Review Summary: ASAP Rocky's debut mixtape captures lightning in a bottle and years after its release still holds the title as one of the best mixtapes ever.
Its rare for an artist to emerge out of the blue..(in regards to ASAP i should say out of the purple) ready to take on the world and actually succeed in doing so with ONE mixtape. But that's exactly what we got when Rakim Meyers aka ASAP Rocky dropped Live.Love.ASAP nearly 4 years ago. During a time where NY rappers obsessed with keeping it 100% NY and shunned outside influences Rocky and his cohorts expanded there sound and horizons to the south with much success and much hate in equal measure.
From the very beginning of the tape with the song Palace Rocky off the bat informs us he's very much influenced by
Houston and he reps it in his music faithfully. With much bravado and a pulsating instrumental provided by clams casino, a NJ producer who laces various tracks on the project with his signature ambient sound and memorizing samples. The chemistry between Rocky and the producers on this tape in general is unbelievable. Dj Burn One , Beautiful Lou , Soufein 3000 , Spaceghostpurrp , Ty Beats to name a few each chip in their best work , and Rocky knocks each track out the park. Rocky's style over substance bars isnt entirely new but combined with his flow and infectious charisma it delivers. For example on "Trilla" Rocky comes thru with a Bones Thugs N Harmony inspired flow over a beat Pimp C himself would've had a blast over. On " Purple Swag " Rocky flows over a codeine drenched instrumental as he lays his game down flat. Candy paint, chopped and screwed vocals... honestly this could've been a lost DJ Screw mix its that trill.
But Rocky combines both his NY heritage and Houston influence on "Peso" an ode to money and all that comes with it.
I'd be an idiot not to mention the standout track "Brand New Guy" featuring Schoolboy Q who KILLS it alongside Rocky as they trade back and forth verses demonstrating why they're not to be ***ed with. [sidenote: these two NEED to make a collab album or something if
Future and Drake can ] I could go on forever about this mixtape SERIOUSLY.
I highly recommend you get some purple drank and roll one up to this. Or at least just check it out.
