An émigré from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Asprin (birth name Tsega, which is pronounced in English with a silent "T") landed on American soil May 25th, 1991 seeking asylum. His father, a high-ranking government official, fled Ethiopia with his family during a civil war. Coming to the United States when he was 13, Tsega quickly adapted to his new surroundings. Those surroundings included hip-hop, something brand new to him. The "whole package" approach to hip-hop (I resist using the word "elements") came in a flurry. Tsega was buying the latest hip-hop records: Lord Finesse, Diamond D, RZA, Premier. He started tracking down the older records that his hop-hop luminaries were sampling, as well as others that seemed as interesting. With his growing collection, he began DJing. Not to mention your boy's grace with a brush, so graffiti was an obvious next step. It wasn't long before Tsega had saved his lunch money, bought a sampler, and was flipping beats of his own.

Tsega has a direct, no bullshit approach to beat making. His "studio" is thousands of records. Those records get distilled through the MPC and emerge bearing little resemblance of their former selves. While his roots are firmly planted in hip-hop's "middle school" heyday, Tsega isn't afraid to grow. Inspired by what he feels, he uses music to convey what isn't always accessible with words. Be it the irresistibly frank "Bullshit," the absolutely bugged-out "Grinder," or the metronomic "Listen," Tsega allows himself to be caught off guard by his muse. He is spiritually upright, straight shooting and able to have a lot of fun. All of that comes out in his music without being too obvious, which is great, because there's nothing worse then knowing exactly what a song is saying after just twenty-five seconds.



In the late '90s Asprin and label mate Mr. Jeigh got into the mixed tape game with the first in their Off the Records series, a playful blend of breaks, sample spotting and crumbs from spoken word records. Tsega got a lot of attention with his mix, "Solecism: 93-98," a collection of samples from the Solesides crew. After proving he can play the sample source game with the best of them, Tsega returned on Off the Records II with a fresh amalgamation of moody orchestra loops, hair-farmer grooves, big band breaks, bible verses interpreted for Black youngsters and some straight up weird shit. (How many people have I heard ask after him where he found that record that says, "My breasts are small, they always have been. gnat bites, peas on a drum. they're freckled and have a mind of their own.") Asprin and Mr. Jeigh are polishing up their mixes for the third installment of Off The Records, which will be out as soon as the two of them can get their interstate heads together (for those that've been paying attention, the product has been promised every month for the last six months). The wait, I'm sure, will bear some scrumptious fruit.



Tsega has also put two beat tapes into circulation, First Mission and Sneak Attack. First Mission features one of my favorite tracks, "Loop Rehearsal," a combination of static bloops and guitar prunings topped nicely with a rearranged Lauryn Hill verse that seems-in its flippedness-to be an admonishment towards style-jockers. Anyone who's tried to dissect some dialogue from a how to record and "make it relevant" knows it can be a long, tedious process. Tsega never seems to have any trouble, as if there is some divine wraith Ouijaing his stylus towards the words - and he is just the medium. Take for example, "A Listener," where he has pilfered a snippet that asks, "What does a rapper love more than anything else in the world?" ".A listener!" Retorting with another borrowed phrase, "You're kidding me. shiiiiiit!" The boy's got a penchant for making funnies. And folks have noticed. Prophetix, a hip-hop crew from Atlanta, got hold of First Mission and used Asprin's "Rich Whiskey" beat for their song "Unstoppable" on their debut, High Risk. "Rich Whiskey" was also chosen for Hand Picked, a FunkTheWorld.net compilation.

Beside mixed tapes and compilations, Tsega is releasing a steady stream of jams on our Vanguard Squad label. The first release, Revolution In Our Lifetime, is a split-45 that features his vociferous "Revolushun." The song is a call-to-arm anthem pertaining to Apartheid and American civil rights (read an interview about the song here). The second release on the Vanguard Squad will be a compilation of hip-hop remixes. Tsega's ear shines nicely on these cuts, especially on the I-like-this-better-than-the-original "Move," where he turns Wu-Tang out. The compilation also features "Panic," his remix of "Crooklyn" by the Crooklyn Dodgers. Another favorite is "Loud 'n Clear," Tsega's take on the Beatnuts' "Off the Books." The album, released mid-2005, is available on CD as well as a limited edition vinyl 12" (bonus goodies!).

