A$AP Rocky ‘s transformation from a crack-slinging dealer to an international hip-hop phenomenon is the stuff of legends.  Rocky, part of the Harlem-based A$AP Mob hip-hop collective, released his widely praised debut mixtape LiveLoveA$AP to critical acclaim in 2011. While his new album boasts revamped production in addition to a star features list of some of the most up-and-coming rappers on the scene, the album comes off as inconsistent and generic while trying too hard to stay current.
Long. Live. A$AP is essentially a Catch-22 when it comes to compliments.  Grammy-nominated producer and rapper Hit-Boy adds a new flavor to Rocky’s flow with sinister, bass-heavy samples (“1 Train” and “Goldie”), and East Coast trillwave pioneer Clams Casino makes a reappearance with his atmospheric, ethereal instrumentals.  However, Rocky himself fails to create a signature style on any of the six tracks he co-produced on the album, further distorting the album’s consistency.
The feature list for the LP would excite any hip-hop fan, with names like recent rap phenoms Kendrick Lamar and Danny Brown, along with lesser-known wunderkind Joey Bada$$ and newcomer Action Bronson.  Yet because of this exact reason, the six features on “1 Train” end up overshadowing Rocky, turning the six-plus minute track into a cypher and the much-hyped Skrillex collaboration into essentially an A$AP remix (“Wild for the Night”).
Despite the jigsaw production and overbearing features, Rocky mostly retains his lyrical sense and distinct flows, giving this album at least one thread of coherence.  Nevertheless, Rocky is unable to avoid the common sophomore pitfall: rapping about his success and cash flow.  While the subject matter on LiveLoveA$AP delved into the strange and featured multifaceted, storytelling lyrics, Long. Live. A$AP focuses primarily on the stereotypical vices of most rappers, exemplified in “PMW (feat. Schoolboy Q).”
Although Rocky was unable to juggle self-production, an intense list of features and lyrical development, Long. Live. A$AP can still be heralded as an experimental piece for Rocky.  While he doesn’t seem to know which path to pursue stylistically, Long. Live. A$AP represents a promising transition in Rocky’s lyrical evolution and production skills.