1Train – A$AP Rocky – Great sample to kick it in, this is as clever as you can possibly get when it comes down to money and success with a virtual who’s who of first tier young rappers (I mean two years ago, of course): Kendrick, Action Bronson, Danny Brown… and a great great hook – A
I know I am in the minority but I prefer A$AP Rocky’s new one to Kendrick’s new one, not lyrically and not rapping, but sound and song it is a masterful piece of work. Try “Acid”, “Excuse Me” and “Jukebox Joints” and then go in deep. Otherwise, I know a “C+” doesn’t seem impressive, but in the world of CCM it is the equivalent of an “A”
L$D – A$AP Rocky – As in love, sex and drugs, this is a hallucination of a mood song, though well tinged by weed as well, so everything drags behind the beat and the sex is wet and exciting but slow and druggy.
The two top songs are both among the best of the year, I can see “Acid” ending up in the top ten, and “Love 3X” in the top 20 for 2015. “Handcuffs” was better than I gave it credit for and at least Muse have one sure shot song on their newbie.
LSD – A$AP Rocky – Here is where, well, actually, what the hell? This is rap? It sounds like indie rock on a 60s psyckick, the rap is minimal, just a verse, but the rest of it sounds like a dream of sex and power runs, this is a song of the year – A
This sounds so much like Rocky it should be patented and he rhymes and vernacular are so wild you absolutely need an annotated website to figure out what the hell they’re talking about, “Auntie sayin’ turn it down, or she finna call the cops, ee be plottin’ on the ops, she the one who got the drop, just a free, quick fix, to the A and it’s okay, they gon’ take me back to my old ways…”
1Train – A$AP Rocky – We all need a sap in our lives and this terrific ode to newfound wealth is still so close to the poverty line it has the ring of truth gangsta yarns can miss out on. Plus if you’ve ever had a ride on the train in question you might wonder if you’d stepped back to 1975 – A
I’m Not The Only One – Sam Smith, A$AP Rocky – Nicely done mix and match, and compared to the other single he released this week, he rhymes along to the lick very well and with a lot of feeling. Though it could be a little sharper lyrically – B+
