Rocky’s sophomore album is a step in the right direction, but still leaves something to be desired.
With a cast of features and producers including Kanye West, Schoolboy Q, Lil Wayne and Juicy J, I knew it would be hard to be disappointed by AT.LONG.LAST.A$AP.
Aside from the appearances of notable rappers, A.L.L.A. is a step up production-wise from Rocky’s previous album, LONG.LIVE.A$AP, in which tracks such as “F**kin’ Problems,” and “Wild for the Night,” enjoyed national airplay, while some other songs felt like filler tracks with lackluster beats.
Every song on A.L.L.A. feels like it belongs. Straying from his usual choice of electronic-sounding dark beats, the album has hints of soul and R&B in songs like “Everyday,” featuring Rod Stewart, Miguel and Mark Ronson, and the album’s opener “Holy Ghost,” which served as an immediate announcement that this is not the Rocky we were used to.
While this sound is a new direction for him, it is still undeniably Rocky. The album is a sign of his maturing sound and becoming more defined as an artist. But the album isn’t all soul — Rocky shows he’s still capable of putting out upbeat bass-filled hits with “Lord Pretty Flacko Jodye 2,” a song that was teased in the music video for his single “Multiply.”
Without a proper beat, a song will sound weak, no matter how well the rapper flows. Without flow, a song with a good beat is just something to play loudly in the car. A.L.L.A. has the perfect blend of both.
Rocky knows how to flow over a beat, but even after multiple listens, this album leaves something to be desired. The lyrical content feels like it lacks. While the production was an incredible step-up from previous releases, Rocky’s lyrical abilities seem to have remained stagnant. Rocky is not a bad writer, but when the rest of the album is such an improvement from earlier work, the lyrics stand out as somewhat of a disappointment with filler lyrics (“She clap-clap-clap-clap-clap, she drop it low /Then she clap-clap-clap-clap-clap, down to the floor,”) that could use improvement.
The album closes with a verse from the late A$AP Yams, a touching tribute to one of Rocky’s closest friends, and to whom he owes much of his success, for Yams heavily promoted Rocky’s music at the start of his career.
Overall, A.L.L.A. was a step in the right direction for Rocky. It’s hardly experimental, but Rocky’s further sculpting of his sound can hopefully lead to projects that surpass this one.
@seanthomaswolfe
sw399914@ohio.edu
