DEMIDEVIL - Ashnikko: Review
Ashnikko
is an up and coming rapper born in North Carolina and based in the UK. She blew up in 2019 off her song STUPID and a number of other sexually raw and personality filled bangers. After attracting the attention of some other similarly unique artists she geared up to make her full length debut with this 10 track mixtape.
Review By Lav:
This was one of the trickier reviews I've ever had to piece together, calling my feelings on the album complicated would be an understatement. There is no denying that I love the character of Ashnikko, her hilarious demeanor and unique personality are infectious as a musical persona and has attracted me to her music since I first heard STUPID. Unfortunately from a songwriting and particularly from a lyrical stance Nikko has had her struggles. A couple of the singles leading up to the record predicted this and the result is a fittingly mixed bag of tracks with some awesome highs and embarrassing lows.
The record starts off decent with Daisy which is unashamedly sexual and distinctly Nikko with a bouncy fun beat and earworm hook. The only difficult part are some of the absolute struggle bars that paint a pretty rough lyrical picture. Deal With It is an even bigger improvement with some slick samples from the Kelis song Caught Out There and serves as one of the records best put together songs. With a punchy memorable beat and some lyrical improvements centered around the tracks themes of sexual freedom I enjoy everything it has to offer. Slumber Party is my favorite song on the record by far and might be the best song I've heard in 2021 through 3 weeks. The song should really come with a warning of some sort because the hot girl shit Nikko and Princess Nokia deliver on the track is completely intoxicating. It's a lesbian anthem with a buttery smooth beat and unrelentingly sexy lyrics and performances. This song is WAP caliber of sexual banger and I absolutely can't get enough of it.
Little Boy is a slick fusion of pop and rap that I didn't love at first because of how flat the verses are vocally. Thankfully the song has grown on me since it feels like Nikko is being purposefully cold to men in general. I love the sentiment of the track and the track itself isn't bad either. L8r Boi is another fun track that's a re-imagining of Avril Lavigne's Sk8er Boi. If you can get past some awkward lyrics in the first verse everything after that is great as Nikko portrays a flipped version of the original cut where the girl comes out on top because her skater boy isn't emotionally mature enough. The track is a funny and creative flip paying tribute to a song that so many people who grew up in the 2000's still love to this day. Good While It Lasted is the records most emotional song which is cool seeing Nikko break down the persona she puts on and display feelings in a really genuine way. I like her storytelling and while the beat is a little sleepy it helps her performance to remain the focus of the track.
I have no idea what to think about the records minute and a half closing track Clitoris The Musical. It has been a LONG time since I laughed so hard as a song as Nikko takes aim at men who can't find the clit with hilarious results. The instrumental is a kooky little piano number and the hook is funny but nothing too special or memorable either. The point is clearly about the lyrics which are fun although get randomly unserious at points in a kind of distracting way. I'm still not sure what to make of the song you just have to listen to it yourself and see.
For the records highs there are absolutely some lows. Lyrically the biggest miss in the tracklist is Toxic that hits the ground running with bad similes and never lets up. The performance isn't bad and the hook is somewhat catchy but I don't see myself ever wanting to return to the song. Drunk With My Friends is a latin flavored trap cut that makes heavy use of vocal manipulations before transitioning in some distant blaring trap drums. It's also an exercise in painfully dry songwriting as nothing on the track has any momentum of flow and ultimately lands at just forgettable. Cry was the records biggest single and yet I had completely forgotten about it since it was first released last year. It feels like one of those really awkward radio rock hits from the 2000's which makes Grimes baby voiced performance stand out like a sore thumb. There are some things I actually like about the song including some of the most impressive vocals I've ever heard from Nikko. The track just feels like too many conflicting priorities not working well together.
I'm not sure what to make of this mixtape. Despite having a laundry list of complaints about the musicality of the record I can't deny how much fun it is and how much I enjoyed returning to some of these tracks and sharing them with friends. Nikko has a strong personality that is unique and has so much room to grow going forward that I'm excited about. If her songwriting and particularly her lyricism can grow and improve in tandem she could be an absolute musical force. But for now lets just say there are clearly some things she does well, and some things she could improve on. 6/10
This cover is a journey. The illustration is well made and the concept is so crazy that I don't know where to start. The colors are synonymous with the hyper pop and punk fusion style of her music and has the whimsy to tie it all together. The imbedded text highlights the composition. I do think it's a little too busy and a couple parts could've been simplified. 7/10
For more pop rap check out my review of Rico Nasty's Nightmare Vacation here
