REVIEW: “AT.LONG.LAST.A$AP” adds to already fantastic year in rap

By Thomas Oide,
Bluedevilhub.com Staff–

It’s been a phenomenal year in the world of hip hop music.

Kendrick Lamar followed his acclaimed album “Good kid, m.a.a.d city,” with another masterpiece in “To Pimp a Butterfly.” Joey Bada$$ dropped his long awaited studio album “B4.DA.$$.” Chance the Rapper just dropped “Surf” this past week.

A$AP Rocky now adds to an already fantastic year in rap with his long-awaited second studio album “AT.LONG.LAST.A$AP” (A.L.L.A). Rocky has been very clear that he used psychedelic drugs throughout the making of the album, to create a “psychedelic” feel to the album. He has most definitely reached his goal, and has created an excellent album that flows well from track to track in the process.

1. “Holy Ghost”

“Holy Ghost” is a solid way to start off Rocky’s most recent project. He fuses elements of both rock and rap in his beat, giving it a twangy feel. “Holy Ghost” sets the tone for the rest of the album, and immediately gets the listeners attention.

2. “Canal St.”

“Canal St.” is an underrated gem that really sets up the rest of the album. While “Holy Ghost” has more of a twangy, rock feel, Rocky follows up that track with “Canal St.,” which has a piano-based beat that gives it that psychedelic feel Rocky strived for. Rocky calls out “fake” rappers in the hook: “You say you got them guns, but I’ve never seen you bang/You say you got them drugs, but I’ve never seen you slang/You say you in that game, but I’ve yet to see you play/You say you going hard, but nobody feels the same, yeah”

3. “Fine Whine”

It’s a bit slow to develop, and the overall feel and sound is definitely an acquired taste. He uses plenty of pre-produced sounds to give it a very synthetic and modern feel. Hardcore rap fans will enjoy it, but for newcomers, the song will certainly be an acquired taste.

4. “L$D”

Again, the track takes a bit too long to develop, but once the mood of the song turns at the chorus, the dreamy tone of Rocky’s voice completely takes over.

5. “Excuse me”

The beat became a little monotonous, even after the bass drops toward the middle of the track. While it isn’t horrible, it’s not groundbreaking.

6, 7 “JD” and “Lord Pretty Flacko Jodye 2”

While the interludes themselves aren’t fantastic, they do their jobs very well. Rocky uses “JD”and “Lord Pretty Flacko Jodye 2” as pivot points to shift the overall tone of his album from chill and laid-back to more of an intense feel.

8. “Electric Body”

While the lyrics, which are a bit shallow, leave something to be desired, the dark beat produced by Danger Mouse is the perfect hybrid of hip hop and rock. Schoolboy Q is a feature on the track, and also contributes to the dark, intense tone of the track. But towards the end, “Electric Body” transitions back to the psychedelic feel Rocky wants.

9. “Jukebox Joints”

Kayne West joins A$AP Rocky and produces a beat reminiscent of another song he produced in his early years: “The Good, The Bad, The Ugly.” Kanye’s verse is subpar for the most part but he closes it powerfully: “They wanna throw me under a white jail/Cause I’m a black man with the confidence of a white male.”

10. “Max B”

In “Max B,” Rocky contemplates whether one can fix wrongdoings in the past. Rocky’s verses and the driving beat overall promotes head-bobbing, but the softer hook, from the once-homeless Joe Fox, is a bit too jarring of a switch.

11. “Pharsyde”

The bass heavy beat drives the song forward, and the relatively slow pace encourages head-nodding throughout the whole thing. It’s a very well-executed track from Rocky.

12. “Wavybone”

“Wavybone” joins “Everyday” and “Canal St.” as one of the best beats on the album. Unlike on “L$D” and “Excuse me,” Rocky gets right to point and hits the listener with a lively beat with plenty of moving parts.

13. “West Side Highway”

Another slow developing song, as Rocky continues to keep the album feeling laid back and simple. However, it’s still very hard to listen to because of how slow developing it is.

14. “Better Things”

This is one of the first songs Rocky recorded for the album, and was considering cutting it. However it was one of A$AP Yams’ favorite song. Yams passed away earlier in the year, and Rocky left in in as a tribute. It’s another head-nodding beat from Rocky, no different from the rest of the album.

15. “M’$”

Wait, Lil Wayne is alive? And he is actually capable of spitting a half-decent verse? Rocky brings the polarizing Lil Wayne on this track and Weezy actually puts out a listenable verse. Another well-done song from Rocky… See a trend yet?
16. “Dreams (Interlude)”

Not a huge fan of interludes, and this one is especially hard to listen to. The piano-laden beat sounds too ambient, and is too much of a contrast to the meaty beats from the previous tracks.

17. “Everyday”

This will probably be the radio hit of the album; it’s sheer brilliance from Rocky. He worked with a star studded cast on the track: Mark Ronson, Rod Stewart, and Miguel. It’s a catchy beat that definitely promotes a silent bob of the head.

18. “Back Home”

In “Back Home,” Rocky finishes his album with another ambient, dreamy beat. There’s two primary riffs in the piano (but one technically isn’t a riff because it’s simply one note repeated on a honky-tonk piano). Still, the transitions between sections aren’t as jarring as “Max B”

Conclusion: AT.LONG.LAST.A$AP is an excellent sophomore album by A$AP Rocky. While he isn’t quite at the level of Kendrick Lamar or J.Cole yet, he is an artist who is certainly on the rise.