From the very start, it’s obvious that New York rapper A$AP Rocky’s much-anticipated debut album LONG.LIVE.A$AP is going to be as gangster as they come.
The opening track begins with the line “I thought I’d probably die in prison”, and the album goes on to cover drugs, cars, girls, and ghetto life, themes which come together in typically blunt fashion on the track ‘PMW (All I Really Need)’.
Although A$AP Rocky (real name Rakim Mayers) rarely strays from these topics, his understated delivery and smooth flow keep the material engaging, and it would be harsh to expect too much thematic depth from a mainstream hip-hop album.
LONG.LIVE.A$AP avoids the over-production that so often characterizes modern hip-hop, with most of the album backed up by simple beats and occasional bursts of synth.
Tracks such as the Skrillex-produced ‘Wild For The Night’ take the sound dangerously away from the genre, but thankfully are the exception on an otherwise impressively controlled album.
Unfortunately, LONG.LIVE.A$AP does suffer from other curse of recent hip-hop – the obsession with big-name featured artists.
LONG.LIVE.A$AP is packed with guest appearances, and while some, such as the presence of Drake, 2 Chainz and Kendrick Lamar on ‘Fuckin’ Problems’ are well-judged, the constant intrusion of other artists makes it difficult to get a sense of A$AP Rocky’s individual voice and style.
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The album is at its best when Mayers puts himself forward, and the production works to highlight his clear vocal talents, as on the brilliantly restrained ‘Phoenix’.
Despite its flaws, LONG.LIVE.A$AP is a classy hip-hop album, and marks A$AP Rocky out as an artist to watch for the future.
