A$AP Rocky has already RSVP’d for his spot as the next big rapper out of NYC. After parlaying his online buzz into an alleged 3 million dollar deal with Polo Grounds/RCA, the first official project to spring forth from the alliance with his new benefactors is the Live.Love.A$AP mixtape. So long as you resist the urge to feed into the hypebeasting, that pretty motherfucker drops a solid opening salvo worth his couture clothes.
A$AP Rocky not being a Dipset clone meant an instant choir of dissenters dismissing him as a rap usurper, riffing on Houston’s swag for a gimmick, as soon as he was pegged as hot Hip Hop prospect. But a listen to his mixtape—if you missed his videos—reveals that he oozes Harlem bravado. It just so happens he and his A$AP crew see no problem delivering it through a purple haze that’s more homage than swagger jack. On the mixtape’s first track, “Palace,” he raps, “Don’t remember me as a wannabe New Orleans nigga, slash lean sipping Tennessee nigga, nah/Influenced by Houston, hear it in my music, a trill nigga to the truest show you how to do this.” Another clear inspiration on Rocky’s cadence is Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, which can be heard on the speedy rap flows flipped over bluesy organs on “Trilla” and throughout the mixtape.
Included on Live.Love.A$AP is “Pesos” one of the two songs that made the 23 year old such a commodity. The muffled drum kicks and spacey synths provided by ASAP Ty Beats made the tune a standout in the MC’s fledgling career. “Purple Swag” is the first song that got the A$AP Rocky chatter started revealed that the codeine sipping culture was part of his shtick as much as Alexander Wang tees and Mason Margiella kicks. However, the song is AWOL, with “Purple Swag: Chapter 2,” featuring Spaceghost Purp and ASAP Nast, and basically an extended version, in its place.
The mixtape’s grooves generally stay on the DJ Screw side of the BPMs and are provided by Rocky’s team of producers that include Clams Casino, ASAP Ty, and Spaceghost Purp. Clams Casino’s tracks are some of its best, including the ethereal “Wassup,” a track tailor made for enjoyment under the influence of whatever your drug of choice. Rocky kicks, “Only thing bigger than my ego is my mirror, clothes getting weirder, money getting longer, pretty nigga pin your hair up.” While plenty of songs stick to the styrofoam cup holding script (“Get Lit,” “Kissin’ Pink”), Rocky shows depth when he tackles topics like seeking wisdom from elders on “Houston Old Head” or reflecting on his come up on “Demons.”
Part of A$AP’s road to rap stardom has included co-signs from Drake and Jim Jones and on his debut mixtape he landed some esteemed features in Schoolboy Q (“Brand New Guy”) and Chace Infinite (“Keep It G”). However, he also gives his ASAP crew plenty of shine that could have better been used to assert his own talents. Live.Love.A$AP is a good sketch of what A$AP Rocky is about, and should have you looking forward to the bigger picture he’s capable of delivering.
DX Consensus: “Free Album” (the highest possible praise for a mixtape).
Listen to: A$AP Rocky – Live.Love.A$AP 
shit hard kinda remind me of mellowhype
my best friend’s mom makes $77 an hour on the computer. She has been out of job for 9 months but last month her check was $7487 just working on the computer for a few hours.
Read about it here C A S H S H A R P . C O M
this shit is pretty much fire. wasn’t expecting it at all.
Best mixtape I’ve heard since Kush & OJ…its excellent
this mixtape was dope… straight up original; one of the best of the year
so dope
The project has a dope vibe to it. I like how he credits the sounds that influence him and doesn’t act like he is too big or above giving props.
Bringing two sounds together.
Nice rocky is on the come up
never heard of this guy ASAP Rocky, didn’t know where he was from or what he sounded like and i was blown away by this album. very dope, i would give this 4 stars judging it as an album.
this shits fire
Oh yes this won’t be leaving the deck for a while!!
Fucking Mixtape of the year in my opinion. Some cats will hate that ASAP doesn’t have the typical NY sound, but I look at that as a positive as once people hear this shit you won’t be able to get a ticket to his shows because they sold out. Im excited in the range this kid has I now understand why he got that 3 million cause unlike odd future this dude seems like a real street dude which in todays atmosphere where u have correctional officers stealing the king of cracks name is refreshing to have authenticity that ASAP has
classic
Swag, this kid is doper than nas jay z kendrick anybody out there. Skinny jeans regin bitches. lol
How many tracks did Clams Casino do?
five. the best songs on the album if you ask me. I like this tape, but I prefer Main attrak, rapping over clams.
had to vote a 5 on this
this deserves a 5 listening to it now
Sounds dope. Downloading now.
Let’s face it, ASAP isn’t an amazing lyricist by any means. But regardless, this dude knows how to make some quality ass music. I’m loving that Bone flow on certain parts and the whole style of the mixtape is just bananas. It oozes swag for days and it goes oh-so-hard in the whip! ASAP Rocky is a trill ass mofo. Five Stars.
i agree with everything but the 5 star bit. just compare it with something like (for the sake of arguement) Section 80. Section is incredible but not 5 star, yet its Waaaay better than this although i did really like it. as you said, its got swag for days.
