Happy 15th Anniversary to Asamov’s debut & only studio album And Now…, originally released October 18, 2005.
I certainly would have never expected that a hip-hop crew from Northeast Florida would produce one of my favorite albums of the last decade-and-a-half, but Asamov’s And Now… seemed perfectly tailored to my backpacker/boom-bap soul.
The Jacksonville-based crew released their first (and only) album 15 years ago, catching me by complete surprise. With its mixture of unorthodox lyricism, immaculate beats, and bedrock sincerity, And Now hooked me earlier on, and I’ve only grown to appreciate it more as the years have passed. The group is proud of its frequently eclectic sensibilities, while still delivering straight-ahead hip-hop music.
Asamov first came together in the early ’00s. Niam “Willie Evans Jr.” Jones, Joe “Jay One-Da” Cox, and Vladimir “Basic” DeCastro had already known each other for years, recording music together, supporting each other on stage, and even crashing at the same spot. Paten “Therapy” Locke had moved to Jacksonville in the late ’90s and got to know the other three as they all became fixtures in the city’s small but dedicated underground scene. The four came together and named themselves Asamov, based on a line from one of Therapy’s raps.
The crew got the attention of Desmond “Desi” Relaford, a defensive-minded, journeyman MLB shortstop who had been raised and still lived in Jacksonville. During the waning years of his baseball career, Relaford created 6 Hole Records. He had become friends with Therapy and was interested in using the label to release his music. Therapy eventually sold an initially skeptical Relaford on the idea of putting out an Asamov album, and Now subsequently followed.
Due to the group’s southern geographical location and their decidedly true-school sound, people often compare Asamov to Little Brother, the North Carolina-based crew. Though the two groups created music that wasn’t considered traditional fare for the rap artists for the region, they each have distinct modes of operation. Asamov would be the De La Soul to Little Brother’s A Tribe Called Quest, much more experimental and abstract.
Asamov also shares lots of DNA with crews like Ultramagnetic MCs and original old school rappers and crews like Grandmaster Caz and the Cold Crush Brothers. The styles of all four emcees are alternatively dense but also relatable. Willie Evans Jr. and Therapy pull double duty, both rapping and producing. As lyricists, Willie and Therapy were both the most skilled in the group, but Jay One-Da and Basic both give solid and understated performances.
The album’s production is a clear strength as well, with Willie Evans and Therapy masterfully manipulating dusty treasures. Much like the aforementioned Little Brother, Asamov does indeed share a love of soul and jazz samples. But Willie Evans and Therapy take a different approach to their production, creating chunky, layered tracks that evoke a more Boom-Bap sound and heavier emphasis on the funk. Both producers use their chopping techniques expertly, creating rough grooves, while keeping the soul of the original source material.
The album’s first single, “Standing Room Only,” features Therapy rhyming along with guests J-Live, Wordsworth, and Cassidy (the emcee from Chicago, not the Swizz Beatz-affiliated rapper from Philadelphia). The song, which appears on And Now as a bonus cut, is credited for taking the Jacksonville hip-hop scene to the next level, with all four emcees delivering a series of short verses over a soaring string-based sample. The song is a lot of fun, but only hinted at Asamov’s potential.
“Past Futures” is more indicative of the group’s overall flavor. All four group members trade lines and abbreviated verses throughout the track, but it’s mixed in a way so that each line flows together. The transitions are so seamless that it’s hard at times to distinguish when one has the passed the mic to his cohort.
“Hookslide” is an extremely dope, traditionally structured skills exhibition, with all four emcees delivering a dope verse over a horn heavy groove. Willie Evans’ mind-bending verse stands out, as he raps, “My heart’s hot, pumping the flame like old trains / And I burn brains on the first turn, like Coltrane.”
As mentioned earlier, Asamov excels when combining the old school aesthetic with the off-kilter lyrical deliveries and neck-snapping grooves. Whether it’s dissing all manners of phonies and doubters on “Suckas” or demanding their hard-earned cash for services rendered on “Fems Fems,” Asamov is reverent to hip-hop’s roots while creating their own unique stylings. They even sound good over outside production, as they enlist 9th Wonder of Little Brother to produce “Real Good,” where the four emcees drop aggressive verses over a breezy groove.
The personalities of the four emcees often shine the brightest when they decide to bounce off of each other, trading short verses and even going line for line. “Boombox,” a mellow dedication to the power of music is one example, while “Seven” is an unruly lyrical brawl. Behind the boards, Therapy gets bold, pairing the “Funky Drummer” drum break with almost Caribbean-sounding string and piano samples, capped with rapid-fire scratches.
Asamov hook up with a pair of Boston-born homies on And Now, collaborating with each member of The Perceptionists separately. Akrobatik gets some time to shine on “Git Loose,” as Willie Evans expertly chops and restructures a smooth piano and string-based jam into an up-tempo head-nodder.
“Supa Dynamite” serves as the album’s hard-charging, soul-soaked second single. Mr. Lif contributes a winding, complex verse, rapping, “Fresh meat mayday, grade A disaster / I’m the after, path blaster, present smoker.” The song is also notable for its use of The Moments’ “Love On a Two-Way Street” nearly three years before Jay-Z used it for “Empire State of Mind.” For what it’s worth, Willie Evans Jr. does a much better job with the sample than Shux, who produced the Jigga track.
Asamov dedicate a good portion of And Now detailing their grind to be successful as artists. “Bad News” focuses on the adversity each member struggles with on a regular basis, finding salvation and stability through their music. Therapy drops jewels throughout his opening verse, rapping “So I say stick to your path, create your own forecast” and “Your story ends any way you want when you write it.” Meanwhile, Jay One-Da adds, “If I control this mic, then I control my life / So a motherfucka won’t have to read me my rights.” On “Gone Head,” all four members of the group recount the personal sacrifices they’ve made for their career. Despite the trail of strained relationships left in the wake of the pursuit of their dreams, all four assert that they don’t have time for those who don’t understand their passion.
“Help Us Sing” is the flipside of the previous entries, as the group dedicates the song to their fans who have consistently believed in them and supported the group at their live shows. “Ain’t no point in me yelling no names,” Basic raps. “Because everyone playing their part instead of out there playing them games.” Therapy finishes the track imploring their loyal supporters to go the extra mile when they can, be it requesting their music on the radio or helping get the crowds at their performances hyped.
Unfortunately, And Now was Asamov’s sole album. Not long after the album was released, the group and 6 Hole received a cease and desist letter from the estate of Isaac Asimov, the famed science fiction writer who inspired their name. In response, the group morphed into The AB’s a.k.a. The Alias Brothers, even releasing the third single, “Boombox,” under the new moniker.
The name change was largely for naught, as 6 Hole got spooked by the ordeal and effectively stopped promoting the album. While Jay One-Da and Basic eventually moved on from recording music to the fashion world, Willie Evans Jr. and Therapy continued their music careers, creating magnificent music while repping The AB’s along the way. Tragically, Therapy succumbed to cancer last year, but left behind an expansive musical legacy.
I’ve written a lot of tributes to artists who were only able to bless us with a single album or release. The lack of more Asamov albums hurts all the same. It’s some solace that the members of the group were able to continue making great music on their own, but it also really hurts that Therapy is no longer here to share his talents. Though there will never be a proper follow-up, I can still say that And Now is my favorite hip-hop album to come out of Florida, and a treasure for all to enjoy.
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