In his latest single, “War,” self-proclaimed “producer first” Ascidzz proudly puts on for his hometown of Philadelphia, a historical and oft-overlooked mini-Mecca of hip hop. The track is a masterful lyrical seminar complemented by a dizzying production and endless flows – basically everything that makes a great hip hop song.
Philly is home to some of the most monumental artists throughout hip hop history: from golden age pioneers Schooly D and the Fresh Prince, to the lyrical purists Black Thought and Freeway, all the way to modern spokesmen like Meek Mill and Lil Uzi Vert. With “War,” Ascidzz makes a convincing argument in his campaign to become the latest Philly flag bearer. The man does it all – the hypnotic Dilla-esque beat, the ferocious rhymes, he even sings his own chorus. His flows are inventive yet classic, playful yet earnest, and they keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. Every setup/punchline is an explosive self-alley-oop, but Ascidzz never breaks a sweat. By the time the 2nd verse comes around, the man’s got both hands on the wheel and his foot to the floor, bulldozing your ears with vigorous bars like “I take in what they say and move on, gotta take the lead/Cause that’s what put me into control, I maintain the heat.” The entire song plays like a masterclass in individualism and artistic expression, and I hope other rappers are taking notes.
The gift of a rapper is their ability to animate the words on the page into an aural experience that engages the listener, and some artists can make that seem so effortless. Ascidzz clearly put his everything into ‘War” and it almost isn’t fair how easy he made it look. All you hip hop heads who think the art form is “dead”: I challenge you to listen to “War” and tell me you still feel that way. Hip hop will rarely sound more “alive” than this.
Written by Tim Clark
FOLLOW ASCIDZZ:
