So it's no surprise that, once again, I'm writing about an artist who I was late to the dinner party for. ASAP Rocky, born as Rakim Mayers, hails from the city of Harlem, NY, and is the first rapper (at least in my recent memory) to call it his home and actually gain some attention since Harlemite Max B. He claims to have gotten his nickname "Rocky" because of his legendary name (if you don't know who Rakim is then you're part of that 90% I mentioned earlier) and because of his scrappy, but suave persona (I literally copied that straight from his facebook page, plagiarism at its finest). You may be inclined to think that ASAP just stands for the traditional "As Soon As Possible" but your inclination would be wrong. In fact, ASAP, according to Mayers himself, stands for "To Accumulate Status and Power" (so why the fuck isn't is TASAP, just sayin'). Mayers was always interested in rap, but it wasn't until he heard his older brother drop a couple of verses one day that he actually decided to pursue it seriously.
Since then, Mayers has said to have drawn influence from many different areas of music, including the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Cee-Lo Green and even MGMT. His biggest influence, however, comes from the swag out of Houston, TX, which contributes heavily to his style and rhyming. ASAP decided that he needed to bring something new to the table in order to get noticed, and combining the sounds of Houston and Harlem (two polar opposites) was exactly the way of doing it. After his release of the underground hit "Purple Swag" this past summer. ASAP saw his YouTube views skyrocket and the video reached over 100K hits in just a matter of days. It was this growing hype that caught the attention of Sony/RCA records, who offered him a juicy $3 million deal in October earlier this year (to add some perspective, Drake was signed for a measly $2 million when he penned the first deal with Young Money. And speaking of Drake, Rocky also jumped on his Club Paradise tour this fall as well).
In addition to Rocky himself, he has the ASAP Mob crew behind him, which consists of: ASAP Nast, ASAP Ty Beats, ASAP Ferg, ASAP Twelvyy and ASAP Yams. It comes of no surprise then that ASAP already has received comparisons to OFWGKTA and Tyler the Creator. Even Hodgy Beats of OFWGKTA has called ASAP Rocky "ASAP Copy" (that's trash talk today? where the fuck is 'Pac and Biggie when you need them). Still, ASAP claims that he has no connection with the shock-rap group and that he has a completely different agenda then they do. With only "Purple Swag" and leaks of other tracks from Rocky, including "Wassup" and "Pe$o", there was good reason for the comparisons. So ASAP, now with a mountain full of hype behind him and OFWGKTA comparisons not going away, released his first mixtape, LongLiveA$AP on Halloween this year. Here's my review.
1. Palace (Prod. by Clams Casino)
First, let's put the Odd Future comparisons to rest. You need about only five seconds to realize this, as Tyler the Creator nor any of his fellow mates would have the balls to try rapping over this type of beat. The beat is deff. worth noting, as I'm not sure if ASAP is good or Clams is that good. Whatever's the case, this song bumps and I was glad to see ASAP not abandon his chopped and screwed sampling to kick off his mixtape. I could have used a little less "how real is this" (we get it) but this is overall a solid track. Rocky does drop a few lines also worth noting, "Give me the title, then give me the cash/fold it in the bag then move it in the trash/follow my stash/stealing my swag/niggas is wickity wickity wack/like Kriss Kross/her lip gloss, slip-ons get slipped off/my bitch boss, Cristal."
2. Pe$o (Prod. by Ty Beats)
Don't get this member of the ASAP Mob confused with the same one who produced Kendrick Lamar's "Ronald Reagan Era" (for that would be Tae Beatz). While Beats may be no Beatz, he is still incredibly talented based on what I'm hearing here. I loved the beat for this and it complements the hook nicely. There's also more of that chopped and screwed I mentioned earlier that is worked seamlessly through the hook (and let it be known that I'm NOT a fan of chopped and screwed bullshit; these guys make it actually sound right in some way). You hear the "pretty muthafucka" line, which is certainly not the last, in this and it's a theme that ASAP seems to set on himself. With lines like "with this coke I just imported, I'm just as important as your president" and "them 6's, them Benzes, I get the freshest" shows that ASAP is cocky, but after you just sign a $3 million deal, I can forgive him somewhat. For the most part though, I liked this track, even if the lyrics aren't quite on par with the beat provided.
