Melbourne artists KILL Carter & Dann Dib join forces to bring the energy on ‘Ballin’’

Whether you’re stepping foot back in the club after months away from the dancefloor, or treating yourself to pure luxury, KILL Carter and Dann Dib have got the hype anthem sorted for you. Multifaceted Melbourne artist, producer and creative KILL Carter has returned with his first single of 2022, ‘Ballin’’, with fellow Burn City artist Dann Dib tapped to provide his signature charisma and confidence to the braggadocious track. The song follows up from Carter’s 2021 EP ‘EDEN’ with a wholly unique sound that is demonstrative of his adaptability and natural ability to procure a banger.

Seeing KILL Carter and Dann Dib come together in the lead-in to promote this release through a series of 1V1s and odes to sporting tropes set the tone for the energy and bravado we were set to get from this track. The match-up of a crunching bass and those delightfully bouncy drums establishes a flashy flavour to this track, one which sees Carter and Dann putting fist to chest and pumping up the listener with every self-assured bar they hit us with. It’s a song that thrives in allowing Carter and Dann to flow effortlessly with their delivery and snappy wordplay, with their tongue-in-cheek lyrics offering insight into the self-aware approach they’re taking on ‘Ballin’’. Lines like: “I ain’t tryna play around you better reassess, cause as you backing out I need a heat check” (Carter) and “If this my last dance, you can call me Michael Jordan” (Dann) are illustrative of the intricate and expert approach they take to achieving the fine line between cocky and self-effacing.

Contained within this track is a hefty range of wicked bars that speak to the playful approach Carter and Dann are taking with their wordplay. Furthermore, the video clip accentuates this, especially in a moment where Canberra’s YNG Martyr scuffs the backwards half-court shot and the crowd around him recreates the exaggerated reactions of the iconic ‘SUPA HOT FIRE!!’ rap battle that dominated every school in the mid-2010s. Moreover, the track’s trajectory is unpredictable, a factor which smartly leaves the audience second-guessing what’s to come. By switching between Carter’s hazy delivery in his opening verse and hook, to Dann’s calm and collected approach to his verse, and finally to Carter’s emphatic energy in the final verse it ensures that we as the listener are constantly kept coming back for more each and every time. There is a greater depth to this rowdy track, and Carter and Dann have struck the right balance with aplomb.

Words by Matthew Badrov