What’s up y’all, it’s $upreme back here for my debut review for the new A$AP Rocky album At.Long.Last.A$AP. This is Rocky’s second studio album after blowing up in the underground after the release of his debut mixtape in 2011 titled Live.Love.A$AP & after the commercial and critical success of his chart topping debut album in early 2013 titled Long.Live.A$AP. After the release of the latter, Rocky gained much attention and was seen as one of the most creative artist coming out of this generation of Hip-Hop artist.
While not the most lyrical rapper to come out of this generation of artist, Rocky had his own sort of creativity and swagger that could sort of be compared to the likes of Kanye West. He was a man of style and fashion. Between the release of Long.Live.A$AP and At.Long.Last.A$AP Rocky has been pretty silent in terms of releasing music. While being very active in the fashion world, he was pretty silent with what he was crafting in the studio for his sophomore album and this only created much more hype for what he was going to deliver. Finally, over 2 years later we have a new A$AP Rocky album at long last. Let’s see if he delivered.
1. Holy Ghost
Featuring Joe Fox; Produced by Danger Mouse & DJ Khalil
Good ass way to start an album. Production is dope and this Joe Fox dude did his thing as well. The guitar on this track is flames. Lyrically, Rocky is actually pretty deep on this track.
They ask me why I don’t go to church no more
Cause church is the new club and wine is the new bub
And lies is the new drug
My sister the next stripper, my brother the next victim
My usher the next tricker
This track is pretty chill, but still really impressed me. Hell of a way to start off an album. Definitely going to be giving this heavy rotation when I get a bootleg cassette of the album.
2. Canal St.
Featuring Bones; Produced by Hector Delgado, Klimeks, & Frans Mernick
I went from roaches on my bump to red broaches on the cuff
Rocky really has come a long way. On the second track Rocky is basically just talking about how he’s come up into the rap game. The production is pretty dark and simple and Rocky goes over the beat pretty well. I was actually curious to see how a Rocky & Bones collab would go, but listening to the track and seeing that it’s just Rocky rapping over the beat to a Bones track (“Dirt”) and just keeping his vocals in for the hook is a bit disappointing. Still, this track is pretty solid and I enjoyed Rocky’s verses on this and the production is pretty moody in a flattering way. Personally this won’t get heavy rotation, but it has good replay value. Hustle
3. Fine Whine
Featuring Future, Joe Fox, & M.I.A.; Produced by S.I.K. & THC
This is something you’d play on a rainy day in the summer after your girl calls your favorite rapper trash and breaks your heart into a million microscopic pieces. The production gives me an 808’s & Heartbreak sort of feel. It’s a very chill and mellow song with a lot of depressing vibes. Rocky is actually giving us insight into his emotions involving romance and showing us a bit of his own insecurities. I’m not going to act like I know 100% what the lyrics actually relate to, but it’s safe to assume that this is Rocky’s ode to his breakup with Chanel Iman. Future and, the love of my life, M.I.A. are featured on this track and contribute some solid verses that add to the mood of heartbreak and other emotions that come packaged with it. I’d say this is a highlight for me.
Tell your new bitch she can suck a dick
4. L$D
Produced by Hector Delgado, Jim Jonsin, & Finatik N Zac
To be completely honest, I feel like the music video is actually better than the song itself. Still, I’ll take this over “Fashion Killa”. It’s a pretty experimental and psychedelic track for Rocky’s typical style and I can give a pass on some of the cheesy lines on this for that, because it goes over pretty well for what it is. The sequence of this coming after the last track fits pretty. Still, I’m not entirely moved by the track. Coupled with the music video though, it’s a pretty colorful and trippy orgasm for the eyes.
5. Excuse Me
Produced by Hector Delgado, A$AP Rocky, Vulkan The Krusader, Jim Jonsin, & Finatik N Zac
I’ve been waiting for this track eagerly since it was teased in the video for the last track. I’m very satisfied with what I got. This beat right here is elegant as hell. The way the it switches up when the hook comes in is a little soft, but it fits in with the vibe of the track and overall it’s dope. Rocky’s bragging all over the track, but he sounds good on the beat and his flow is top notch. When the beat kicks in even more during the second verse too…WOO. This is definitely one my favorites off this album.