3. Bass (Prod. by Clams Casino)
ASAP teams up again with Casino here and, again, it's a good fit. For one, this song just bumps. The short bass bumps along with the execution of chopped and screwed bridges (again), make this song at least interesting enough to keep playing. ASAP doesn't do much to impress me or his critics with his time on the mic, which concerns me somewhat, but with Clams behind him, you literally have to try and be shitty in order to make the track not sound somewhat decent.
4. Wassup (Prod. Clams Casino)
I think it's past the point of praise for Casino at this point: the dude can just flat out produce. In arguably his best beat that he provides ASAP for this entire tape, Rocky makes sure that it doesn't go to waste. Surprisingly, Rocky goes more personal on this. "Only thing bigger than my ego is my mirror, pretty nigga pin your hair up!" shows that ASAP certainly acknowledges his critics, but that he just doesn't give a fuck. In this way, he is related to Tyler the Creator and the Odd Future crew. Yet, ASAP also establishes something that Tyler hasn't, which is that he doesn't need to resort to shock rap in order to garner attention. Yes, lyrically, there's only two verses (with the second being almost more of a bridge than a verse). However, this song still sounds great, regardless, and it's deff. one of the highlights on this tape.
5. Brand New Guy ft. Schoolboy Q (Prod. by Lyle)
For the first time on LiveLoveA$AP, the beat is one that isn't stellar. The chopped and screwed hook is nice, and I'm sure that die-hard ASAP fans will love this track, but ASAP doesn't do much to try and bring this song up and Schoolboy Q hurts this song more than helps it. I'll skip this one. ("That bitch be my stuffing", really Schoolboy Q? That's close to being as bad as "I'll make you eat cake like a fat kid" - 50)
6. Purple Swag Chapter 2 ft. ASAP Nast & Spaceghost Purpp (Prod. by Ty Beats)
It's commendable that ASAP wanted to do a remix (well, really not, just new verses) of this for his fans, but it's also not necessary. I almost would have just preferred Rocky put on the original version so those who didn't keep up with him over the summer (like moi) would at least have a copy of it. Again, another track that's not really worth your time.
7. Get Lit ft. Fat Tony (Prod. by Souffein 3000)
ASAP thinks that this is his favorite track on the tape. I think this song fucking blows, therefore, I won't even comment more on it.
8. Trilla ft. ASAP Twelvy & ASAP Nast (Prod. by Beautiful Lou)
Now THIS was the kind of shit I was hoping to hear from the ASAP Mob crew. With a beat that sounds straight like its off of UGK's Underground Kingz, here is the Houston influence that ASAP is so well noted for. It's clear this is the type of beat that ASAP excels on and he even goes all Bone Thugz on us at about the 1:09 and I liked the line "I'm wierdo but I'm wierd though" (creative, no?). What's even more pleasant to hear is that ASAP gets good performances from his ASAP Mob buddies, with ASAP Nast doing his best Drake impression he can give. "Still sippin candy painted whips is what I'm sittin in", this is shit I expect to hear from K.R.I.T., not some group from Harlem. Yet in some way, the Mob makes it work and it sounds genuine. I just hope I hear more of this in the future.
9. Keep it G ft. Chace Infinite & Spaceghost Purrp (Prod. by Spaceghost Purrp)
Spaceghost Purrp deff. succeeds with the beat he gives ASAP to work with here, but not so much on his rhymes or hook. I also am getting a little annoyed at this point that this project is more focused on the ASAP Mob than ASAP himself. I get it, you want to get your guys exposure, which is all great in all, but at the end of the day, this is YOUR mixtape. Not only is it his solo mixtape, but it's his fucking debut. The great ones don't need guests to carry them (see Nas, Biggie, etc.). Again, I liked the beat. Lines like "let me beat that pussy red" though are a disappointment, however.
10. Kissin Pink ft. ASAP Ferg (Prod. by Beautiful Lou)
I make fun of Drake and the Young Money crew a lot for only focusing on things like women and chains, and unfortunately, ASAP does nothing to help his case that he's different with shit like this. As is the case with the majority of this tape, the beat is terrific, the lyrics, not so much.
