Back in 2013, A$AP Rocky left many hip hop fans very satisfied with his debut album "Long.Live.A$AP," giving us memorable tracks like "1 Train," "Fashion Killa," and "Wild For the Night."
After two years, A$AP is back with the new release, "At.Long.Last.A$AP." This leads many fans to wonder: Can A$AP Rocky follow through with a solid sequel to his successful debut?The first thing that stands out before even starting the new album is the fact that DJ Danger Mouse plays a role as an executive producer. Danger Mouse, who has created a solid track record for himself, can only make this album even more exciting. The album properly starts off with a Danger Mouse produced track titled "Holy Ghost," which is easily one of the release’s most standout tracks.
When discussing "At.Long.Last.A$AP," one cannot help but mention the artist known as Joe Fox. Many probably have never heard of Fox before this album’s release. The backstory behind how A$AP and Fox came together is quite a fascinating one. They met on the streets of London while Fox was peddling mixtapes and playing some tunes. After A$AP asked to hear a song, Fox impressed him enough to get invited back to the studio. This album plays a role in being the unofficial debut for Joe Fox, who is featured on a whopping five tracks; which is quite impressive considering there was little to no attention on Joe Fox beforehand. He is featured alongside mainstream stars such as Kanye West and M.I.A. Most importantly, these features from Joe Fox are easily some of the best throughout "At.Long.Last.A$AP."
While the album starts off rather slow following the first two opening tracks, the second half kicks "At.Long.Last.A$AP" into overdrive with the Schoolboy Q-featured "Electric Body." If there is one track to listen to from A$AP’s new release, it’s definitely this one. The song is a solid banger that also has a very creative outro. It shows how much A$AP and those that produced the album have paid attention to detail on each track.
Other essential tracks worthy of a listen from "At.Long.Last.A$AP "include "Jukebox Joints," featuring Yeezus himself—Kanye West. "Max B," and "Pharsyde," both featuring Joe Fox, are clear examples of how important his presence is throughout A$AP’s work. "Better Things," the track that disses Rita Ora, is easily the best track on the album without any features. The Mark Ronson produced "Everyday," featuring Miguel and Rod Stewart surprisingly works out as the album’s lead single. Allegedly A$AP and Rod Stewart will be working on a mixtape together. One can only wonder if that’ll be as successful ...
The end result with "At.Long.Last.A$AP" is a successful stepping stone in the evolution of A$AP Rocky. There are clear signs of growth and maturity throughout that only make the hopes for his next release even higher. However, there are definitely a few missteps, with a rather underwhelming first half of the album following the opening tracks. There is also a lack of tracks as powerful and fast-paced as "Wild For the Night," which is easily one of the most memorable tracks from his debut. With that said, the future is very bright for A$AP Rocky, and fans will definitely stick around with this new release.
Grade: B
