Search - Rashan Ahmad :: Push

Raashan Ahmad "Push"- 4.5 Stars

Shaun Borowski | Buffalo, NY | 06/09/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I first heard Raashan Ahmad in the Crown City Rockers. Then he was featured around on such albums as "Clin d'Oeil", by Jazz Liberators (another terrific album of 2008) and "The Prelude" by Mighty Underdogs. He sounded great on both albums. Then I heard that his album was absolute fire, so I decided to check it out. Raashan is definitely the type of emcee needed in hip hop today. He goes from serious battle rhymes, to intelligent, introspective, message filled lyricism, and everything in between. The way I see him, is a slightly less lyrical One Be Lo. He shows all of these skills off on the album. The production here is extremely laid back and jazzy. Raashan does a small portion of the producing himself, while teaming up with the likes of Eligh, Descry, Woodstock, DJ Platurn, and a few others. The producers all complete the job exceptionally well, making the production one of the many stand outs of the album. The guests on the album include Chali 2na (who seems to show up everywhere nowadays; not a bad thing either), Jennifer Johns, Salas, Jason Joesph, and Ras Messa. Everyone does a great job, bringing in their own style to the already diversified album. Ras Messa even brings in a reggae flavor, and does it very well. After listening to this album the first time, I had it at about 4.25 stars, then the next listen brought out more and bumped it to over 4.5. This is definitely an album that will grow on you, even if you enjoy it from the start. It is a top runner for 2008, and is highly recommended for everybody.



Lyrics- 9/10

Production- 9.5/10

Guest Appearances- 8.5/10

Overall Sound- 9.5/10



4.56



-Shaun B."

Just "The Push" Hip-Hop Needs! (5 Stars)

Alan Pounds | Minneapolis, MN | 05/28/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Raashan Ahmad may be best know for his work with the Crown City Rockers out of the bay area in California. However, the supremely dope single off of The Mighty Underdog's debut EP "Bring Me Back" featuring Raashan was all the convincing I needed to pick this joint up on a blind buy.



I've had the album for a week, and have listened to it around fifteen times (if not more). Raashan is the complete package in every way. He delivers intelligent & conscious commentary, energetic battle flows as well as jazzy & soulful flows, introspective songwriting, humor, and a philosophy & maturity that only a true veteran could attain. Point blank, Raashan Ahmad is one of my favorite new discoveries. Of course, what would a fly emcee be without fly beats? Luckily, "The Push" delivers on both counts. There's a wide variety here. From the spaced out soundscape of Eligh (Living Legends), to the soul driven bangers brought forth by Descry, Crown City Rockers, D Sharp & DJ Vadim, and the hard hitting beat with DJ Planturn, right down to the highly inventive Headnodic, you'll find a taste of everything here. Guest appearances? There's only a couple, but they also deliver. Cali 2Na of Jurassic 5 lends an excellent spot on "City Feel Proud", spitting bullets right alongside Raashan.



There is a wide array of memorable bangers in the mix. "If I" sinks a deep hook into you, and doesn't really let up until the album is over. That male vocal soul sample will be stuck in your head for days. "Weight" offers excellent lyrics about the pressures of life over another infectious vocal sample. "The Crush" is a favorite. And it's one of the very few joints that tackle the subject of "hip-hop" (a good thing). Excellent lyrics and it may just contain the most memorable production here. "Close" is the Crown City Rockers joint here, and this may be my favorite song here. Everything about it is perfect. "Give Thanks" is pretty laid back and soulful, and contains excellent lyricism from Raashan. "Heavenbound" is produced by Kat Ouano and features Jason Joseph. The production changes up with a nice synth based beat. "Fight" is another favorite here. And the message lives up to it's title. A solid banger to say the least. Getting toward the end, we have the somber banger "Cancer" - a very personal song about his mother that died from cancer. I can't think of a much nicer ending than "Peace" provides. Excellent production, excellent rhymes, and excellent closure. Skip material? There's only 1 track I skip from time to time, and that is the ragga flavored "Ready". Not a bad tune, just not my cup of tea.



So far this is my 2008 frontrunner, and it will take a lot to beat it. This is the variety of quality I've been looking for all year, and I can see this album getting several spins down the line. Truly one of the finest records you'll hear all year."

Great, organic-feeling hip hop

Ziontrain | London | 08/01/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a great album, one of the more refreshing hip hop albums of recent years. Not radical, but refreshing. By that I mean that when you are done listening to this album you feel energised, invigorated - something added to your mind and soul, but its not that the music or instrumentation or delivery is unusual or a breaking with convention.



The reason for this is that Ahmad literally puts himself into this music and is able to communicate and connect with you. Not surprising that he is able to connect with this listener, because a lot of this material is about him exploring his own connections with the world. So unlike a lot of hip hop these days, this is a listening album - the words are not just there for decoration and the music isn't just about getting to hook to hook.



My favorite track is "Yusef", a sort of ode to his newly born son. Fantastic stuff and driven by an ill, bubbling baseline.



The flipside of this is that it takes a lot of work to actually listen to and by the end you feel that effort. But as I said, you stillexit the experience engergised and inspired. Raashan succeeds here in keeping humanity centerstage in hip hop. A very good effort and I look ofrward to seeing how he evolves his output from here."