It’s been just over eight months since A$AP Ferg’s label mate and fellow Mob member, A$AP Rocky topped the Billboard 200 with his own debut album. The success of LongLiveA$AP, coupled with the instant viral boom of Ferg’s 2012 street anthem “Work,” meant expectations for Trap Lord were immediately high. Trap Lord showcases a heavy ‘90s aesthetic powered by Ferg’s own tastes and influences as well a guest list plucked from a vintage “Rap City” episode, courtesy of appearances from Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Onyx and B-Real of Cypress Hill.
Ferg’s comfort zone is throbbing 808 bass, accented by stuttering high-hats to complement his weapons of choice: aggressive rhymes in a Bone-inspired, double-time cadence, complimentary melodies (“Hood Pope”) and some sophomoric humor for good measure (“Me and Rock run trains on a hoe / He be like bitch don’t touch my braids…”)
“Let It Go,” is a fitting initial salvo, since, for the most part, this is the album. Ferg rhymes, “Kill a mothafucka with the magnum 44 / Bout a jump slump, nigga, magnum on the road / Body full of bullets when he found him on the road / Lay a fucker down, spray it at him then reload…” This theme, and even it’s brooding backdrop, are persistent throughout the entirety of Trap Lord. Ferg’s flow, presence, and versatility of cadence are undeniable, but the content of his rhymes doesn’t change much. While there is something to be said for cohesion and consistency, a lack of variety can border on repetition.
Surprises and some necessary variety come via Ferg’s competent melodies on “Hood Pope,” and the track offers a bit of the type of commentary that separates mindless, violent rhymes from what was originally deemed “reality rap,” before the term became so trite. Such moments are scattered throughout Trap Lord, and more of these moments would ultimately help put it on equal footing with some of 2013’s better albums. Ferg makes various references to the Supreme Mathematics of the Nation of the Gods and Earths on “Lord” rhyming, “Reincarnation of Master Fard / Elijah Muhammad reside in my heart…” And after the bodies pile up, Bizzy Bone offers an extended prayer. It amounts to a head-scratching, but slightly more balanced affair.
As the album progresses, however, there is a return to a redundancy in subject matter and intermittent Jamaican patois. Even so, genuine highlights exist on the remix to “Work,” “Fergivicious,” and the Waka Flaka-assisted “Murda Somethin’.”
Finally, on “Cocaine Castle,” Trap Lord’s penultimate track, Ferg gives listeners a song with some depth and a vivid image. He spits, “Another day in the crack house / Where demons be talking to fiends / Couple hits and they blackout / Needles be stuck all in their veins / Sing a song that be stuck all in your brain / That shit so potent, it’ll have you doing devilish things / Take a walk through the dark side…” With harmony in his delivery, Ferg’s proudest track is one of the album’s standouts. Even on the production side, “Cocaine Castle” delivers. With grandiose organs, tempo changes, and a chopped and screwed second verse, the song is a victory.
Overall, A$AP Ferg’s Trap Lord, is a solid, if an sometimes-uninspired effort. It occupies that zone between the mindless “turn up” music and projects that have gotten a praise for being entertaining enough to at least partially negate a desire for more depth. Ferg is at his best on the handful of songs that reach for something more than male bravado and flossing. But, in the end, listeners don’t get enough of those or his agile rhyme cadences to push this into the realm of an upper-echelon album.
Fools were excited about this shit last year. Now look.
Dope
Listening to this you could never tell he was from NY
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albums alright, not much to differentiate one track from
another, no content; where that Dizzy review?
Nothing was the Same got pushed back to September 24th. make sure you lubricate your lips before you suck his dick @ the album release party; I know how you drizzy fans roll.
Dizzy Wright dumbass
NO NEED TO BE RUDE, FAGGOT. I WAS ONLY FUCKING WITH YOU. YOU KNOW HOW HIPHOPDX ROLL. YOU WONT GET A REVIEW FROM THEM A WEEK OR TWO AFTER THE FACT.
NO NEED TO BE RUDE, FAGGOT. I WAS ONLY FUCKING WITH YOU. – lol, hypocrisy is
funny
Wow really? Are some of you guys smoking crack? This is the hottest album I’ve heard in a long time! Great beats, rhymes and flow. I can bump this all the way through without skipping a song. 5 stars
You obviously never heard a classic new York nigga album. Cus this shit strait booty yo. Real talk.
Think about what five stars really means.. Dr dre the chronic, nas illmatic, jay z reasonable doubt, 2pac all eyes on me, notorious b.I.g ready to die, 50 cent get rich or die tryin. Those are five star caliber, you really think this whack shit compares? 3 stars an that’s bein gracious.
