Meet Rising New York Rapper Ahsh Eff, Who Just Dropped Her Ravenous Single, 'Kozart'

NYC rapper Ahsh Eff has been on a steady rise since releasing her debut single, "Storefront," in early 2016, which saw the 21-year-old artist flinging braggadocios lyrics over gritty '90s-imbued production by Mess Kid and Stelios Philli. Her breakout recalled the golden age of New York rap, while laying the foundation for her own lane in hip-hop history--"Pitching wealth to the youth, I'm a pastor," she spits with conviction.

Since then, Ahsh has droppd a range of equally impressive buzz tracks, from her Crystal Caines-produced "@YoungThug" to "PBP" and "Staain," all of which added a dark, sinister depth to the artist's brand of hip-hop. Her menacing underground sound, deep vocal tenor and bright, forest green hair caught the attention of OUT100's Nicola Formichetti, who cast her in several projects for his kawaii cult brand, Nicopanda.

Related | OUT100: Nicola Formichetti

This week, Ahsh made a triumphant return with "Kozart," which she created alongside producers Stelios and Ryan Scott. Like the rest of her music, Ahsh's latest is an equally off-kilter hip-hop cut, this time featuring distorted vocals, a wonky, slowed-down instrumental and shamelessly cocky lyrics. "Glowed up, feelin' like I'm Sosa," she slurs, before the track erupts into an ego-driven chorus: "Gang, gang gang; in this bitch, we all focused."

Listen to "Kozart" and learn more about the rising emcee in an exclusive OUT interview, below.

OUT: Your music is loaded with these dark, grizzly undertones. How do you describe your sound?

Ahsh Eff: My sound is heavy and potent--dark, but the delivery makes it sexy. I'm small, but I'm a giant and my voice is my height. I say what I mean and mean what say, so when I rap I try to give that same conviction.

What's the story behind "Kozart"?

It's about being lit with your gang, whether that's you and your gang filled with thugs dressed to kill everyday or you and your gang filled with models stomping down every poppin' runway. In my case, I be flexing the fuck up everyday--swear I'm in all my glory, like I'm Sosa and all my gang glo the same way.

What perspective are you bringing to music today?

I bring an everyday view of life and do something that can make people feel emotions, whatever they may be. Believe it or not, that goes a long way and it's impactful.

You've been adopted heavily by New York's queer community...

I never draw a line between "queer support" and everyone else, cause there isn't one. I fuck with real people who appreciate real shit that see, hear and appreciate genuinely without being blinded by what society presents to us. I feel like they see that in me [the] same way I see that in them. I'm an ally of the LGBTQ community and I have a lot of friends who are amazing people who I've had the pleasure of supporting the same way they support me.

You've released several singles, but are you working on a larger project?

I'm working on a little something--nothing large or solid, just additional expression and extension of my art. I'm working with some amazing people, right now, who have helped my craft to be pushed further than I could've imagined. Shoutout to them. Expect something good from me and I promise I'll give you something better.