I have to admit to y’all i had no idea who Ashnikko was until very recently. About 2-3 weeks ago I was just chilling and listening to a Spotify radio station that was focusing on women rappers, and her single ‘Special’ came on. I was immediately hooked on her music; I love her strong and female-empowering lyricism as well as her ability to be a chameleon with the sounds she creates. Each song she makes seems to have a different tone and flavor. On Ashnikko’s new EP, Hi, It’s Me, she continues to push her boundaries, not sticking to any one flow or instrumental style. While every song sounds different, they all have the same underlying theme, which is a man Ashnikko us getting over and moving on from. Hi, It’s Me gives listeners an excellent look at the thoughts and emotions of Ashnikko as an artist an person; she is another female rapper that i am super excited about.

The EP starts out with the title track, ‘Hi It’s Me, ‘ and it is a great introduction to the strange world of Ashnikko. The instrumental for this cut is very retro; it totally gives mid-2000s pop. It has the type of beat and melody you would have expected from P!nk or Nelly Furtado in their heyday. I love Ashnikko’s flow on this cut; it is very in your face and deliberate, and totally her own. Lyrically, Ashnikko is trying to convince herself that she doesn’t need the man she is missing. The can hear the emotions she’s going through in the chorus: “Hi it’s me, back again, here to remind you that he’s not worth it. Repeat after me I’m over it. Yeah, we’re so over, over.” The next song, ‘Special,’ is cockier and in your face than the title track. Ashnikko seems to come into her element here, demonstrating her sick flows and rapping with a ton of authority. At one point, her flow reminds me of Mickey Avalon, which is obviously the best thing. The instrumental for this track has a retro R&B vibe that reminds me of the Pussycat Dolls or Ciara. I love that Ashnikko is exploring multiple kinds of sounds instead of just staying is one lane.

The third song of the EP. ‘STUPID,’ features another dope experimental female hip hop artist on the rise, Yung Baby Tate. The song starts out with heavy distorted bass and raspy screams and evolves into a heavy dark Emo Trap beat that I could see someone like Pouya or the Suicide Boys rapping on. I would love to hear more music in Ashnikko in this style. This is probably the song I will be recommending the most when telling people to check Ashnikko out. The next cut, ‘Working Bitch, ‘ gives me major PC Music vibes. This is yet another song with a completely different sound than the last; the range in types of music Ashnikko makes is really awesome. The instrumental is very glitzy and hard, sounding like a more hip hop version on a Charli XCX joint. On the last song of the EP, ‘Manners, ‘ we see Ashnikko go in yet another direction with the instrumental and find of the song. This track reminds me of that weird rap-rock fusion Lil Wayne was trying to push in the early 2010s; I’m picking up major Kevin Rudolf feels from this one. Ashnikko is vocally as intense as ever on ‘Manners;’ the confidence and energy that she raps with are so infectious and palpable it pumps me up.

Hi, It’s Me by Ashnikko was such a pleasant surprise for me to find recently. Ashnikko is more than just another rapper; her multitudes of sick flows and ability to rap on literally any type of instrumental really set her apart. This EP was intense and emotional and funny and hard and cohesive and dope and I highly recommend it. The only “problem” I have with it is that it’s only five songs, but that just gets me extra fired up to hear what Ashnikko does next. To listen to Ashnikko’s Hi, It’s Me EP, hit the Spotify link below!

8.9/10