As forerunners of the independent hip-hop movement, Rasco and Planet Asia have both paid their dues over the last decade, however much like many other pioneers of the rap game, have suffered a similar fate – younger fans missing out on their classics, and therefore sleeping on the crew in across the board. Yet with Head Of The State, Ras and Planet Aish aim to take back underground royalty, just before they drop their official sophomore release due later this year.

     Tearing the roof open is the intro track (and best track on the album), “Sharp”, Rasco and P.A. attack the mic with an angry hunger that is propelled by a raw and grimy track produced by VinRoc. Taking no prisoners, Rasco gets straight to the point as to where his frustration with the underground has stemmed from with the line “Three years in the cut for what? To watch white boys spit that noise? They shook with no poise?.. This is rhymes and beats / it’s time for heat / fuck all these cats, it’s time to eat!!” Producer Vinroc also lends his underrated production skills to “Cali Nights”, a smoother violin propelled selection that also sets up this EP nicely.

     However with only 9 tracks on the EP, it leaves little margin for error. Both “In The Zone” and “Go Ladies” sport lackluster production, while Architect’s “Banger” and “Head Of The State” aren’t the best tracks from this producer’s catalog. Considering we’ve seen Rasco and Asia wreck shop in the past with high-powered tag-team tactics on tracks like “Take It Back Home”, when the beats lack energy, the rhymes do to. Still, it’s safe to assume that because this is an EP, the best tracks are being saved for the album, so in the meantime, this works as an appetizer that will still leave fans hungry for the main course.