Heavy is the heart of Rakim Mayers, AKA A$AP Rocky. Two years after his major label debut (Long.Live.A$AP), Rocky has experienced a variety of highs and lows: he landed his first acting role, he modelled for a major fashion company, he broke up with his girlfriend and his best friend just died. Inspired by the same muse that inspired The Beatles, A$AP Rocky finds meaning through an intoxicating abyss of money, sex and drugs. While the ghost of A$AP Yams haunts this album, A$AP Rocky is determined to deliver the ‘jiggy’ music that we’ve all become accustomed to (albeit through a newly-acquired psychedelic filter). The question, however, is how long can Rocky do this for before he has to confront his devastating loss.
It’s easy to dismiss A$AP Rocky. At first glance, he seems like another swag rapper, a rapper that’s all flash and no substance. But underneath all that bravado, materialism and misogyny, lies an artist that deeply cares about how things are presented. A$AP Rocky’s aim isn’t to make you marvel at his lyrics or to get you ‘turnt up’ in a club, it’s to put you in a certain mood, it’s to invite you to his world and get you lost in the atmosphere. With At.Long.Last.A$AP, Rocky achieves that goal with ease.
At.Long.Last.A$AP is a carefully curated and eclectic mix of sounds that manages to stay cohesive from beginning to end. As soon as you hear the opening guitar chords of ‘Holy Ghost’, you know that this isn’t your typical hip-hop album. From a production standpoint, At.Long.Last.A$AP takes you on a journey down the wild side that is shaped by Rocky’s ever-changing moods: the sombre melodies of ‘Canal St.’ are juxtaposed with the synth-heavy intensity of ‘Lord Pretty Flacko Jodye 2’ while the boom-bap glory of ‘Max B’ is swiftly followed by the smooth soul of ‘Wavybone’. As a result, At.Long.Last.A$AP is A$AP Rocky’s most adventurous and, surprisingly, most complete project to date.
Lyrically, Rocky has definitely improved. His flow is as nimble as ever but the way he tackles certain subjects is more engaging and direct. This is evident with ‘Holy Ghost’. On this track, Rocky takes aim at organised religion and the rampant hypocrisy that runs within it:
‘They ask me why I don’t go to church no more
Cause church is the new club and wine is the new bub
And lies is the new drugs, my sister the next stripper
My brother the next victim, my usher the next tricker’
Meanwhile, on ‘Pharsyde’, Rocky laments the effects of gentrification and other ills that are currently plaguing his community:
‘Gentrification split the nation that I once was raised in
I don’t recall no friendly neighbor’s face on my upraising
Back in my younger days of razor blades with gangs who bang and never stood a chance
Some boys don’t dance but left ’em Harlem shaking’
However, I would be lying if I said that the lyrics were the best thing about this album. For the most part, Rocky stays within his comfort zone. There’s no surprising display of depth like ‘Phoenix’ or use of double-time flow like ‘Suddenly’. In fact, unlike Rocky’s previous work, one could say that At.Long.Last.A$AP is completely devoid of any hits/standout moments.
With that being said, we need to talk about Lil Wayne’s verse on ‘M’$’ – Lord have mercy! I don’t know where this verse came from but I’m happy that it’s here because this might be Weezy’s best verse in almost a decade. It’s pure fire!
Over some triumphant bass, Lil Wayne lets loose a flurry of verbal threats cleverly constructed like as if he was rapping on Dedication II:
‘I re-up tonight, I’mma be up tonight, cooking a key up tonight
N***** de-up I slide to the right, throw a three up in time
Put a B up, let’s fight, don’t get beat up tonight
Feet up in my European, I ride with me heater inside
Kill you and your dog then go put on a shirt that say PETA for life’
I can’t tell you how many times I had to rewind this verse and wonder if this was the same rapper that said ‘head up his ass, I’mma have to head-butt him’. Coming from someone who is barely a Lil Wayne fan, this verse actually made me excited for a Lil Wayne album (if only for a brief moment).
After this point, the album reaches its peak with ‘Everyday’ and ‘Back Home’. On these last two tracks, Rocky finally breaks through his psychedelic haze to show us how much of an impact A$AP Yams’ death has had on him:
‘The devotion is getting hopeless
But hold it, I’m getting close as my soul is, I’m seeing ghosts
As a solo is now a poet, hypnosis, overdosed on potions
Adjusting to the motions and getting out of my emotions’
In particular, he raps with a renewed sense of energy and purpose. He refuses to let this tragedy deter him because it’s what Yams would have wanted – to not give up:
‘Father, Lord forgive me as I load up the semi
Roll through the city that chose to resent me
Hold it, don’t load it, reload it
On plenty, any foe or a -BEEP-
That ever voted against me, dissed me
P***** me off then tried to hold it against me’
While At.Long.Last.A$AP may be divisive amongst his fans, this album clearly shows A$AP Rocky’s evolution as an artist and it brings his unique sound to new heights. It’s hard to say where Rocky will go from here but I, for one, am excited to find out. R.I.P. A$AP Yamborghini.
Rating – 4/5
Standout Tracks – ‘Holy Ghost’, ‘Canal St.’, ‘Fine Whine’, ‘Lord Pretty Flacko Jodye Part 2 (LPFJ2)’, ‘Electric Body’, ‘Max B’, ‘Wavybone’, ‘Everyday’ & ‘Back Home’
Most Valuable Player – A$AP Rocky
Nostalgic For The Present 
