Back in 2001, there was a rapper called Avain with his new album called Punainen tiili. The album quickly became a landmark of Finnish rap. No wonder, then, that the expectations for Avain's second album built up onto such heights that at one point, some Internet message boards had to ban all discussion about Avain's forthcoming material, as they feared that this single topic would flood them completely. There was no news from the artist's side for ages, until the bomb was dropped: Avain had scrapped both his earlier name and his record company, and wanted now to be known as Asa.
The eagerly awaited second album finally came out in April 2005 and lived up to all expectations. Leijonaa metsästän is fresh, versatile and convincing, so much so that it made to Top 3 of Finnish album chart, which is a remarkable achievement for a rap album. The new album is a logical sequence for Asa's earlier material, but offers a more variable view. Traditional rap now joins forces with instruments such as harmonica and trumpet and goes all the way from angry guitar riffs to groovy reggae.
Asa's first album resembled a punk record in its political awareness, but now the man has moved towards a more reflective mood. Media, greed, rush of modern life and uneven distribution of power in society are still perfectly good topics for Asa's songs. But Asa's live show — something never before seen in Ilosaarirock — is far from cheerless preaching to the converted. Could you call it a rap over the knuckles, then? Perhaps, yes, but an immensely enjoyable one.
Back