I first heard of A$AP a few years ago when he dropped the EXCELLENT LiveLoveASAP. He really did drop the hardest mixtape of the last few years. Then we saw Rocky again in the even better "National Anthem" video with the beautiful Lana Del Rey as the star crossed couple, JFK and Jackie. The video was great, that's actually Lana's strong point.
As we all know, ASAP wears dresses and other questionable things, but we let him off the hook with all that because he makes dope music. Now if we saw someone like J. Cole wearing a dress, or Drake, then we'd have some problems. But ASAP is cool so leave him alone.
Anyway, this brings us to Long.Live.ASAP, the anticipated debut from the new king of Harlem. Does it live up to the hype (yup), but if you haven't taken the time to peep it (or buy it), then I'll go ahead and lay out the blueprint for you for what's dope about the album and what you can absolutely skip.
Without further adieu, I present the:
LONG.LIVE.ASAP REVIEW
1. Long Live A$AP
Right off the bat, ASAP drops some flames on us. The beat is fire, the lyrics are whatever, but the flow is great. The video is great too, but the chorus is an acquired taste. ASAP can't exactly sing at all, but after about 7 listens you start confusing him with Michael Bolton. I love this song.
2. Goldie
wooooooooooooooo!!!!!!! This song is pure greatness. In 2013, male rappers suffer from a masculinity problem, but this song is raw grits. Now don't think ASAP is on here dropping jewels by any means, he's actually super simple, but he manages to keep a consistent flow (looking at you Em and Jay Z), which goes along with the song perfectly. Think of Rocky like Aaron Rodgers, he's able to hide how bad his team is by being entertaining and being the best out there. Rocky's lyrics are so-so but he's able to hide it with a crazy beautiful beat and an impressive flow.
3. PMW (Feat. ScHoolboy Q)
I don't think there are two rappers who perfectly feed off of each other the way ScHoolboy and ASAP do. If you heard "Brand New Guy" by these two then you'd know you don't have to hear this song to know it is nothing short of greatness. Had anyone else in the "new school" rappers done this concept we would've ended up with something like, oh I don't know, "Every Girl" by YMCMBSELLOUT.
4. LVL
Clams Casino alert!!! If you don't know who that is then just go back and listen to LiveLoveASAP. This song is really peaceful, beautiful, simple, complex, just something to lay back to and chill. You don't have any worries when you listen to something like this. Again, Rocky isn't saying anything that's gonna make you rewind the song, but like "Bound 2", this is just meant to be enjoyed.
5. Hell (Feat. Santigold)
It sounds exactly like "LVL", but that's okay. ASAP has always been about making chill beats/songs and this is again just meant to be enjoyed. Rocky does step his lyric game up a tad, but don't even focus on that. Focus on the SONG, let it soothe you. Let Santigold kill that hook, let the production team relax you after a long day. Treat yo self.
6. Pain (Feat. OverDoz)
Bleeeeeehhhhhhhhh. Sounds like "LVL" and "Hell", so you could probably skip it if you're getting TOO relaxed. Like, it's an all right song, but it's the most mediocre thing so far on the album. It isn't a terrible song by any means, but you'll live without ever hearing it again.
7. F**kin' Problems (Feat. Every Lame Rapper Except Kendrick Lamar)
Everyone and their momma knows about this song. And it's actually pretty good. Even with that trash hook by 2 Chainzzzz, who still doesn't care about setting the rap game back about 20 years. 2 Chainz is trash. Then we move on to Rocky's verse where he again chooses style over substance, which is what this whole song basically is. I'm not mad at Rocky, but he was in cruise control for this one. Then we arrive at Drizzy Draaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaake. Who raps like thiiiiiiiiiiiiis, and thaaaaaaaaaaat andsometimesthrowsinsomethingeeeeellllssseeeeee. He talks about the staaaaaaaaars and maybe dissed Rhiaaaaannnaaaaaaaaa and weeeeeeeeed and the Beeeaaaaatlllleeesssss. And then he gets kindaaaaa gaaaaaaangstaaaaaa and then talks about his diiiiiiicccckkkkk. So then we arrive at Kendrick Lamar, and if you've seen the video, he wears the same exact thing as Rocky. I mean, it's whatever. He spit the best verse, so I'm not mad about it. See, when you can make good songs that don't suck, then you can get away with a lot of things.
