It’s graduation season for Femi Adigun and millions of students across the country. But a Bachelors degree in Biological Science isn’t the only thing the DePaul graduate is currently celebrating. With diploma in hand, the Chicago-bred alumni/emcee, better known as Femdot also finally released his long-awaited album, Delacreme 2.
The 13-track project is the follow-up to the original Delacreme, which dropped in 2013. Back then, Femdot was at the transformative age of 18 and getting ready to start college at Penn State University. In retrospect, his raps were wide-eyed and too lenient on his influences, but the music was still gravitating due to its ambition and earnestness. In 2018, he is opening a new, cathartic chapter with a heightened sense of maturity but with the same passion for rhyming and honesty.
Between the two Delacremes, Femdot’s life had its twist and turns. In order to pursue music more seriously, he moved back to Chicago, transferred to DePaul University to continue his studies and last year he signed with indie label Closed Sessions. All this and more was documented throughout short EPs that allowed his following to grow and for him to find his voice. 2014’s King Dilla provided an outlet for a more confident alter-ego while the numerical series —thr(we), fo(u)r, to(u) and (u)no–expanded his sonic palette as well as flows repertoire.
The growth is undeniable in Delacreme 2. Here, Femi is more experienced and, with countless verses written and rewritten, lyrically sharper. Pair that up with bigger and better resources he’s attained over the years and you have one of the most cohesive and exciting projects out of Chicago.
The opener, “Lost,” asks out loud “could I trust you with all of me?” And it’s unclear if he’s directing the question to the listener or to himself. Regardless, before either of us is too frightened to say no, Femdot delivers 45 minutes worth of confessions and societal analysis.
By the time we arrive at the outro, Femdot has unearthed his deepest insecurities and fears, scarred his hubris and exposed his dreams. All this in an earnest effort to find himself, empathize with those around him and help them tell their stories as well. On Delacreme 2, Femdot fully proves that he is content within himself and ready to take the world on, on his terms.