{"id":530,"date":"2013-03-17T20:23:44","date_gmt":"2013-03-18T00:23:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/~reviewing\/?page_id=530"},"modified":"2013-03-17T20:26:32","modified_gmt":"2013-03-18T00:26:32","slug":"aap-rocky","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/reviewing\/?page_id=530","title":{"rendered":"A$AP Rocky delivers impressive beats"},"content":{"rendered":"

Posted March 17, 2013<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

By ELIZABETH DE ARMAS<\/p>\n

When it comes to catchy beats and good lyrics, A$AP Rocky has it down packed. His debut album, \u201cLong. Live. A$AP,\u201d is just as lyrically impressive as it is rhythmically striking.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

The official album cover of A$AP Rocky’s CD, Long. Live. A$AP.<\/p><\/div>\n

His album, which was released on Jan. 15, is not his debut as a rapper.<\/p>\n

The New York native released a debut mixtape in 2011, which led him to tour with two of the most popular rap names in the game right now — Drake and Kendrick Lamar. Next up: Touring with the one and only Rihanna on her Diamonds World Tour.<\/p>\n

It also led Drake and Kendrick Lamar, along with other popular names such as Skrillex, 2 Chainz and Florence Welch to collaborate on some of his album songs such as \u201cF***in\u2019 Problems,\u201d \u201cWild for the Night,\u201d and \u201cI Come Apart\u201d — which is only available in the Deluxe album edition.<\/p>\n

All of his album songs (12 in the regular edition, 16 in the deluxe edition) are co-written by him. This, of course, shows his passion and love for this style of music. He raps about his upbringing in Harlem.<\/p>\n

He also raps about the usual rap themes: drugs, girls and money. A$AP Rocky was a drug dealer before deciding to leave the street life in pursuit of his passion. The ideas behind A$AP Rocky\u2019s rap music is not what someone would call lyrical genius, but you have to give him credit for being witty and clever — and socially conscious. His raps have a purpose.<\/p>\n

Rocky vividly describes what the street life is like. Some artists rap about the hard life when they never really lived it, but Rocky is real with his words. Through his music, listeners can imagine and understand his struggles.<\/p>\n

\u201cLong. Live. A$AP\u201d is stamped with the \u201cParental Advisory Explicit Content\u201d label because every song in his album is filled with curse words and this is not an exaggeration. A$AP Rocky is a potty mouth and although he is not the only rapper with this problem, music doesn\u2019t need to have curse words in it to be meaningful. On the contrary, so much vulgarity and curse words in A$AP Rocky\u2019s album is a definite turn off.<\/p>\n

Songs like \u201cFashion Killa,\u201d \u201cLVL,\u201d and \u201cWild for the Night,\u201d show how musically talented A$AP Rocky can be. The beats are fresh and new, not like the usual beats we constantly hear on the radio.<\/p>\n

\u201cFashion Killa\u201d is a simple song about a fashionable girl who is always dressed in designer clothing. The lyrics are so simple, but it\u2019s the beat that gets you. It\u2019s not overwhelming and overpowering. Instead, it\u2019s soft and smooth, like something you would expect to hear on an R&B or lyrical hip-hop song.<\/p>\n

From the get go, the lyrics in \u201cLVL,\u201d which stands for level, have curse words weaved in in every other line, which I do not particularly like or enjoy. However, the song as a whole is a great collaboration between several beats that alternate from fast to slow, and simple — easy to follow lyrics.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

The official album track list of A$AP Rocky’s album, “Long. Live. A$AP.”<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cWild for the Night\u201d is my favorite track on the album and definitely worth listening to. Skrillex, a hot DJ name in the electronic music industry, collaborated with A$AP Rocky on this track, which adds a different flair to rap music.<\/p>\n

Again, not a fan of the vulgarity or the curse words — but a good beat is a good beat.<\/p>\n

The 24-year-old rapper is definitely getting attention in the music industry because he collaborated with hot names from the get go. A$AP Rocky is obviously doing something right because he is being noticed and \u201cLong. Live. A$AP.\u201d has sold more than 270,000 copies since it was released. And his hit singles, \u201cGoldie\u201d and \u201cF***in Problems\u201d have made it to the Billboard charts and peaked as high as No. 8.<\/p>\n

\u201cLong. Live. A$AP.\u201d is definitely an impressive first album for a rapper. If you\u2019re looking for solid rap music with awesome beats, and don\u2019t mind the cursing and vulgar references, the album is worth buying.<\/p>\n

The official album track list of A$AP Rocky’s album, “Long. Live. A$AP.”<\/p>\n