The album ultimately suffers from A$AP Rocky’s post-rap ethos, which manifests as an overreliance on style. In comparison, Rocky’s delivery and wordplay sound lackluster, but he maintains interest with a healthy amount of attitude and flair. As K.R.I.T spits, “Walk the plank or break a bank, I’ve been in the business of sinkin’ ships / Chokin’ niggas out with the anchors that they anchor with,” he manages to deliver the lines with equal ease and aggression, and he stays perfectly on beat as he delivers blow after blow to his haters. This track unintentionally highlights Rocky’s less-than-virtuosic rapping ability, though, as it places him next to Big K.R.I.T. on “1 Train,” he captures the sense of a classic posse track, with a crew of young rappers delivering their best over an unassuming beat. His wordplay and cadence never show a hint of strain, evident as he lists designers against the glistening production of “Fashion Killa”: “I see your Jil Sanders, your Oliver Peoples/ Costume National, Ann Demeuelemeester/ See Visvim be the sneaker, Lanvin or Balmain.” Then a mere two tracks later, he is railing, “Fuck them other niggas, I’ll ride for my niggas, I’ll die for my niggas” over a murky, oppressive, Odd Future-esque beat on “Jodye.”Īs Rocky lays his verse alongside those of his peers Lamar, Joey Bada$$, Yelawolf, Danny Brown, Action Bronson, and Big K.R.I.T. Rocky showcases his fluidity on each track-he sounds totally at ease on every one as he traverses wildly disparate sonic environments. The album experiments wildly with production techniques, swinging from a pensive, minimal soundscape crafted by Clams Casino on “LVL” to the frenetic, aggressively kinetic laser bursts of Skrillex on “Wild for the Night” and refusing to settle on single aesthetic framework. Where Lamar mined one style of rap to its greatest depths, bringing forth emphatic themes through sincerity and intensity, Rocky sets out on a more gleeful exploratory expedition. “$AP” stands in stark contrast to other recent hip-hop releases, such as Kendrick Lamar’s “good kid, m.A.A.d city,” with its extreme stylistic range within the genre. Rocky places himself firmly at the fore of this wave of fresh faces, and while he does not have as compelling a message as others, his nimble verses make him worthy of a position of respect in modern hip-hop. A$AP Rocky’s name has been on the lips of admirers and haters alike since he released his debut mixtape “LiveLoveA$AP” in 2011, and last month, the Harlem native further solidified his artistic persona with his debut album “$AP.” The album is a celebration of the 24-year-old rapper’s versatility, paying homage not to the established greats of hip-hop, but to the young and novel voices popping up in the genre.