If ur boss wears a skirt u aint a trap lord
i agree
The fact that you think that Cocaine Castles is the best song on the album, tells me that you should just cut off your both hands and shred it to never be attached again, because this review is the furthest thing from truth.. How much depth do you expect from Trap Music, and has anyone seen this kinda lyricism on a trap beat/album? This review is hating for no reason at all.. Trap Lord can be criticized in several ways but not admiting that its one of the most innovative projects in a minute is retarded.. not to mention the fact that Ferg bodied all Bone Thugs on Lord!
the song lord is dope and ferg duz his thang against his main inspiration in music period. But he did not body krayzie bone/ leatherface ripped that shit bro. As for the rest of the album ive yet 2 listen but ill check it out. still think rocky is better and not cuz of no trendy shit neither jus real shit
Ferg bodied Bone? Nigga, that Krayzie Bone verse is up there as one of the hottest verses in 2013. THAT NIGGA KILLED IT. Ferg… lmao.. gfoh son
Had pretty low expectations for this album, but Ferg killed it. No real filler except for the skit in the middle. Everything knocks. Giving it a 5 star to balance out the rating.
downloaded and subsequently erased…
Word!!
some great bs
Such a boring album
good imo
Album was good. Has his own style.
Garbage!
It’s funny how these so-called “bloggers and music commentators” criticize Southern Rap Tunes yet Ferg can name his album Trap Lord, which is a Gucci Mane TRAP GOD knock off, saying his shit is a solid effort when he should be called out and/or shunned for being a diluted Xerox copy of the original… Y’ALL SOME LAME FUCKS!
it’s funny how you talk about Gucci mane and having his “name” or “title” stolen when his name is GUCCI mane
This album is str8 up bumpin.
No need to address the fact that there is only 1 big name producer: Jim Jonsin.
Heisenferg put this whole thing together with no big name b.s. This is a 4-4.5 at least.
-IK Hip Hop
Doc
ferg is garbage why do people listen to him
to sum the album up it’s exactly what i was expecting…ignorance is bliss sometimes but i only see his shit getting better. 3.5 – 5 not bad.
This might be the worst album to come out in the last ten years. Absolute garbage and a complete ploy by a major label to cash in. I get they’re tryin to be the next Wu-tang with all those members, but all the members of Wu could rhyme circles around these dudes.
you guys give every fuckin album a 3.5 or a 4. Get out that box already god damn
its an average fan rate u dumb cunt
^^^
he’s talking about the reviewer’s score
you dumb cunt
3.14?????? more like -16
THIS ALBUM IS SOOOOOOOOOO TERRIBLE, BORING AS BOLLOX INFACT
MY FAVOURITE!!!!!
Clown ass nigga
everyone dickriding asap faag cause his dad was a bodyguard for puffy lolollolol
This shit’s alright, 3.5 is probably right.
Him and His Yagg Crew is contributing to the feminization of the Black Man. GTFOH. This album is a cup coaster.
Fake ass NYC version of Gucci… LoL
The hottest shit on this album was that Bone Thugs shit. Them niggaz murked it. What they need to do is stop fucking with Ferg and drop some shit with Rocky.
A$AP FERG is the best in A$AP MOB
thats not saying much though
Trash yo.this nigga complete garbage.
the best song was the song reynolds he did with danny brown and that wasnt even on the album. Overall the album can be aight at times but forgetable.
I don’t want to come off as a hater, but this guys career is gonna bomb. He was no swagger, he’s ugly as fuck, and he,s cocky for no reason. Oh not to mention the CD is trash…NEXT’
All sorts of satanic images in that Shabba video.
Jesus save me!
jams. all jams
WOW. NY fell off hard,
From NaS, BIG, Big L, Big Pun, Wu-Tang, Jay-Z, and Cam’ron
to…
A$AP mob & French Montana, … ouch
camron?
Kendrick is still doing it big for New York and he just went platinum on all these bums
Dont forget about Joey Badass and Action Bronson.