11. Houston Old Head (Prod. by DJ Burn One)
Maybe ASAP just wants to fucking frustrate me. Whatever is the case, the return to that Houston/trill influence is welcoming and DJ Burn One produces the shit out of this. ASAP also, amazingly, holds his own and doesn't ask another from the ASAP Mob to help him out here. The message of this song is pretty clear, which is ASAP discussing how he gained his Houston influences and it's sort of a tribute to the sub-genre itself. He also tries to give us a little more lyrically, spitting "Now my old head old age bald head rogaine/code red codeine, nose red cocaine, pimpin bitches since lemon chicken shrimp lo mein/gold chains afros platforms soul train". A strong hook, along with a nice addition of some chopped and screwed, and you've got quite possibly, the best track of the entire tape.
12. Acid Drip (Prod. Souffein 3000)
For a split second, I had a flashback to "Get Lit", which blew, and I expected the same from this. This is better, but not by much. Forgettable verse, lame hook, and a weak beat. Ouch.
13. Leaf ft. Main Attractionz (Prod. Clams Casino)
ASAP uses this track as more of a soap box so that he can bitch about all the "phony niggas" and "hipsters", but he does it effectively and it works well with the beat that Casino gives him (but, what else did you really expect?). I wasn't crazy about the hook and Main Attractionz verses aren't great, so this song doesn't have much going for it than ASAP's verse. The fact that this song goes nearly 5 minutes also has that working against it, so in short, this song is pretty forgettable.
14. Roll One Up (Prod. DJ Burn One)
As has been the theme of this tape, ASAP gives us 2-3 pieces of crap and then gives us another gem that has me believing in him. This, if you didn't already figure it out, is one of those gems. OK, so lyrically, there's not much depth, but the song works because of its hook and great beat, (Burn One and Clams should honestly have just produced the whole fucking tape). Stoners alike will be happy with this one and, while it's not the best ASAP has to offer, it's at least a breath of fresh air after hearing two sub-par tracks.
15. Demons (Prod. Clams Casino)
Clams is back, and, you guessed it, he earns another gold star. However, don't overlook ASAP's performance on this one either. "Wassup" touched the surface of some of Rocky's feelings and this one goes a little bit deeper. Rocky begins with "I smoked away my brain, I think I’m going dumb/Cocaine up on my gums, I think they're going numb/I'm having stomach pains, man I'm throwing up," showing that he indeed has a drug problem and he acknowledges it. He also lets everyone know he won't be changing who he is, despite the recent success he's had "Now we swagging, making money in Manhattan/Straight what’s happening/They try to intellect with indirection just to test you/A rebel until my death, it's in my flesh, it's in my vessels" (I'll come back to this in about a year or so and see if that's the case, I'm going to say that's pretty damn unlikely at this).
16. Out of this World (Prod. by The Olympicks)
The song fits where it's placed, even though it doesn't fit the typical finale outro you've come to expect from other artists (I guess that's how ASAP rolls, though). To be honest, this could be Rocky's strongest track lyrically that he has on the entire tape. He makes multiple pop references (Rihanna to name one) and I thought it was interesting how Rocky thought he'd be a fit for Roc Nation "Would've been J.Cole if I would've met J Hovvv". Confidence is something that Rocky has plenty of and if that hasn't been hammered into your ears at this point, then you aren't listening. I liked the song a lot though and fortunately leaves me with hope for Rocky, rather than disgust.
Closing Statement: When I first heard this tape, I had it on repeat for days. Maybe it was the chopped and screwed sections that I was so fascinated with. Maybe it was a dude from Harlem rapping like he's straight from Houston. Or maybe it was just the fact I was looking for something fresh and Rocky happened to be there when my craving was at its worst. This is why I say you can't evaluate someone's work until you give it time. Songs that I thought were terrific early on proved to be bland or awful a month later. Another thing I noticed about this tape in retrospect was that it was really all over the place. It wasn't a tape about Rocky, but at times it was. It wasn't a tape based on a few different topics, but at other times, pussy, coke, and candy painted cars dominated Rocky's conversation. The key is that this needs to be judged under the microscope of a mixtape, rather than an album. Tapes can get away with errors like this (although K.R.I.T.'s and Gibb's latest had much less of these, I'll get to them later in the month). Still, there are moments and flashes of greatness from Rocky, such as "Houston Old Head", "Trilla" or "Wassup", which tells me he does deserve my attention. He just may not deserve it As Soon As Possible.
The Verdict: For this being free, it's a deal. Even if you only listen to the three songs I mentioned above, it's still worth your space on the hard drive and you'll impress a few of those 90% that have no fucking clue there is a Rocky existing now in hip hop. I'll be looking forward to Mayer's next release, just not as much as I was a month ago.
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