Coming off one of the most talked about mixtapes of 2011, LiveLoveA$AP, Harlem rapper A$AP Rocky has finally delivered his major label debut album after nearly four months of label pushback. LongLiveA$AP flaunts all of the MC's strengths that stood out on his debut and delivers the crossover appeal that his earlier material hinted at. Rocky's best asset has proved to be his taste and ability to create atmospheric tracks working with producers like Clams Casino which helped the rapper get noticed for his hazy aesthetic. While this heavy reliance on production could have led to a style over substance approach where the rhymes and lyrical content suffer as a result, it is clear that Rocky has become a more confident lyricist and has learned to match his flows to his instrumentals in a way that feels like the MC has gained vision as a songwriter and has the ability to create more resonant hooks and choruses.
The album's opening title track picks up where the Harlem artist left off on LiveLoveA$AP, with an airy beat whose crass vocal sample provides a percussive element that allows for an elusive flow to settle in and let Rocky provide his mission statement where he discusses his trajectory from an unknown rapper given a major label deal based on a few Youtube videos to a high profile artist who has been embraced by the hip hop community as well as high fashion designers responsible for some of the downright strange threads he can be caught wearing. The following track "Goldie" was released last year as a single and features a beat from producer Hit-Boy that is as bass heavy as it is instantly memorable for its' Houston style screwed and chopped hook.
On "PMW," Los Angeles rapper Schoolboy Q returns to collaborate after delivering the guest verse of the year on LiveLoveA$AP's "Brand New Guy" which brought him onto the radar of hip-hop blogs and publications. The track features a West coast style instrumental with Rocky's screwed and chopped vocal hook that he often relies upon. The production work of Clams Casino also returns on LongLiveA$AP with "LVL" where the New Jersey artist's hazy track allows A$AP to unleash one of his most unique flows on the record.
The second single from the album, "Fuckin' Problems" feels like a statement on Rocky's elevated status as an artist, bringing in Drake, 2 Chainz, and Kendrick Lamar for guest verses. Undoubtedly the track that will garner the most radio airplay given the hook, however the track sounds little like much of the work the rapper has thrived in and feels like a step away from the highly stylized production that initially brought him to our attention.
Perhaps the most unexpected collaboration of the record happens on "Wild for the Night" with a beat from Dubstep producer Skrillex. A high energy electronic beat lets Rocky go in on one of his most aggressive flows to date and create a track that brings together the EDM and Hip-hop worlds in a way that feels like a natural extension of both. "1 Train" brings us back to mid 90's New York rap where collaborations would feature multiple MC's dropping verse after verse for the duration of the track with no hook or chorus. The track features verses from Kendrick Lamar, Brooklyn boom-bap revivalist Joey Bada$$, Yelawolf, Danny Brown, who delivers his signature cartoonish flow, as well as Action Bronson and Big K.R.I.T. Despite the obvious stylistic differences among these artists, each verse complements the flow of the track and proves that talented rappers can create a song given any beat no matter how outside their element it may sound. LongLiveA$AP is an extension of the talents of a young artist who has an eclectic taste for instrumentals and the range to match his ambition. With only two full length releases to his name A$AP Rocky has taken steps to broaden the soundscape of Hip-hop and push the limits of what sounds can be used to create an aesthetic true to the genre's essence.
Grade: B+
.jpeg)
I loved the album - Wild For the Night is an awesome song, one of the coolest songs I've heard in a while.
Is it an album or a mixtape, make a call. I say extremely well produced album