Des Moines hip-hop artist, Asphate, is releasing a new album this spring. The Main Dude’s debut album, “A Bloodied Up Conclusion,” is produced by Batsauce and will be out this summer under the longtime underground rap powerhouse indie label, Galapagos4, based in Chicago.
In this Talk of Iowa segment, Charity Nebbe talks with Asphate about the inspiration for the album.
"We started working on this album out of the blue about three or four years ago, and right around that time, there was a heavy succession of killings of unarmed black and brown men," says Asphate. "From Tamir Rice, to [Alton] Sterling, to [Michael] Brown, to [Eric] Garner - so at that time, we were responding out of the frustration of what we were seeing on the news every day."
Those shootings particularly influenced the album's track, "Miranda's Touch," though Asphate notes frustration doesn't set the tone for the entire album.
For the rest of the tracks? "Think old school 1980s video game heroes - Double Dragon's Jimmy and Billy, your two most irresponsible characters - somehow coming to save the day and save the planet," he says. "A lot of what you hear throughout the record is that very carefree, very heavy rhyme-laden approach to just getting busy and showcasing our skill in terms of the ability to rhyme."
During their conversation, they also discuss Asphate's love of vinyl and his work as a graffiti artist.
