs are fine but stop this project from going up to that next level.

Country Dons do show they have more to say on tracks like ‘Rockstars,’ which is an interesting insight into how pain can lead to a toxic lifestyle. The melancholic, piano Drill sound fits this topic and it shows the consequences of not dealing with your emotions.

They also show they can match a different style beat on tracks such as ‘Put In Work.’ The bouncy, head-bopping production sees them alter their flow and still create goodness. Lines like “Let me tell a story, no Balamory,” are an example of some of the enjoyable lyricism on the project. The Country Dons close nicely with another single ‘Drippers,’ that brings things into perspective. They are out to make money, not be famous calling out those who fake the lifestyle they lead. With a bouncy Trap production and similarly catchy verses, it’s a solid finale.

On this debut, Country Dons have shown their variety in influences and flows. They know how to make a earworm of a chorus, that grabs the listener and matches a beat’s tempo. Each member brings their own vibe to a track, keeping things fresh.

The themes of the songs can get a little repetitive, with some beats not standing out too much. But, as I said there is nothing bad and even on weaker moments you’ll get a nice verse or two. These guys have crafted a solid first effort, which with some fine tuning, could lead to something great.

Country Dons are on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok