Album Review: ASAPH - TwentyFIVE

The City of Kings and Queens is creating a solid culture when it comes to Hip Hop and one of the leading artists is Asaph. He delivered two well received projects Kingsvilla 1 & Kingsvilla 2 (my favourite from him so far) which put him on the radar of many hip hop/rap heads in the country. Currently he is included among the artists that will probably push hip hop to the next stage on the local front. 

The attribute that distinguished Asaph the most from other artists is his storytelling, Kingsvilla 2 is such a well structured and captivating story (). On this track Asaph said "twentyFIVE is the story of my thoughts, experiences and journey as a 25 year old rapper living in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Enjoy! " So going into this album I was expecting some superb storytelling. He has again worked with partner in crime Charlie Zimbo on the production. Have listened to the album for some time now and today will be sharing my views and thoughts on the project.

The album contains 10 tracks and will be doing the usual track by track below:

1. The Yobs Anthem

The first track on the album talks about the effects on unemployment on the society especially on the youth. Most people are always on the hunt for something to do and earn some cash, many spend the whole day in town hoping to get the in on some deals or employment opportunities. To numb the pain or spend the day many end up getting high. Asaph also adds his personal struggle of trying to push his music to all the corners of the country. The production is done quite okay, Asaph was commendable on the verses. The hook is a redeeming part of the track though.

2. Fede (feat Guluva 7 & GTi)

The chorus is done well, its quite catchy and sets the mood very well. Asaph was good on the verses delivering quite a passionate performance. He carries on with the theme from the previous track. He pays his respect to the fallen Yobs and goes to say he is going to be the light/hope and leader for the youth. Guluva 7 did a solid job on the hook and GTi also delivered a good verse on the last part of the track.

3. Pluggz (feat K Brizzy & Cal Vin)

The instrumental is playful and sets the tone for the song perfectly, Charlie Zimbo did a solid job on the production. This track is perfect for those who love to pull some dances on the dancefloor, the dab merchants will be going crazy with this beat. The artist delivered solid performances; K Brizzy on the first verse, Asaph on the second verse and Cal Vin on the last verse. The track is just crying for visuals, given some dope visuals will help the track reach much more people.

4. Body (feat Mzoe 7)

This was the first single released from the album and it also got some visuals to go with it. This track was made with radio in mind, it's the most radio friendly track on the whole album and the theme also adds to that. The production is done quite okay. Was not the biggest fan of the track when it was released and even now still not a fan, the lyrics are okay and would impress a lot of ladies but the track lacks that pop magic that it required. It's more to the mellow side but the track was crying out for some pop magic to make it more lively. 

5. My Call (feat Luminous, K Brizzy, T1nda & Jeketera)

The dancehall feel of this track is quite lovely, the production is done well, job well done by Kingsely. The track is surprisingly a gospel jam, they are saying the Lord will not reject the calls/prayers of his people. The vocals are the low part of the track, the several artists delivered some commendable performances but none stood out.

6. 10-19
This is a Asaph hustle anthem, he is talking about his hustle and how he is going to keep chasing the paper till he gets it. The structure of the track falls into the generic trap that has taken over hip hop internationally, which is filled with a lot of repetitive lines and phrases. Despite the track following a proven trap formula it somehow lacks flavour, nothing stands out or pushes me to listen to the track again. 

7. Altezza Music/FifeStreet Freestyle Part 2

Got my attention from the start, the production is done well, it get's you hooked and engaging. The instrumental is made well, it lays a solid platform for the lyrics to shine, these are the tracks that make a rapper. Asaph was up to the task showcasing his superb storytelling skills and slick rapping style. He ends the track by informing us that Kingsvilla3 is in the works...superb news.

8. Thuba's Got Drinks

The story centered structure and feel continues on this track, Asaph carries on from the same energy from the previous track. The production is again done well, the instrumental is minimal and provides some solid support to the vocals. On this track Asaph is narrating about the night they met Thuba a well dressed guy who was spending cash buying drinks but he was quite odd because despite being surrounded with ladies he did not act as any other normal person would in such a situation. The storytelling is done superbly well, this is the Asaph that I became a huge fan of. .

9. Brighter Days

The edgy instrumental gives a delightful contrasting feel to what one will expect given the title. The production is done well, Represent Beats did a solid job. Asaph delivered quite a passionate performance as he shares his dreams and desire to reach the Brighter Days. The hook is on point, arguably the best on the whole album, the vocals are done very well and the overall feel of the track is on point. 

10. Keep Ya Head Up (feat Mimie Tarukwana)

The title immediately got me thinking about Tu Pac's similar titled song and it has elements that track also. Asaph decided to close the project with a motivating jam, encouraging other young people that despite the mistakes they make and challenges they face , they should not lose hope an keep their head up. Asaph delivered another solid vocal performance, drawing from his inner Tupac. Mimie was also up to the task, delivering a solid performance and complemented Asaph very well. 

Stream the album:

So ya that's it for the album TwentyFive. The overall production is done quite well, the several producers; Charlie Zimbo, Touchy 808, Aykayking, Represent Beatz, Pinned Status & Kingsley all deserve some acknowledgement. 

Personally this album is a tale of two parts;  the first part of the track which is from track 1 to track 6 is not that inspiring, there are some okay tracks such as  Fede & Pluggz but most of the track failed to light a spark in me. The other part now, from track 7-10 is quite impressive, it all just started o click, even Asaph's seems to have raised his game on those tracks. On that last part that's where we get to hear the storyteller, the imaginative version of Asaph that has made people believe that local hip hop still has hope. 

In conclusion this is not as impressive as his Kingvilla projects, fortunately he hinted on Altezza music that we'll be getting a new Kingsvilla album so that's some good news. TwentyFive has me split because although the first half did not impress me the last part did impress me . With Kingsvilla 3 on the horizon I cannot fully recommend this album, I urge many to wait for Kingsvilla 3. However will push for people to listen to those last 4 tracks in the last part and maybe Pluggz if it gets some dope visuals. 

Overall rating: A, B, C, Poor.


Feel free to share your views and thoughts on the album???

Proud_Zimbo