May 11, 20212 min read

#DojoForever

Updated: Jun 2, 2022

Video filmed and edited by Hidden Vibes Media

"Took a chance to be a rapper / I had 10 days."

from 'Progress,' SK Da Sensei

Dojo Productions is a Midwest collective committed to skillful self-expression. Founder, and now co-president SK Da Sensei is originally from Chicago.

The Dojo has one of the most authentic hip - hop coming to life stories that I’ve heard in a long time. SK remembers starting to rap as a hobby during hotbox sessions in the city with friends before ever considering becoming a rapper. Encouraged to rethink the hobby into a career, SK built the Dojo brand taking inspiration from Japanese values and aesthetics from the Samurai period. After starting school at the University of Illinois, one by one, he met the artists, producers, and creatives who makeup Dojo’s lineup today.

As is apparent from the first Dojo track you hear throughout their discography, this collective has some highly talented individuals. This year they’re focused on developing the brand and reach of each individual artist to grow the online presence of the collective. The descriptors that come to my mind when listening to their music are: lyrical, refreshing, and authentic. They are cut from the cloth of artists who use hip hop to display unrivaled lyrical, rhetorical skill. The metaphors, similes, and punchlines draw you in, and the commitment to authenticity keeps you wanting more. -ZEN