A$AP Mob - Lords Never Worry Review

A$AP Rocky is no longer just an underground star. His crew, though, has largely stayed in the background as he's ascended into the mainstream. Much of the magnetism of Rocky's early visuals came from the idea that the viewer was getting a look at a movement of culture already in progress, and though Rocky is highly central to that, there's a strength in numbers when it comes to those sorts of moments. This has been the power of Rocky and his A$AP Mob, much like it was the power of Tyler, the Creator and the once nascent Odd Future. But the A$AP Mob is just now getting itself off the ground musically. Its members are highly visible backing up Rocky onstage or in certain corners of the Tumblrsphere, but there is no trove of mixtapes. You will not, in other words, find any A$AP Mob trading cards.

That is all beginning to change with Lord$ Never Worry, A$AP Mob's first group album and the crew's first major release since Rocky's debut album. Rocky's presence looms (he appears on six of 18 songs), but this is the coming-out party for the guys who have spent the last year-plus in his orbit. The results, though, are extremely mixed-- the Mob's image emerged fully-formed, but its music is still, at best, rough and unpolished. It is a work of a group of kids who are well-versed in the aesthetics of certain strands of rap, and who have good and nuanced ideas of what they want their own music to sound like. Unfortunately, much of the crew has yet to develop a voice strong enough to prop up these general notions-- Lord$ Never Worry is an attempt to build a house from the top down.

Where the album fails is precisely where A$AP Rocky succeeds, and the unintended side effect of Lord$ Never Worry may be a greater appreciation for what Rocky is able to pull off, even taking his own lackluster contributions into account. Rocky's music is a triumph of taste over skill, but there is a songcraft on LIVELOVEA$AP that just isn't present here. What's left is an album that is long, dark, and ugly, with little to none of the pop crossover or tactful stewing of regional sounds that colored Rocky's debut. Lord$ Never Worry instead uses the framework of producers like Clams Casino, AraabMuzik, and the Mob's own A$AP Ty Beats to trace out a new brand of cold, nihilistic New York rap....full text A major part of the discussion surrounding New York Rap's resurgence has been Harlem's A$AP Mob since the viral success of their most prominent member A$AP Rocky's earlier singles "Peso," "Purple Swag" and the more recent "Goldie." Though under scrutiny for an off-kilter obsession with the musical culture of Houston, their leader's strides have paved the way for his less heard teammates to become established within their own right. Lords Never Worry is at once the group's formal introduction and a precursor to A$AP Rocky's hotly anticipated next release LongLiveA$AP. Picking up where the rock star swagger of Uptown's Dipset has stumbled, A$AP Mob is today's reckless force to be reckoned with.

Sticking to an already working formula, A$AP Rocky's solo opener "Thuggin' Noise" finds his trademark cockiness and slowed down vocals accompanied by gun sounds, contrasted by companion A$AP Ant who provides a fine ode to women and cars with the Southern bounce of "The Way It Go." Whether intentional shock value or art imitating obscenity, the straightforward "Coke and White Bitches Chapter 2" (featuring outlandish counterparts Danny Brown, Gunplay and Fat Trel) and linking up with the rowdy Flatbush ZOMBiES for "Bath Salt," mix insane reality and ambiance to enjoyable results. The crew's true ingenuity lies with their secret weapon A$AP Ferg, who steals the show with his harsh delivery and undeniably catchy harmonies on "Persian Wine" and "Choppas On Deck." Stirring up further excitement, the hyperactive party starter "Told Ya" and the throwback East Coast feel of "Underground Killas" (guest starring Raekwon) demonstrate that the squad's overall vision is vast despite narrow subject matter.

Where A$AP Rocky and his Mob mostly offer a good time, close comrade A$AP Twelvy and associate (nephew of Hip Hop mogul Damon) Da$h fail to hold interest with their grandiose boasts. As well, the raunchy "Freeze" (finding Jim Jones sounding out of place) and sensual trance of Rocky's "Purple Kisses" make for rare dull moments of filler. The often misunderstood A$AP Mob has created a unique path for themselves, combining inspiration from the likes of the legendary DJ Screw and UGK with their youthful purpose of breathing life back into their hometown The title Lords Never Worry reflects their carefree disposition as they live for the present, contributing violent entertainment that is more cartoonish than threatening. While the projects lags at points due to redundancy, A$AP Rocky and Co. are developing an enthralling movement that may flourish if listeners can overlook the continual blatant homage paid....full text