6. JD
Produced by Plu2o Nash
This is such a shame, because this track could’ve easily been one of my favorites if only it was longer. Regardless, this track is pretty dope. Rocky is pretty aggressive on this track and as for subject matter it’s just some more bragging pretty much. The beat is pretty simple, but dark and Rocky’s aggressive flow being matched up with it adds a pretty good mood to this. No problems here, besides length.
7. Lord Pretty Flacko Jodye 2
Produced by Nez & Rio
Let me crank my volume up to 300 for this shit right here. This bass on this track is heavy and Rocky’s flow is A1 sauce. I’ve been on this since it dropped months back and I still feel the same I’ve always felt about it. This shit needed a Juicy J verse. The track is pretty short which is good, because if I had to go through more than 3 minutes of these sirens blasting this shit would’ve been mad annoying. But overall the track bangs and it’s one of the only few hype tracks on the album. Definitely a highlight for me.
8. Electric Body
Featuring ScHoolboy Q; Produced by Hector Delgado, Danger Mouse, THC, & Teddy Walton
“You shouldn’t have sucked the nigga dick for free!”. This right here man…this is nothing, but blue flame emojis. A$AP and Q have always made a dope duo (“Brand New Guy”, “PMW”, “Californication”). The production for the track is like some Twilight Zone shit. Still a fun song to listen to and it still bangs pretty hard. The hook for this joint is smooth as hell too. Rocky’s verse on this is dope, but Q’s verse stole the show for me (“I can whip that bitch like Ike”). This dude is grimy. Probably the type to kill you and show up to your funeral just to crip walk on your grave. The little outro for this track is pretty smooth too. I definitely mess with this one. Heavy rotation.
9. Jukebox Joints
Featuring Joe Fox & Kanye West; Produced by Kanye West & Che Pope
Kanye made a gem when he produced this track, but that’s really the most positive thing I can say about Kanye on this track. Not the typical production you’d expect to hear Rocky on, but he sounds very comfortable on the beat and smooth as hell, especially when it switches up on the second half. Sadly though, Ye delivers a pretty mediocre verse on the beat switch up. I actually would enjoy this more without Ye on it. Overall though, this is still a pretty dope track and the production is a solid 10. I’ll say it’s a highlight.
Ain’t nothing better than a pretty, big forehead bitch
10. Max B
Featuring Joe Fox; Produced by Hector Delgado & A$AP Rocky
Yo…FREE MAX B. This is some “jiggy” shit. The beat has a sample of the same Bob James sample used for Run DMC’s “Peter Piper”. Rocky is spitting all over this track and, once again, gets a pretty damn good assist from young Joe Fox. Rocky is reflecting on all the unlawful things he’s done, while paying homage to Max B who, like Rocky, is from Harlem. Basically saying this is the the lifestyle and environment he was raised in so he had to get it how he lived. Solid track right here.
11. Pharsyde
Featuring Joe Fox; Produced by Danger Mouse, Frans Mernick, & Dan Lynas
Lyrically, this is another one of the more deeper tracks on the album.
It’s the irony how LSD inspired me to reach the high in me
Used to never give a damn now I don’t give a fuck entirely
I think my pride died in me, somewhere inside of me, it’s gotta be
A whole ‘nother side of me
I don’t have any problems here. Rocky does his usual thing on this track and flows smoothly on the beat. This is definitely a track I could just play when I wanna chill and kick back, relaxing. No problems here.
12. Wavybone
Featuring Juicy J & UGK; Produced by Juicy J & Hector Delgado
Southern and soulful production on this track here. The horns on this shit are really tight too. The real highlight though is the verse from the late Pimp C. Ah memories. I instantly thought of “International Player Anthem” when I heard his voice. Rocky’s verse on this track is dope and Juicy J comes through with a solid verse and flows nicely on the beat. Bun B closing off the track with his verse is a nice finishing touch for this cake here. Definitely one of my favorites on the album. Heavy rotation
13. Westside Highway
Featuring James Fauntleroy; Produced by Danger Mouse & Frans Mernick
This track is pretty chill. Nothing too special here. Rocky is touching on his interest with the ladies and name drops some clothing brands. The main thing saving this song from being skipped over is the production (Thank you Danger Mouse) and the feature from James Fauntleroy. Luckily this is one of the shorter tracks on the album.