Tsega is also working on a-dare I say concept album without conjuring an image of a rock opera-record that will be all his own. The title has already arrived, Jewels of the Nile. Reminiscent of his early life in Africa, Tsega is looking at his first solo album as a way to challenge himself to explore beyond the outworks of his presentiments. Never one to refuse a challenge, he expects this record to change his life, seriously, on many levels. Kid ain't playin', overstand? Personally, I think there's a lot of life tied up in this pursuit. Having left his home (and adolescence) in a hurry, growing up in a foreign country, starting life all over before he even had a chance to live it. All this and more will find ways into his songs, no doubt. As long as I've known Tsega, I've known him to be committed to the basic values of life, kindness, loyalty, family. I know I'm biased, but I'm looking forward to hearing this record that is now just a sketch on a napkin.



And family. It's the die that's cast the Tsega I've discussed thus far. I'd be doing him a disservice if, in this biography-of-sorts, I didn't mention his devotion to his family. His father recently had a medical scare, which further tightened their already close-knit family. He talks to his mother daily. (How many dudes do you know that have this kind of understanding with moms?) He has 3 siblings scattered across the US, with whom he stays in close contact. He and his longtime girlfriend have plans for a wedding, children and a piece of land they can call their own. His long-term goals are family, health and creativity, which damn near seem antiquated in these times of more, more, more. Tsega's lifestyle (by that I mean the style in which he lives his life) is an inspiration to his friends. Everyone that I've met who has met him always draws the same conclusion: Tsega is good people. It's a succinct hymn that's sung everywhere he's been; I doubt there is more you could ask for in these times of more, more, more.



Tsega's full-time hustle is graphic design. What started with acrylics and later turned to graffiti has matured into a digital prowess (while realizing a natural eye for photography along the way). He's been busy with websites, album covers and logo designs. He is also the creative director for the Vanguard Squad-and the frequency with which he receives you know what would be really dope emails from me should make that a full-time job. (Check out his website.) Tsega moved to Los Angeles a year ago with aspirations to be a self-supporting freelancer. At first, it looked a little grim, with most of our phone calls spent chanting the mantra of the freelancer, "I'm so fucking broke!" Tsega's persistence paid off though, as Los Angelinos starting taking notice and his music-related connections began giving up the kickbacks. He's designed covert art for Jake One's AR-series mixes, Mr. Supreme's It Never Ends, Soulman's latest hip-hop project G.U.N., and the Ross Hogg & DJ B.Cause mix, Slump & Grind. (Get that shit. It's hyphy!) Tsega has also provided website designs, logos and advertisements for several record stores, including Jump Jump, Unified Groove Merchants and Baghat Vinyl.

Tsega was one of the founding members of the Night Owl Record Show in his former resting place, Portland, OR. The show was designed to challenge the record fair paradigm. Why get up at the crack of dawn? Why stand in some stuffy hotel conference room with a bunch of smelly die-hard Elvis aficionados? Why subject yourself to something you really don't like just to get something you really do like? The Night Owl Record Show first, as the name suggests, is at night. Second, they serve beer. (Hey! Duh?) Third, there are DJs, listening stations and generally people that practice good hygiene as well as fair grading. The show (now in its fourth season) is a huge success, with offshoots already sprouting in San Francisco and Philadelphia (Small Time Hustle crew, holler!).



Tsega is also devoting time to causes he believes in. Doing volunteer work for non-profits and other starving artists keep the ostentatiousness at bay. His half of the profits for the Revolution In Our Lifetime album are being donated to an organization in Addis Ababa that rebuilds Kebels (the poorest neighborhoods in Ethiopia), the Integrated Holistic Approach-Urban Development Project (IHA-UDP). The IHA-UDP is headed by the wife of the former mayor of Addis Ababa, Jember Teffera, who spent years behind bars as a political prisoner where she organized school and healthcare programs for her fellow prisoners. (Learn about IHA-UDP here and here.) File Under: How to stay humble while trying to stack feddy by the bundle.

Satre wrote, “It must be rather grim to hope for nothing except that life might continue indefinitely in its present course.” Tsega is living proof that living, the actual movement of a life-as it were something you could playback in frame-by-frame and examine after the fact-is a resilient, unpredictable and consequence-creating experience. While his mug ain’t emblazoned on television screens, nor is he actually stacking feddy by the bundle, he is living that good life. That uprightness I spoke on earlier, proving that consequence doesn’t have to carry negative connotations. His life thus far has been on anything but an indefinite course, and Tsega’s decisions have been a testament to faith in the grace that life presents. The proof is in the pudding, as they say. And I think the pudding tastes pretty good for my man right now.

Holler at Tsega (about any number of things), I know he'd be happy to chop it up with you. A bit of advice: Just don't open with, "Dude, Tsega. you know, like the game, SEGA!" Trust me, he's heard that one!

--Bambouche of the Vanguard Squad