-William Ross III
Simply put as the title suggests, with a little work, ASAP Black is the future of Namibian Hip Hop. Born May 24th, 2001, ASAP is a bit on the younger side when it comes to the art he now calls home but that does not stop him from transcending age to stake his own claim on the direction of Namibian Hip Hop. He inhabits a contemporary Hip Hop feel with layered vocals and pounding 808s that serve to couch his simple yet versatile flow like it was made for it. He’s rough around the edges thats for sure, not really declaring himself a more melodic or trap style artist yet but he’s NINETEEN. He has time. There are times when it feels as if he loses sight of his own image in his songs making some of the verses or bars come off a little authentic but for the most part he has a flow and feel that fits right into where mainstream Hip Hop is headed. He often serves as his own producer and so I would be very interested in hearing what it sounds like when someone else with differing taste and a better ear for production consistently pores over and produces his music but it is clear he has a feel for where his sound is headed even though it is a little rocky for right now. I believe his best template moving forward is a song titled 19, where couched by a piano driven melody and a more muted drum beat, ASAP Black explores what it means to be on the grind in search of his success. He rides this beat, flowing in and out of the song, intertwined with it rather than simply on top of it as another layer of sound like the song U on his album BLKBOY where his own verses and place within the beat sometimes feels forced and slightly out of place. I think ASAP is still finding his signature sound but he has an incredible base upon which to work and that is an astounding accomplishment for someone so young. The sky is the limit for this young talent and there is no telling just how high his star will ascend. Go check out BlkBoy the album from ASAP BLACK on soundcloud and follow him on twitter for updates on his music. Links are below