Dabin, also known as DPR LIVE disses former DPR member Scott, DPR REM, on his new album Giggles.
The much anticipated release of Giggles is marked as Dabin’s first album release under his new company CTYL, as well as being the first release since his temporary departure from label DPR and name change.
The 13 track album leaves plenty of room for curious fans as following its release fans took to social media to decipher what truly transpired within DPR, with it being revealed that Scott had scammed the crew. Let’s look at what actually occurred and what caused its members to part ways with the famous namesake.
TIMELINE OF EVENTS
On January 12, 2023, Scott announced via his X account that he was stepping down from his management position in Dream Perfect Regime. His reasons at the time of the departing were that he was going through mental health issues and would be focusing more on his artistic endeavors.
Notably, during this time, no other DPR member released any statements about the matter, or even publicly shared their well wishes for Scott, causing fans to start becoming suspicious. However, many believed this to be a temporary situation until he got back on track.
The only true hint that was given to fans was a lengthy Instagram post by Dabin on February 22, 2023, thanking everyone who participated in the making of The Regime Tour, which included a list of the artists and staff with Scott’s name nowhere to be found. On that same day, Scott took to X to excuse his absence from the public saying he was going through a “super reflective time.” This was followed by him removing DPR from all of his social media handles, and archiving all of his posts on Instagram.
During a festival appearance in September 2023, Dabin gave hints to fans that something would be coming, causing them to speculate what this could be. This announcement through an Instagram Live was of the then-30 year old DPR Live, temporarily taking a break from activities under DPR, to promote under his new label CTYL under his birth name Dabin. It is during this live he thanked DPR Ian and DPR Cream for helping him “muster up the courage” to make this decision, noting another absence of Scott’s name.
Dabin's Lyrics
Dabin’s first pre-release single “Till I Live” dropped on October 18, 2023, and rumors regarding the reason for REM’s sudden departure were sparked once again.
Lyrics such as: “you hide behind the lie called ‘family’” and “Now, where's all our blood-soaked money,” hinted towards possible money issues within the company. However, later on in the song fans interpreted “But for you ‘shhh’ I kept quiet,” as a reference to the Scott’s past account handle of REM (ShhhKim).
Excerpt of the English translation:
Stacks mula dough and cheese
For this I hustled
Worked day and night for us always
As always, you hide behind the lie called "family"
Having peeled off that mask
I have finally seen your-
Damn, curiosity killed a rat
We've been everywhere and back
Who put DPR on the map?
We all did it for the pack
We all giggled so you'd laugh
Now, where's all our blood-soaked money
Motherfucker where is it at?
In the end you are a disappointment
[…]
Spit out the money you took, motherfucker
You pest motherfucker
Give me back my twenties, motherfucker
Before I kill you, motherfucker
Is what I wanted to tell you
But for you ‘shhh’ I kept quiet
Following “Till I Live” came "Tic Tac?" in January 2024, a track that further hinted at the betrayal and financial misconduct by his former colleague. With a lyric saying “Anyways, I hate scammers,” these thinly veiled references sparked speculation among fans, further igniting heated online discussions and a need for the truth to be out.
Fast forward to the full release of Dabin’s full album Giggles two days ago, January 23, 2024, the sixth track “WMP freestyle” is at the centre of attention. Dabin is now making it clear who he was referring to, and directly mentions Scott’s name. The lyrics go:
“Sold my voice in return for more trust
than a trust fund, that I earned
but what’s the point of honor
when these fuckers fuck with your money
having no consent, you used my money
now we’re at different paths.”
[…]
“With words like ‘us’ and ‘team,’
you used to try and restrict and control us but nah nah.
that don't work around here bitch.”
[…]
“Why do my brothers bleed for what you’ve done? Shit
pause it, need deposits”
[…]
“Going to REM sleep, lunatic”
Finally, all doubts were put to rest when a recording from the Giggles release party that captured him saying "F*ck REM" during the live performance of this song circulated on social media.
Scott, REM, as implied by the song and the situation, is accused by Dabin of scamming him out of money, as well as negatively interfering in the business of the entirety of DPR.
If the previous clues were insufficient, DPR fans now clearly understood the message that Dabin had been trying to deliver all along and didn’t hesitate to declare their absolute support for the remaining DPR members.
Yet, while fans expressed disappointment in the former’s decisions, some were left confused as to why some of their favorite DPR Ian songs were seemingly produced by Scott as he was listed in the credits.
Scott’s credits are now in the process of being removed on various platforms.
While fans have been trying to piece together the situation, fans came across past comments made by Korean-American rapper Dumboundead about DPR. A recent clip from his Instagram live re-emerged on X, where he openly asserts that within the industry, it's widely known that, aside from Dabin, the “whole crew (...) are absolutely terrible people.”
Scott's Response
Where is Scott amid these revelations? The former DPR member had been quiet across all social media platforms until January 25, 2024, in which decided to post a lengthy Notes app apology. In this note he addresses it to Dabin directly, hoping that this, “becomes a step in healing as well as reconnecting.”
In his apology he admits to his lack of leadership explaining, “I apologize for my stubbornness and pride, my inability and lack of communication within my leadership, but most of all, my failure in being a trusted friend and brother to you.”
Scott once again came forward to address allegations of false song credits, clarifying that the error was not intentional and vowing to rectify the situation:
WMP freestyle Producer DAVIDOR has also inserted himself into the discussion by hinting that there is potentially more of this coming soon:
“Thank you all for listening. Trust me when I say we barely begun scratching the surface. Soon Come”
The recent DPR controversy has caused a rift among fans, eliciting varying responses. The DPR feud serves as a stark reminder of the complexities and challenges inherent in the music industry. What do you make of this situation?
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