"I'm so stoned and I ain't talking Rosetta bitch!"
The impressive opening line to one of the best hip hop / trap releases this year if not in the last few years.
Deep underground. no Facebook. No band-camp. no twitter. Only a soundcloud page with around 115 followers. ASCO, who now goes by the name Ghouli$h (but for this article we shall call him ASCO), has 2 mixtapes for download. This is Sprite Vision.
Sprite Vision is a 12 track, 41 minute masterpiece, from this young Seattle Washington local.
The opening track entitled Intro is a bass-heavy trap beat with operatic vocal harmonies that goes far beyond the usual "Intro" on a rap release that sometimes is simply a spoken word introduction or even the old skit tracks that would feature regularly on Raekwon and Cam'rom tracks.
The highly-explicit opening verse that name-drops Kim Kardashian, porn star Sasha Grey and has a healthy dose of the N-Word with a double track of ASCO dubbing in the gun sounds such as "Brrraaap" and "Bow Bow" at the end or in the middle of his verses, is quite a sound to behold. With gun sounds like those you don't need any samples of gun fire which you will not find in any of the mixtape. The 1:43 long opening track leaves you jittering with adrenaline, and after that you know that this mixtape will not disappoint and be very different to the hip-hop norm.
I must address his penchant for using the N -Word in a rapid fire succession throughout a major portion of the tape that would put Lil Wayne to shame, but sets himself very far apart from Weezy and his sloppy rhymes. ASCO seems to use it only as a period to send the previous line home and let it sink in a great way to get the listeners attention.
That being said he can get slightly ignorant and break the rule. With the track No Wans, he spits out one verse with nothing but these four words: "Fuck These Niggas Bruh"
He repeats the phrase 11 times with underpinning gun sounds through out the verse.
With the stand out track being the longest on the tape Money. Love. Suicide, being quite stark in contrast to No Wans or Intro. ASCO shows off a more emotional and heartfelt side in his lyrics over a slow drone, like loop with an extremely well-produced and crystal clear 16th note hi-hats and snare. ASCO shares his disillusionment and depression with quite a wit for example a nod to Suicidal Tendencies with skilfully delivered in the line
"All I wanted was a Pepsi on my suicidal shit, all I wanted was a ride or die suicidal bitch"
The song hits quite hard in parts for anyone who has experienced depression, alienation or just a general feeling of hopelessness.
Also bonus points to ASCO for including the song twice with a Trap Mixxx which is the same beat and rhymes but with a shorter running time.
The whole mixtape is impressive and never drops off. ASCO has a great vocabulary from someone who I believe is still in his teens. With an unique delivery and timbre in his voice that makes him a stand out in the hip hop scene.
Sprite Vision is highly recommended for those who enjoy trap with smart lines and solid beats that will rattle your sub and will definitely have you turning to your friends in a smoke filled environment and and exchanging affirmative critiques of "Bruh, That Verse!"