Album Review: A$AP Rocky – Long.Live.A$AP

After being touted as Rap’s next big thing, following his outstanding debut mixtape Live.Love.A$AP. It would be an understatement to say that expectations are running high for A$AP Rocky’s debut album. Will Long.Live.A$AP  live up to its hype?

In his lyrics the 24-year-old Harlem native mirrors the standard topics one comes to expect in todays rap music, but with a more confident bravado, highlighting a high-end lifestyle filled with beautiful women resulting in a very charismatic figure. With a bevy of A-list producers (Danger Mouse, Skrillex, Clams Casino) and featured guests (Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q) and Rocky at the helm. Long.Live should be a classic, unfortunately it misses its mark.

I wanted to get to know the real Rakim Mayers – the boy who lost his father to the correctional system, his experience living in homeless shelters, the impact his brother’s death had on him and how it inspired him to focus on pursuing a career. Rocky briefly gets personal on “Suddenly”; here he discusses how his newfound fame has finally offered a form of stability into his life. But while “Suddenly” is intriguing, it does not offer much on who  he really is.

Other standout songs include: “Wild For The Night”, which features Rocky’s pitched-shifted vocals layered over Skrillex’s signature obnoxious bass aesthetic surprisingly working. “PMW (All I Really Need)”, “F***in’ Problems”, “Phoenix”, “Jodye“, “LVL” the star studded pose cut “1train” featuring Kendrick Lamar, Joey Bada$$, Danny Brown, Big Kirt, Action Bronson and Yelawolf.

Sadly Long.Live.A$AP lacks innovation, and does not match the same creative standard set by his mixtape, Live.Love.A$AP. It’s lack of cohesion and filler makes this highly anticipated album sadly sound more like a mixtape.