November 26th - Free Press
A$AP ROCKY
LIVELOVEA$AP (Independent)
A$AP Rocky and his crew of Houston-worshipping buddies from Harlem have taken the web by storm this year, smashing the music industry to pieces along the way. Not only are some of them getting major-league money from labels who are desperate for any way out of the abyss, these artists are connected to their fans in ways we haven’t seen before.
They don’t really need the labels to get their music out, but they’ll take their cash anyway. It’s the new hustle. A$AP Rocky may be the $3-million man, but first he’s going to feed the Internet frenzy with a free mixtape before going on tour with Drake.
LIVELOVEA$AP brings you into his infectious world with a confident, stoner slow soundtrack to Swaggerville. Seen through Rocky’s hazy New York state of mind, his pitch-shifted hooks and syrupy, molasses-like flows ride beside boastful raps that are heavy indebted to the South’s love of slowly screwed vocals, elastic rhythms and synthetic drums. One of the best debuts of the year.
4 stars
— Anthony Augustine
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 26, 2011 G4
