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

A$AP Rocky is a kid who got famous real quick and is killing it. Along with recent upstarts like Kendrick Lamar, he's popped out of what feels like nowhere to the top of the rap a-list in zero time flat, but it's easy to see why. He has the look, a great voice and really is the logical step for rap's big thing in this post-Odd Future landscape. The deluxe edition is really long – way too long in fact and suffers from a bunch of poorly made collaboration decisions, but it's doubtful he was responsible for any of them. Teaming him up with Florence Welch (of The Machine fame) is ridiculous and the weakest point on the record for sure. The Skrillex jam Wild For The Night is really not that bad, but the beat isn't strong and clearly he's on there for his name alone.

The highlights, however, are amazing. The all-star collaboration 1Train puts him up against Kendrick and a bunch of others, including Danny Brown who destroys everyone. The beat is classic and simple and with the Wu-Tang style verse tag teaming it's an instant classic. Rocky's new party bro Drizzy, 2 Chains and Kendrick guest on Fucking Problems – immature and juvenile sex rhymes don't ruin the track, but do lessen what could have been something incredible. Rocky's trademark is the slowed down purple drank codeine jams and Clams Casino brings the beat for LVL which is unbelievably abstract for a major release like this. Clams also produces Hell with a Santigold hook, proving that it's possible to be accessible without being shit.