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 | Tracklist:
1. Palace
2. Peso
3. Bass
4. Wassup
5. Brand New Guy (Featuring ScHoolboy Q)
6. Purple Swag: Chapter 2 (Featuring Spaceghostpurrp & ASAP Nast)
7. Get Lit (Featuring Fat Tony)
8. Trilla (Featuring ASAP Nast & ASAP Twelvy)
9. Keep It G (Featuring Chace Infinite &
Spaceghostpurrp)
10. Kissin' Pink (Featuring ASAP Ferg)
11. Houston Old Head
12. Acid Drip
13. Leaf (Featuring Main Attrakionz)
14. Roll One Up
15. Demons
16. Out Of This World
Release Date: 10/31/2011 | |
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On 65 Lists
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| Summary: ASAP Rocky’s long-in-the-making LiveLoveA$AP is simply one of the best hip-hop records of the year. |
ASAP Rocky’s meteoric rise in the past few months is certainly one of the most out-of-nowhere success stories of 2011. Known for little more than guest spots on mixtapes by left-field artists such as Main Attrakionz, ASAP began to garner significant attention for his songs “Peso” and “Purple Swag,” the latter becoming a certifiable Internet smash. Since then, the songs have received regional radio play (ASAP’s from Harlem), and ASAP later found himself on tour with Drake and signing an unbelievable $3 million deal with RCA.
That’s simply a staggering amount of money, clearly enough, especially considering the sorry state of the music industry, coupled with how far LiveLoveA$AP is from sounding remotely like dance-friendly mainstream hip-hop. All of LiveLoveA$AP is mid-paced, the beats (courtesy of up-and-comers Clams Casino and Spaceghost Purrp, amongst others) are dreamy and hazy, neatly falling in with the “cloud-rap” aesthetic established by artists like G-Side and Main Attrakionz. Honestly, the production choices are easily LiveLoveA$AP’s strongest feature: every beat, from the sad, Burial/Swarms-esque “Demons” to the swagged-out, chopped-and-screwed funk of “Trilla,” is uniformly excellent. Producer Clams Casino particularly shines: his beats for “Palace,” “Bass,” and “Wassup” are simply gorgeous, splicing downbeat vocal samples over hypnotizing, ambient synths and typical hip-hop drum tracks. The result are dreamy beats that amplify ASAP’s effortless flow, but also stand out in their own right.
The relative sameness of the production gives LiveLoveA$AP a uniform aesthetic, but one also gets the feeling that ASAP’s also simply more predisposed to rapping over thudding, mid-tempo beats than anything else. His flow is tempered but never lazy, simply sounding natural and effortless and likeable. The popular comparison to Odd Future rapper Hodgy Beats is appropriate, if Hodgy smoked a lot more weed and didn’t get bogged down by tired shock-rap tropes. ASAP’s lyrics are never more than serviceable--he doesn’t really deviate from typical subjects like having sex and getting high--but they never need to be: ASAP’s shortcomings as a lyricist are tempered by his excellent beat selection and his laid-back, personable flow.
Ultimately, that’s where LiveLoveA$AP’s success as an album truly lies. The dreamy beats, the haggard production, the confident and chilled braggadocio--it all combines to create a very particular aesthetic, perfect for late night drives or dank smoke sessions, and the album doesn’t have any higher ambitions than perfectly fitting these particular situations. There’s just simply a purpose to the whole of LiveLoveA$AP, and that kind of focus is something to be celebrated.
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| Recent reviews by this author | | | |
Album Rating: 4
Great, concise review, Cam. You nailed it. This album has displaced Main Attrakionz as my go-to lately. Good year for hip-hop.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
nice review. this album is pretty cool, the production is outstanding.
Digging: Hop Along - Get Disowned Digging: Hop Along - Get Disowned | | | Album Rating: 3.5
in the rec'd by reviewer section "Main Attraktions" should end in a 'z'
| | | Album Rating: 4
thanks lew, figured this would be something you'd dig. and yeah, this is been one the better and I
guess more interesting years for hip-hop in a while
and ah shit i kept spelling it wrong when i was writing the review too
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
yeah this is ok
Digging: Suis La Lune - Riala Digging: Suis La Lune - Riala | | | Album Rating: 2.5
personable flow?
Digging: Billy Woods - History Will Absolve Me Digging: Billy Woods - History Will Absolve Me | | | Album Rating: 3 | Sound Off
the production is absolutely boss but his raps are just not doing it for me
Digging: Death Grips - The Money Store | | |
didn't really like what i heard on youtube
production was nice though
| | | Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off
nice review man!. awesome album. definatley one of my fav hip hop releases of the year.
Digging: Japandroids - Celebration Rock | | | Album Rating: 3.5
"the production is absolutely boss but his raps are just not doing it for me"
yeah, this. i still really like the album because it sounds so sexy but his rapping is just kind of forgettable for me. it's weird, I'm not getting the hype on any of the hyped "experimental" hip-hop from this year (this, Shabazz Palaces, Main Attrakionz)
| | | Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off
Brand new guy is my hip hop song of the year. this has to be one of the best years for hip hop in my life.
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
yeah if youre looking for lyricism you wont like it
| | | Album Rating: 4
demons rules
| | | Album Rating: 3
This sounds interesting.
Digging: The Walkmen - Heaven | | | Album Rating: 4
Production is so brilliant, got damn.
Digging: Suis La Lune - Riala Digging: Suis La Lune - Riala | | | Album Rating: 4 | Sound Off
Love the smoky feel to the beats. Prob fav hip hop of the yr. Dudes flow is so versatile
Digging: - | | | Album Rating: 4
I'm not digging the flow as much but it's not too shabby. And I totally agree with you on the smoky
feel to the beats. 'Bass' is my jam.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
definitely one of my favorites of the year.
review does it justice, too.
the opening pair are probably my favorite tracks
| | | Album Rating: 3
Ok guys I've not heard nearly enough hip hop this year, Cunninlynguists and Jay-Z/Kanye have been the only things I've really enjoyed. What are the essentials?
| | | Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off
main attrakionz. lil b. new drake is aight too.
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