A$AP Rocky Takes Us For A Psychedelic Ride On At.Long.Last.A$AP

After 2013’s Long.Live.A$AP didn’t quite live up to its hype, despite dominating the charts, New York’s A$AP Rocky is back with his sophomore LP, At.Long.Last.A$AP. 

In the two years since his debut, A$AP Rocky has gone through a multitude of life changes. He became a cultural icon – from fashion to acting Rocky has always been destined for success. The biggest and the most shocking change came from the death of A$AP Yams, who passed away in January at the age of 26 of an apparent drug overdose. This was not just the passing of a dear friend, but the passing of a mentor – the man who believed in him, helped shape his sound, and stood beside him through thick and thin.

Never one to shy away from evolving his sound, Rocky takes plenty of creative risks on his sophomore album At.Long.Last.A$AP.

Leading up to the release, Rocky stated that the album would be expansive, psychedelic, and would include a range of influences from funk to rock, and will feature deeper lyrics; exploring themes of religion, love, culture, and his various vices. Famed producer Danger Mouse added beautiful sonic landscapes that attached itself brilliantly to Rocky’s voice and vision to create a cohesive, well thought out, body of work propelling him into a Kanye-like inventive space that saw him abandon traditional rap constructs

Album highlights include “Holy Ghost,” which discusses the tension between selling your soul to the Devil for success and trying to maintain a clean soul at the same time. The song also features newcomer Joe Fox – who Rocky found buskering on the streets on London. The hazy track “Canal St.” which makes mention of the Lower Manhattan crosstown street known for it’s cool spots and good shopping. “Fine Whine,” an ode to drinking lean and broken relationships, featuring Atlanta’s Future. “L$D” a song in which Rocky declares his love for all women and psychedelic drugs. The Schoolboy Q assisted “Electric Body” and finally the introspective song “Pharsyde” where A$AP Rocky reflects back on today’s youth and culture.

Rocky’s growth is really shown on At.Long.Last.A$AP. He’s gone beyond what we’ve come to expect from his trippy Houston syrup laced vocals and has managed to blow everyone’s mind with his forward thought provoking psychedelic sound.

Stream A.L.L.A on Spotify now – All photos by Neil Krug for Complex.