If you have to say swag and wear shirts that say swag you don’t have swag imo lol. This dude is garbage and I listened to the tape. I’ll give it 1 star bc y’all over rated this bs… Another mediocre rapper on good beats i.e. Currensy
Shut the fuck up Spencer.
hes right tho…
spencer shut yo bitch ass up hater go listen to rock music asap killed it
His shirt actually says “FUCK SWAG.” He’s hot. Let the dude live!
why you gotta hate on spitta?
I agree 100 percent both currensy and this dude are wack i cant believe people are feeling this is this what niggas in harlem bump to now
curren$y is fuckin raw, you dont understand because your to slow to keep up with his flow….. listen to car talk or money machine and try to keep up then maybe you might get it…….. “this jet life aint for everybody, this shit is reserved for us, yeah lil homie yall can get down, but I bet yall cant keep up”
people who would hate on curren$y same people who overrate Freddie Gibbs
two different kinds of rap…
Fucking awesome.
you youngins is fukin trippin..talkin bout classik..stop it.stop it now..
you youngins is fukin trippin..talkin bout classik..stop it.
Shit does go hard im bumping it like i used to bump the warm up.
This shit is hip hop it inspired me to listen to the second side of Tupac All Eyez on Me for the first time. This shit is official. If you dont get it you dont got it. Real recognize. ASAP is truth. dont count on him for punches but he got the flow.
How you gon do a article and not mention how Schoolboy wrecked the whole tape. Schoolboy up next
you never listened to the second disc of All Eyez on Me before hearing this mixtape? DA FUCC?
Q killed it, netflix on ya couch haha every line was so creative
How is anyone liking this poop? Bunch of damn hipsters who think their music is supreme. I listened to “pesos” and “Purple swag,” both just straight terrible. This guy is weak, but I’m glad we (being the fans of hip hop) will make him famous. And so continues the cycle of whack artists.
The mixtapes fire, its just too original and different that people don’t know how to handle it at the moment…
I fuck with his music, too me I see a G-funk early 90’s smooth flow influence.
yall don’t realize you don’t have to be super lyrical to become a great rapper (Eazy E), originality is the most important thing. Why is odd future blowing up?, they have their own sound, it makes their music stand out more. These niggas Asap rocky and Ghostfacepurp (which is a dope name) have their own sound. , that by itself will get them far. lil B is wack as fuck, why is he making all this money? He has his own sound, hes not actually an artist cus hes not talented hes an entertainer that says of the wall humorous shit. I guarantee if lil b didn’t say weird off the wall shit, if he wasn’t so controversial, if he didn’t say shit like “I will fuck Kanye in the ass” he wouldn’t be famous he would be another wack rapper and he knows that. Bet Asap is about to blow up. Guarantee he will be on the XXL freshman cover.
Lil B is actually pretty decent. If you listen to his deep, introspective songs like The Age Of Information, Cold War, Walk The World, Realist Alive, Real Life, D.O.R., I Am The Hood, Motivation, The Old Days, Street Dreams, Times Blue, We Are The World, Why They Wanna Kill Me, I Hate Myself, Unchain Me, Trapped In Prison, Illusions Of Grandeur, he’s actually has some talent. The only reason he makes those crazy songs like Wonton Soup, Suck My Dick Hoe, Like A Martian, etc. is because he likes to joke around a lot.
HOW HAS NOBODY NOTICED THE HUGE TYPO IN THE SUBJECT LINE OF THIS REVIEW
“Long.Live.A$AP” is not the title of the mixtape, hhdx, you clowns.
whammy!
Future 2012 XXL freshman
unreal mixtape, cant stop listening to it. trilla is my sh*t
Reverbnation/eldean
Y’all should check a review I wrote on RapRuler.com. I’m liking A$AP Rocky a lot. http://rapruler.com/review/aap-rocky-liveloveaap/#1
Not bad, but this album would be pretty average without the clams sound.
jlbkl
Dope
nice vibe
Much much better than I wouldve thought
this crack right here
Album of the Year maybe
best of year, with KRIT
3.5/5
beats are on point,lyrics arnt great but good enough,flow is awesome…..houston old head,peso,demons and bass are the best songs imo….great mixtape though
best albums this year (no order)
asap rocky -live.love.asap
curren$y -covert coup
big krit -returnof4eva
kendrick lamar -section 80
casey veggies -sleeping in class
okay i’m all for everyone having their own opinion but you just wrong. for starters, only Section 80 is an album and other than section 80 and returnof4eva i can name 20 other projects better than those. possibly not 20 for covert but you get the idea
this nigga cold right here. tha top 5 hottest spittn new nigga is Him,vado,kendrick lamar,drake and Otown da kid
Bass is my jam!
I just came back to give this album the props it deserves! 5/5
This and KRIT 5/5. Best southern albums of the year. Fuck that, two of the best albums of the year.
Shit’s too raw. Prettttttttty Motha fucka
A$AP
Yikes… 10/10