8. Wild For The Night (Feat. Skrillex)
Yaaaahhhhh!!!!!! At first I was wondering what this monstrosity was that I was listening, and then I listened to it 12 more times and it's one of my favorite cuts on the album. When I first saw the tracklist and saw Skrillex's Hot Topic ass on there I was like, nooooooooo I'm not reeeaaaaddyyyy. But then he blessed us with a beautiful beat that sounds like Storm Troopers shooting at Luke and Han.
9. 1 Train (Feat. Kendrick Lamar, Joey BadA$$, Yelawolf, Danny Brown, Action Bronson, Not Drake, Big K.R.I.T.)
This was the song everyone was excited about. And I'm here to tell you this was the second mediocre track on the album. Like it isn't a bad song, but it isn't the monster we all thought it had the potential to be. ASAP spit a so so verse, I skip Joey BadA$$ every chance I can get, Yelawolf was just OKAY, not like he was spitting anything that made me wanna buy any of his music ever. So then we arrive at Danny Brown. I don't all the way co-sign him, but he did bring it on this track. Action Bronson spit the best verse and Big K.R.I.T. still refuses to capture what made his first mixtape so special. I don't know, it feels like there could have been a better roster for this track, like replace Yelawolf, K.R.I.T., and Joey BadA$$ with Run The Jewels. Also the beat is meeeeehhhhhhhh at best.
10. Fashion Killa
This song sounds like that one scene in every movie when the ugly girl and popular guy go to the mall to buy her some clothes. And the guy sits in a chair while the girl comes out in like 4 humorously ugly outfits that the guys keeps shaking his head "no" to. And then when he's tired of her trying on clothes she comes out in THE outfit that's going to make her a star. But you could skip this song and not miss anything.
11. Phoenix
The video is trash but the song is actually really great. Probably one of my favorites on the album. The beat is elegant, and ASAP doesn't do what all of his peers do, which is become emotionally naked and wounded. No, Rocky decides to retain his masculinity. This song had the potential to fly off the rails and become a J.Cole/Drake knockoff song, but ASAP brought it.
"If I shall ever fall Lord pick me up, ever since a baby two deuce in sippy cups, ever since my diapers and my zip-me-ups, now I'm walking on my own and ya'll wish me luck"
12. Suddenly
ASAP gets back to relaxing you with a chill beat. He paints a scene about growing up in New York and you're just kinda like "this song is good, but I'm about to fall asleep"....but then...man.
13. Jodeye
This song wasn't intentionally supposed to put you asleep, but it does. Zzzzzzzzz.
14. Ghetto Symphony (Feat. Gunplay and The Guy in the A$AP Mob Who Can't Rap)
Woooooo, we're back! I do love this song a lot, but you can definitely skip it after Gunplay spits. The songs goes along steadily until you get to ASAP Ferg. Man ASAP Ferg sucks. He also said he's gonna "gonna kill em like Big Boi" but he raps like he's stupid.
15. Angels
Now THIS song is a problem. If "Goldie" didn't exist, this would be the best song on the album. Maaaaaaaaaaaan this beat is beautiful and ASAP actually kinda kills it. Also the music video is terrific. This really should've been the closing song on the album, but beggars can't be choosers ya know? But I definitely recommend that you listen to this song because it's one of my favorites of 2013.
16. Like I'm Apart (Feat. Florence Welch)
Turn on the radio and you can hear about 234823049024 versions of this song. This really shouldn't have been as generic as it ended up being. Weak way to close out the album but all the glitter's can't be gold every time, right?
So there we have it. Is it better than the LiveLoveA$AP mixtape? Not really, but I do enjoy this album more. Rocky didn't do any lyrical backflips on this, but he maintained a consistency throughout the album that a lot of artists lack in this day in age. A lot of albums have about 4 fire joints, 2 really good joints, 1 "I could listen to this again some day" joint, and 8 filler joints. This album only had 4 moments of ehhhhhh to me, but even those songs weren't awful, they just didn't appeal to me personally.
Final Score: 4.5/5
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