New Zealand born, Brisbane-bred rapper/producer Dos Dos has dropped his first single of the year, No Time. It’s a track that touches on something that is sadly all-too-common - the imposter syndrome that can plague those trying to navigate the music industry.

It’s a topic that people often don’t want to talk about, but many experience independently. At least from my perspective, there’s very much an expectation of how artists should behave when they’re trying to crack into the music industry - one that doesn’t necessarily lend itself to being genuine. Putting yourself out there through your music is exhausting enough - so the expectation to do this year-round can burn anyone out. There’s only so many gags an artist can crack on social media before the well runs dry.

No Time comes off the back of Dos Dos’ previous release Some, and comes as he sees himself becoming increasingly entrenched in Brisbane’s hip-hop scene. I recently wrote about Brisbane’s hip-hop scene for Cool Accidents, and found it interesting just how far above their relative population size they’re punching - Brisbane has been a hotbed of music for years, and this is quickly coming to include the next wave of rappers in Australia.

No Time is as much a moment of processing for Dos Dos as it is him opening up. His lyrics are deeply personal, and it’s nice to see an artist speaking out about the fact that rappers are expected to be a certain way in many instances - everyone has their own lane, and Dos Dos is embracing his.