A$AP ROCKY: Out Of This World

Written by: Colin Small of '45 Paper Plates'
Despite his position in the cool-rap blog zeitgeist, up to this point ASAP Rocky has essentially been a 2011 version of Jurassic Five. Ignoring current pop-rap models, his Houston and Harlem sing-rap tributes showed no illusions about his desire to return to a sound that we all find nostalgic. Sure, we hadn’t necessarily been nostalgic about Houston rap before, but no one would say ASAP’s sound was without precedent. However, “Out Of This World” completely abandons the warming comfort of Swishahouses-past in order to rap like Wiz Khalifa. This bold transition just showcases Rocky’s refreshingly egalitarian ear. It is what separates him from Charlie Tuna: an ability to recognize quality music as something separate from a single regional or historical style.
Posted by: H.L. at 10/30/2011
Labels: , ,

29 comments:

  1. I didn't post my comment...arrgh.

    ReplyDelete

  2. I give newer artists a few months before I listen wholeheartedly. I gave him a definitive listen over the weekend. I can't place my finger on his "likability" but it's there. I predict he'll still be around in a few years, whereas alot of his contemporaries will have fallen off by next year.

    ReplyDelete

  3. I really dislike this guy's music and don't understand his hype at all. But at the same time I agree completely with this write up. Especially the Charlie Tuna comparison.

    I don't like Jurassic 5 either.

    ReplyDelete
  4. RNC Chairman Michael SteeleNovember 2, 2011 at 6:44 PM

    Maybe I need to give this tape a few more spins, but I really think this guy's saving grace is the group of producers around him. Clams Casino is a beast, for sure, and the other guys on the tape are dope, too.

    Sometimes good production can make sub-par MCing sound better than it is. And sometimes the praise for mic presence and personality ascribed to a rapper should really be directed towards the beats that add weight to otherwise lightweight bars.

    I guess that was a long winded way of saying take away the beats and the fact that he hails from New York and this guy couldn't make a dent anywhere. He's a below average rapper, both in terms of MCing, and personality.

    I have high hopes for his production crew, though. Here's hoping they get more work outside of A$AP and Lil B [in Clams' case].

    That said, this was an interesting write up, and on the strength of the beats alone this tape will be getting a lot of spins.

    ReplyDelete

  5. "He's a below average rapper, both in terms of MCing, and personality."

    ^^^^^

    I think the most amazing thing about his hype thus far, it he doesn't have much of a personality on wax. Especially compared guys like Lil B and Tyler.

    ReplyDelete
  6. RNC Chairman Michael SteeleNovember 3, 2011 at 12:58 PM

    Yeah, that's true. A lot of rappers get away with subpar MCing as long as they have personality/a good flow/good hooks. This guy doesn't have any of those either.

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)