Asher - An Upcoming Beacon of Triumph for the Rap Game
S.H.I.F.T OUT NOW
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S.H.I.F.T OUT NOW 〰️
Our favorite tracks:
C.H.A.N.G.E.S
F.A.D.E a.W.A.Y
C.O.N.T.E.M.P.L.A.T.I.N.G
Reasons to listen:
Raw emotionality you can feel through his voice
Dense rhyme structures that are complex yet decipherable
Variety of delivery techniques and styles keep it fresh and allow him to convey his message beyond words
Uplifting yet realistic approach towards struggle and grief
Incredible production throughout, especially with sampling
Listen to Asher here
It is rare to find an artist that is able to connect the raw, passionate emotion that Asher displays with the technical ability and lyricism found throughout the project. Even rarer is this union found alongside deeply creative production that pays homage to rap’s roots and foundations while interpolating and sampling it in innovative and fresh ways. These three attributes (emotion, technique, and production) form the core tenets of Asher’s artistry, and we will cover each in turn in order to fully explore the profound virtuosity he demonstrates in his debut album.
The first time Asher speaks on his most recent project, ‘S.H.I.F.T’, is on the second track ‘D.R.U.N.K I.N D.E.N.I.A.L’. He is, as the title may suggest, slurring his way through a brief two-minute tirade that slowly builds in intensity and fervor. With an intentionally loosely constructed flow and wildly varying pitches throughout, this track immediately makes clear several things about Asher: he is unafraid to experiment, devoted to authenticity, and capable of a rare level of self-reflection and honesty (as well as the ability to articulate and communicate what is learned from it). However, the third track, ‘C.O.N.T.E.M.P.L.A.T.I.N.G’, is where Asher truly begins to shine. Sampling ‘m.A.A.d city’ by Kendrick Lamar, he scrutinizes and reflects on his life and what he has been through - specifically, struggles with mental health and suicidality. As the track progresses, the listener comes to understand that the titular ‘contemplating’ is contemplating suicide by gunshot. He finishes with saying that God has saved his soul, and gave him the strength to not follow through, before sampling Robert Glasper alongside Kendrick. Asher covers the heavy and harrowing subject matter with the appropriate emotion - you can hear the raw energy and vulnerability in his voice as it cracks and shifts, responding to the increasingly heart wrenching developments as he tells the story. With his incredible vocal control, as well as an ability to let loose his natural emotions, he conveys the brutally hectic feelings of extreme anxiety and complete paranoia associated with his crisis. The track is a masterclass in representing one’s feelings through their delivery alone, though he is aided by immaculate mixing and vocal production. The next great example of his vehement emotionality through his delivery is found on the project’s highlight track ‘C.H.A.N.G.E.S’, where he samples Charles Bradley’s cover of Black Sabbath’s ‘Changes’. With Bradley’s gritty vocals providing a melodically rough backing texture to Asher’s own, he once again demonstrates his ability to convey feeling through delivery alone. This time, he is triumphant, celebrating the fact that he has overcome several intense hardships- including conquering cancer. Between his physical and mental struggles, his current presence both in this world and in the industry were by no means guaranteed, and you can hear the raw vehemence with which he has dedicated his life to grinding and laboring on his craft. Now, he has finally overcome the constantly shifting ground he previously stood on, and found solid foundations on which to launch a new career, and life. This mix of triumphant exaltation and determined dedication are powerfully conveyed through his voice alone.
However, there is more to Asher than just raw emotion and personal depth. His lyrics are not solely important for how he delivers them - what he says is just as crucial to his message. Never one for filler bars or wasted space in the notebook, Asher has constructed verse upon verse of direct yet profound lyricism that perfectly walks the line between complexity and accessibility. Beyond what has already been covered, other tracks with exceptionally strong lyrical content include ‘I N.E.E.D H.E.L.P’ and the album’s closer, ‘N.E.X.T C.H.A.P.T.E.R’. The former is a relatively lowkey yet hard-hitting voyage into Asher’s headspace, which covers his interpersonal relationships. One of the main subjects of the piece is the tragedy of his sister, who dealt with her own severe mental health struggles. With technically precise flows and lyrics that paint an in-depth picture of their relationship and her story, it is impossible not to feel Asher’s pain throughout. ‘N.E.X.T C.H.A.P.T.E.R’ bookends a chapter in his life and career - by reflecting back on his journey and what got him to this point, he allows himself to look forward to the future. He covers his career and life in great detail, owning up to mistakes while also celebrating his successes. Through his tightly constructed verses and precise delivery, he efficiently relays his hardships and how he overcame them; this level of technique combined with his natural artistry results in one of his most poignant and noteworthy tracks, with a clear message while remaining catchy and interesting. Deft flows are found across the project, also notably on ‘M.I.R.R.O.R S.A.Y.S I.T a.L.L’ and ‘M.Y S.O.U.L’, and his ability to construct and execute rhyme schemes stands out as one of his most powerful talents.
