After a brief lull in the rampant amount of high-profile rap releases this year, A$AP Rocky has delivered his ambitious and long-awaited album At Long Last A$AP. High expectations have surrounded the Harlem native especially considering the mixed reviews of his previous effort Long Live A$AP. While the album saw mainstream success due to massive singles such as radio smash “Problems” and EDM favorite “Wild For The Night”, Rocky’s hardcore fan-base who originally fell in love with the woozy ‘cloud rap’ allure of Live Love A$AP were left somewhat unsatisfied. And after staying quiet in a state of creative seclusion for several months, Rocky and the Mob were faced with tragedy after the death of their founding father A$AP Yams. The news of Yams passing had a universal impact on the world of hip-hop, but it is clear that his spirit lives on within the unique soundscape of A.L.L.A. as he was an executive producer of the project along with Danger Mouse, Juicy J, and A$AP Rocky himself. An interesting concoction of genre-bending production results from this diverse grouping of artists and it provides A$AP Rocky with a captivating platform to showcase his charismatic artistic qualities.
Similar to his fan-favorite debut, A.L.L.A. opens up with a series of imposing records which quickly encapsulate the overarching hallucinogenic sound that presides over the project. The first track “Holy Ghost” is one of the deeper tracks when it comes to subject-matter as Rocky utilizes a slightly altered flow to discuss the shady tactics of pastors, but it is the massive synths and guitar licks (mostly unheard in Rocky’s previous music) that are particularly ear-catching. After the dark minimalistic piano-driven standout “Canal St.” (featuring a fittingly haunted hook from Bones), we are greeted with perhaps the most ingenious collaboration on the album in “Fine Wine”, a signature slowed-down moody affair which finally reveals its drums as M.I.A. and Future bring forth their distinct deliveries. And while there are a number of big-name features throughout A.L.L.A, the artist who truly takes advantage of his dreamlike opportunity to leave his talented crooning footprints all over the album is vocalist Joe Fox, a singer who Rocky randomly discovered on the streets of London. Fox plays a part in about half a dozen songs on the project and his vocal/tempo conducting contributions prove to be an invaluable piece to the puzzle.
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