Royce Da 5`9 – Airplanes freestyle
slaughterhouse is so gifted its not even funny , shady probly think its funny putting these albums out , eminem ruins everything
Slaughterhouse and yelawolf have so much potential but both put out whack albums
repping slaughterhouse , dont u see the blood on the windows
you all must be them old hip hop people that hate anything new.. album is dope
let the hate flow through you
R
O
Y
C
E
D
A
5
9
I shit better rhymes
Decent
y’all give this trash album an 3.5/5 rating….no wonder this site’s fallen off
Horrible album
best album 2013
Richie is right “you all must be them old hip hop people that hate anything new.. album is dope
this album doesnt have an ounce of depth to it or an ounce of a NY feel shit is a down south album niggas have identity crisis and not to mention he cant rap rating 2
None of Biggie’s album have an NY feel. Biggies stuff sounded West Coast.
go listen to joints like machine gun funk, respect, the what, etc. i’ve got much better shit to do than list biggie tracks to a slow dumb ass like you. “biggies stuff sounded west coast”. haha what a faggit. what did you just jam out to ‘going back to cali’?
But you cant expect NY rappers to sound the same like that today. There has to be evolution. Plus the lead single from Ready to Die had a west coast beat (Big Poppa). So the ASAP crew are not that different than biggie in that regards, considering they both imitate the sound of another region.
Lol these ASAP fags are from New York and sound like southren rappers. Shame on you! No originality, no flow, no lyrics etc. This is a horrible album. Please call 911 hiphop in new york is dying!
Who gives a fuck if they sound that they are from the South. ASAP Mob are smart enough to know that the southern style is what sells not that boring NY boom-bap shit.
Trap Lord? Fuck you ASAP FERGIE. Gucci is the orignal traplord! Keep on dreamin fake thug
Get some help, you’re losing your mind. It’s just music, you moron.
^If u aint talkin abt wt u live wt u talkin abt
must b pure nonsense
He’s got his own style & island flow, just no content 3-3.5
LOL @ his own style
All these internet retards complaining about the lack of content on a rap album. get the fuck out of here with that bullshit.
I know, right? I just wanna embrace my ignorance, do lots of drugs, have lots
of unprotected sex, shoot people I disagree with; and then when I’m 30, in jail,
with aids, and 3 kids I can’t afford to support, I’ll complain about my life or blame
other people for my choices, fuck yeah!
though that Persian Wine track of his goes
This album most def sounds like something i’ve never heard before; creative shit! This goes hard as fuck! 4,8/5
Based on what I’ve heard from this album, ASAP Ferg Is like what Jim Jones is to Dipset – 1 or 2 decent tracks that grow on you but the rest of it is weed plate material. 2/5
As far as crap-rap goes, this was a well crafted album. Better than most freshmen “pop” rappers. Tape goes hard and Ferg came with a little bit more gangster shit than I expected.
mos definitely man. agree 100%
weakest album sofar in 2013
No that would be French Montana’s album.
4 stars. great album
Really disappointing…below average…
Good album, 4/5.
Dope album
Lyrics aren’t deep but good beats and flow. 4
ASAP: Another Shit Ass Production
There’s a couple bangers on here. I particular liked “Let It Go”.
It’s a Good gym listen too, it will definitely get you hype.
It’s pretty shallow overall though.
a’ight/5
Decent. Not amazing by any standard. Ferg needs a ghostwriter, or at least lyrical proofreading.
Those Bone verses, tho.
Best I’ve heard from them in a long time.
Worth it just for “Lord” FIRE! Shit. Bone back!
good review. dissapointed ferg didn’t come thru with this, thought I would hear more persian wine & one hundred million roses. instead we got some fake shit like let it go. dudes not shooting or will shoot someone.
I honestly thought the album was good…like 3/5. Its like nothing on it was earth shattering but it was decent
VERY AVERAGE WACK
Who gives themselves a name like A$ERP ferg??? serious what tha fuck is this??? on top of it the fag claim their from New York, but their shit sounds like generic dirty south beats. No wonder yo songs sound stupid through out….n not 4getin yo other fag friend and crew of fags callin yoselves a mob with stupid kindergaden names…
This review was pretty badly written although I agree with its content. Penultimate means second-to-last, not last. Wrong use of ‘a’ and ‘an’ as well. COME ON HHDX
Bob Lob Law motherfuckers, sucking on some sausage nips.
great album great beats and lyrics asap mob best crew right now
i give this a 2.5….if this is a 4.5 album it must be easy to get a 5… lyrics are weak beats are unoriginal flow is solid
I’d give it a 1.5, but I’ll round up to 2. Generally not very good.
dis shit was live
Trash
LORDS NEVER WORRY!
Album is straight piff, fiiiirrrreeee!!! Shabba, Hood Pope, Lord and Cocaine Castle are the highlights. Production is A+ and Ferg has enough diversity to keep me interested. 5/5
Mobbin vll dvy. A$VP lifestyle. Behold this chapter of the sacred scriptures, inevitable.
WACK ASS ALBUM