The third attribute that elevates Asher’s music to the elite tier in which it resides is his production, especially his instrumentals. The project samples a variety of iconic music, such as the aforementioned Kendrick Lamar sample (‘m.A.A.d city’) on ‘C.O.N.T.E.M.P.L.A.T.I.N.G’ alongside some spoken words from Robert Glasper. Even the first track, a spoken word segment, contains a sample: the appropriately named ‘Change Gonna Come’ by Sam Cooke. This points towards the general theme of change and overcoming it that persists throughout the album. He also samples vano 3000’s viral ‘Running Away [adult swim]’ on the similarly titled ‘R.U.N.N.I.N.G a.W.A.Y’. He utilizes popular hiphop samples in order to draw in the listener, but provides unique twists to the instrumentals to add his own messages and emotionality to them. ‘Running Away [adult swim]’s chorus is sampled almost identical to the original song, but the verses are replaced with Asher’s own and the instrumental here has additions and alterations. By putting his own spin on the track he maintains the imagery that captured popular culture’s imagination earlier this year, while transposing it to his own personal experiences and journey. In other words, it provides an easily accessible emotional connection that is then developed through Asher’s unique lens. A similar effect is achieved with ‘C.O.N.T.E.M.P.L.A.T.I.N.G’; all of the connotations of ‘m.A.A.d city’ are carried through to Asher’s track, subconsciously communicating the struggle and violence associated with everyday life in the city. This provides a level of mutual understanding between the artist and listener before Asher even speaks, constructing a foundation for him to develop his narrative. As opposed to starting with a blank canvas, sampling allows him to effectively and clearly establish a starting point. This allows him to focus on providing his own personal take and perspective - the track is about his mental health and inner demons, many of which are generated from the aforementioned violence and struggle brought about by his surroundings. Instead of wasting time establishing the general situation and how hard life can be when you grow up in the wrong situations, he can write entirely about his own psychological hardships, with the listener already understanding the surrounding context. The most notable use of sampling on the project, which I mentioned when discussing Asher’s emotionality, is on ‘C.H.A.N.G.E.S’, which samples Charles Bradley’s ‘Changes.’ The original track is a pessimistic and negative narrative which reflects on the loss of a loved one due to his own actions - Asher flips this on its head, reimagining it by embracing the change he’s experienced. He takes in the original track’s connotations of loss and fear and conquers them, showing how he has overcame and defeated the obstacles around him. By sample the track he carries over its connotations, providing a powerful juxtaposition and contrast, making the feeling of his victory all the more powerful and fulfilling. The dynamic created is original and energetic, with Asher revitalizing both the lyrics and melody with fresh meaning.
Asher is a hard artist to put in a box. A walking juxtaposition, he embodies the best of hiphop and American culture as a whole - his natural talent, practiced technique, raw passion, and emotional honesty are all key to his craft, but at the end of the day there is one thing that stands out: his determination. He’s been through some of the toughest physical and mental struggles one can suffer through, and came out stronger than ever, both as an artist and a person. I see him as an inspiration to the current, and next, generation of artists, creatives, and any individuals with a dream. Throughout the time it took me to study Asher and prepare, and then write, this article, I experienced a good deal of loss and change in my life in a fairly brief time. However, I was genuinely able to look to ‘S.H.I.F.T’ and be encouraged and reminded that there is good in every change. Asher offers us a realistically positive lens to view the world through, and by diving in to his debut you’ll be able to see his perspective for yourself. Needless to say, this is one of the best projects we’ve ever reviewed. Next time you’re feeling down and need motivation, or feeling up and need triumphant music, or anywhere in the middle, look to Asher as a beacon to guide you. As he says on ‘M.Y S.O.U.L’, “if you’re going through some shit well this the song that you can heal from, you can cry here, it’s a safe space.”
Don’t forget to check out Asher on Instagram @aasher__ or at the bottom of this page.