A$AP Rocky is an American rapper and producer who is best known for his sound/voice distortion in his songs. He dropped “AT.LONG.AT.ASAP” in 2015 which serves as a sequel to his previous album.
One of the main concepts of this story is death and how people handle it, especially Rocky. On the cover of the album, Rocky can be seen wearing the signature birthmark of his fallen friend and manager, A$AP Yams, who passed away in January before the album’s release. The album was created to be able to listen to it whenever you want as the first third of the album is very psychedelic, then the tone towards the middle gets very dark, and finally the last third of the album is very rhythmic.
The highlight in this album is an unknown rapper by the name of Joe Fox. The meetup between Fox and Rocky was nothing short of spectacular. It was 4am in the middle of the streets and Fox was homeless trying to sell his new mix-tape. He happened to run into A$AP, who listened to his mix-tape and enjoyed it. Rocky ended up featuring Fox on five different songs throughout the album, changing his life. This goes to show Rocky’s creativity and open mind when it comes to making music.
The album does have other great features involved such as Kanye West, Lil Wayne and Future. However, the standout on this album is easily Rocky’s production. So many of the beats really make you feel like you’re in the song while listening to them. For example, “Holy Ghost,” “Jukebox Joints,” “Everyday” and “Back Home” are not only some of the best beats on the album, but some of the best you can find in the hip-hop industry as a whole.
The mix-tape opens up with “Holy Ghost” and sets the tone for the album for songs to come. After hearing this song, it’s easy to realize that you’re in for a fantastic listen. It then goes into songs such as “Fine Whine,” featuring Future and M.I.A., which is another one of the many impressive songs on this album as it contains three beat switches. Another standout song on the album is “Lord Pretty Flacko Jodye 2” as it’s different from everything else on the album. It opens up with a siren which soon carries into hard hitting beat drops throughout the rest of the album.
Obviously, Rocky’s music group “A$AP Mob” plays a huge part in this album. A$AP is actually an acronym but not the one you’d think. For the rap artists, it means, “Always Striving and Prospering” instead of the normal “As Soon As Possible.” This shows Rocky’s teamwork and that when one person is winning in A$AP, then it’s important to see everyone come together as well. Rocky, at one point in his life, was struggling and he never wanted to see anyone close to him go through what he had to go through.
In conclusion, this album is a standout in the A$AP Mob’s discography as a whole and deserves a ⅘ star rating. This album is a perfect representation of Rocky as an artist and his potential when it comes to making music.
