Asha Omega-The Star/ Album Review
Asha Omega released her debut album, The Star, on November 27th. The 13-track full-length project is a follow-up to her 2023 EP, ALKHEMY, cementing her as an indispensable attribute to the Chicago hip-hop scene.
If you’re unfamiliar with Asha, you should check out her write-up in The Chicago Reader, which gives a succinct snapshot of who she is and how she came to write her highly-anticipated album, The Star.
For those familiar, you’ve likely seen her around the Chicago creative scene, as she frequented the open mic circuit along with regulars such as Law of Huey and Warhol. She’s also an alumnus of Phenom’s "EmceeSkool" – a six-month curriculum where he trains aspiring emcees. That does not include her work with Firehouse, Village Leadership Academy and having recorded at Spaceship (Run by Josh K)
To put it lightly, she is not a rookie and has been working on her craft here in Chicago, which is why she was able to recruit local heavyweights such Demetruest, SolarFive, Achillez, JazzStar and more
Her single with JazzStar, “One Love” is not only an early standout (and received major crowd feedback at her listening part which Unsocialaes attended), but it’s the lead single her team decided to push from the album.
The decision was a good one, as the trio of JazzStar, Asha Omega, and SolarFive, added a Chicago flip to the 1994 Nas classic. And neither of them disappointed: Asha showcased her boom-bap chops and overall flowing ability and she found a pocket and hit her verse out the park.
Engineered by DJ Hustlenomics and SolarFive, they brilliantly layer JazzStar’s verse over the chorus and funky horns – it’s a gritty hip-hop song to the core and they all brilliantly delivered.
Asha also has songs like “Dream$” which is slowly growing to be my favorite on the album as she straight-up lets loose. From fun drums, a catchy chorus, and a flow that she switches up on almost every verse, you’ll be hard-pressed to find an emcee in Chicago rapping like this.
Make sure you check out her entire project, she has something for everybody.