14. Better Things
Produced by Frans Mernick
Classic Rocky here. While this isn’t a standout track for me in terms of replay value, this does standout especially with the Rita Ora line:
Swear that bitch Rita Ora got a big mouth
Next time I see her might curse the bitch out
Kicked the bitch out once ’cause she bitched out
Spit my kids out, jizzed up all in her mouth and made the bitch bounce
The beat is pretty simple and Rocky’s flow is well done once again, but isn’t anything too special on the track and the content and subject matter isn’t really anything to go crazy over of course. It’s a pretty simple track, nothing that exciting for me personally. The little intro for this track is pretty sweet though.
15. M’$
Featuring Lil’ Wayne; Produced by Da Honorable C.N.O.T.E. & Mike Dean
First things first, this hook is mad annoying. Lil’ Wayne is featured and uses his typical flow that he rehashes these days, but his verse is actually pretty nice. Lately he’s been delivering some pretty quality verses compared to what we’ve gotten from him these past few years. The best part about this song is definitely the production. Lyrically Rocky ain’t really talking about nothing, but….M’s. It’s a cool track, but it’s not gonna be the song I’ve skip over to listen to.
16. Dreams (Interlude)
Produced by A$AP Rocky & Frans Mernick
Nearing the end of the album and we get an interlude. I actually vibe to this heavy. The dark and eerie production is dope and apparently Rocky produced this track himself. Makes me more interested in this instrumental album he’s talked about dropping for a while now. Based on this I actually wouldn’t even mind a full album of him rapping over his own beats as long as the subject matter isn’t repetitive. Lyrically though, Rocky gets pretty dark on this too which goes well with the mood of the production. I cosign this.
17. Everyday
Featuring Rod Stewart, Miguel, & Mark Ronson; Produced by Mark Ronson, Emile Haynie, Frans Mernick, Jeff Bhasker, A$AP Rocky, Tom Elmhirst, & Hudson Mohawke
I actually mess with this one. When it first dropped a few weeks ago I heard it and I thought it was just “okay”, but it’s grown on me. The beat switch up for this track is nice as hell and Miguel & Rod Stewart do a pretty damn good job on the hook. This is the most radio friendly song on the entire album. No problems here.
18. Back Home
Featuring Mos Def, Acyde, & A$AP Yams; Produced by Thelonious Martin, DDot Omen, & Rakim Mayers
The beat on this track is vintage and nasty. This Mos Def verse is ill as hell too, I just wish it was longer. Rocky is spitting again for the closing track and actually holds his own with Mos Def. Honestly, I would’ve been happier if this track had a major beat switch up somewhere in this or at least for Mos Def’s verse, but I can’t complain too much with what this track gave me. Production has been on point throughout this entire album and this track has Rocky finding his way back home. The album comes to a fitting end with the late Lord Yamborghini closing it out for us with some knowledge.
Ya’ll just gon’ keep watching us at the beach show with your mother fuckin’ khaki’s rolled up. Chancletas in your hand and we just gon’ keep surfing in this mother fucker. Straight up. It’s ya boy, A$AP Yams, Yamborghini
Definitely a highlight here.
Bottom Line:
Okay so overall this album is the old Rocky and the new Rocky learning the fusion technique and creating pretty formidable opponent. Lyrically, this album shows Rocky stepping up a bit and attempting to be more introspective. It’s not happening on every song throughout the entire album, but it happens enough to be noticed and noted. As far as production goes, this album is pretty top notch. You have production from Kanye, Danger Mouse, Juicy J, Nez & Rio, and even Rocky himself. There isn’t really a beat on this entire album that I can say I din’t like.
Only problems I really have with this is that I personally wish some tracks had a little more fire to them and the subject matter tends to get a little repetitive at times so it can get a little stale on the ears. Everyone did their thing in contributing to this album and I wan’t to give a special shoutout to Joe Fox who’s doing his thing all over this album. Hope he enjoys the shine, because he’s about to blow up.
If you’re an A$AP Rocky fan you should definitely gives this album a listen. If you’re a fan of Hip-Hop that’s sort of experimental or out of the norm or Hip-Hop that simply focuses more on the side of production or rather mood then I would also recommend you give this a listen. Consensus: Rocky delivered.
SHAKE THAT ASS GIRL, MAKE THAT COOCHIE WET
Standouts: “Holy Ghost”, “Excuse Me” “Wavybone”, “Electric Body”, “Back Home”, “Lord Pretty Flacko Jodye 2”, “Fine Whine”, “Max B”, “Jukebox Joints”…I guess.
Peace y’all. #Prosper
