#long.live.a$ap

[tha-wrecka-stow]

[yankeeblue]

A$AP Rocky - Ghetto Symphony (feat. Gunplay & A$AP Ferg)

[tornbluefoamcouch]

Artista: A$ap Rocky Álbum: LONG.LIVE.A$AP Ano: 2013 Faixas/Tempo: 17/69min Estilo: Hip-Hop/East Coast Hip-Hop/Cloud Rap Data de Execução: 03/06/2024 Nota: 6,3 Melhor Música: 1Train (feat. Action Bronson, Big K.R.I.T., Danny Brown, Joey Bada$$, Kendrick lamar, Yelawolf)

[falloutbradreviews]

2013 Was The Year I Got Into Hip-Hop

I recently posted a retrospective on Childish Gambino’s 2011 label debut, Camp, and how much that album means to me, as well as what it meant in the larger grand scheme for hip-hop. Camp was one of the first albums of the “blog era” that really took advantage of the Internet, but you had some before that. Lupe Fiasco’s The Cool from 2007 is a good example, as well as 2011’s Live.Love.A$AP by A$AP Rocky, which stuck out in the genre for being a mixtape / album that didn’t have a specific sound, or at least clearly have come from a certain place. The Internet became such an important place for rap music, especially when mixtapes became bigger. I downloaded a lot through Datpiff back in the day, and that’s where a lot of folks downloaded the debut A$AP Rocky mixtape, or Chance The Rapper’s first couple, mainly including 2013’s Acid Rap. This, along with Camp, was one of the seminal albums that got me into the genre, along with a few more. The reason I titled this piece the way I did was because most of the albums that got me into rap came out in 2013 (with a couple of exceptions), and instead of doing a ten-year retrospective on three or four albums separately, I figured I’d talk about each album here and take a walk down memory lane, so to speak.

I already talked extensively about Camp in the retrospective I did for it, but I wanted to talk about a few other albums from a couple of years later — Childish Gambino’s Because The Internet, Chance The Rapper’s Acid Rap, A$AP Rocky’s Long.Live.A$AP, and Tyler, The Creator’s Wolf. These albums have more in common than just being released the same year, namely that all of these rappers became huge during the “blog era,” in which a lot of rappers and artists started to use the Internet to their advantage. These were rappers that got big thanks to an online following, and that really shaped my enjoyment of the genre and how I eventually got into it. These few albums don’t necessarily sound the same, but they introduced me to different styles of rap music, and they were all alternative to what was popular at the time.

Aside from walking down memory lane, and talking about my overall experiences with these albums, I also wanted to examine if whether or not that these albums have aged well, especially because of even just a decade ago was a very different time in rap. We can still look back fondly at certain albums or artists, but part of growing and growing up is understanding that certain things that may have been acceptable then aren’t acceptable now. They were never acceptable, but they weren’t as blatant of an issue as they are now. Mainly what I’m talking about is homophobic language that was freely used back a decade ago, but it’s in poor taste now (unless you’re Eminem, then you think you can still say whatever you want like it’s 1999). We’ll talk about this more as we dive into every album, but it’s good to look at the culture in which these albums came from, too.

If anything, these albums probably wouldn’t have existed if it wasn’t for the culture that they came from. Alternative rap, while always having been around, has just taken on different forms over the years. First it was the jazz-rap of A Tribe Called Quest, but then it moved into the indie rap of guys like Aesop Rock and MF Doom, which eventually morphed into Childish Gambino, Chance The Rapper, and Tyler, The Creator. A great example of “alternative rap” is the latter’s sophomore album, Wolf. A founding member of alt-rap group Odd Future, Tyler, The Creator was the main star of the group, although fellow member Frank Ocean would go onto be the biggest star of the group.

Debut album, 2011’s Goblin, was instrumental to his rise, but 2013’s Wolf was my introduction to his solo music and Odd Future. Tyler’s music was known to be “edgy” and shocking, similarly to rapper Eminem from a decade prior, but the difference between both artists is that one of them grew up (hint: it wasn’t Eminem). It’s insane to see Tyler’s growth over the last decade, because he went from a 2edgy4u artist to being a jazz-rap maestro that’s deep, introspective, but still fun and lighthearted. As for Wolf, it’s a record that attempts to be both edgy and introspective, but I think people might only see it as the former, not the latter. Wolf has aged relatively well, but it still features shades of Tyler’s purposely offensive language, and while it doesn’t serve too much of a purpose other than to be shocking, it’s not his whole schtick, thankfully. The album is a little long, and the album isn’t super energetic a lot of the time, but Tyler’s flow is solid and the guest spots are great.

Wolf is a solid album, but A$AP Rocky’s label debut, Long.Live.A$AP, is an interesting case of an artist being “mainstream” that I really like. I really enjoyed this album when it came out, and despite having thought of him in years, I went back to this recently and this record holds up quite well. Rocky’s sound is really cool, because he takes a lot of different sounds in his repertoire, especially when rappers stuck to their regional sounds in the 00s. Rocky’s from New York, but he had a lot of southern (especially Texas), midwestern, and even some West Coast flair to his sound, including some New York and East Coast stuff, but he makes it work. His voice is smooth, his bars are funny and charismatic (despite not saying anything too interesting), and the production is solid, all the while being uneven.

Childish Gambino’s Because The Internet is another record that cemented my love for his music, especially for how different it was compared to Camp, and how much he had improved as a vocalist and lyricist in just a couple years (although I enjoyed his 2012 mixtape Royalty quite a lot, too), but going back to Because The Internet made for a very uneven experience. Some of that album has some of his best songs, whereas the rest is just boring and somewhat pretentious, but not half bad, either. It just leans into being too self-indulgent, but it was a solid alt-rap album, nonetheless, and people started to really pay attention to Donald Glover as a musician. Camp is still my favorite album from him, mainly for its nostalgia, but I do truly love a bunch of stuff from this album, too, especially “3005” and “Sweatpants.”

The last record I wanted to talk about is Chance The Rapper’s second mixtape, Acid Rap, and how that mixtape introduced me to jazz rap, as well as being a record that was quite positive and uplifting, despite having some heavy subject matter. I’m pretty sure I found this mixtape thanks to the Childish Gambino feature, and to this day, that song is still maybe my favorite track on the tape (hilariously ironic because that song is called “Favorite Song”). The mixtape is full of “vibey” jazz-rap that I really enjoy now, because of its laidback sound that meshes really well. While this wasn’t his first mixtape, it’s the one the blew him up, and despite his fall-off in 2019 with his proper debut album, Chance The Rapper had a big run between 2013 and 2018, but this is the first time that a lot of people heard this Chicago rapper.

Okay, now that I talked about these albums, I wanted to beg a couple of questions with all of them — firstly, have these albums aged well, but most importantly, are these albums ones that I’d recommend to someone just getting into the genre? That’s what happened for me, but everyone is different. A decade later, I would say all of these albums have aged well, even if some of the language hasn’t. Wolf is the biggest offender, but at the time, Tyler’s sound was based in shock value, and even elements of horrorcore, but his sound has matured and mellowed out over time.

All of these records have their moments, but I don’t know if I’d recommend these to a first time listener. Some of these albums are really long, and that can definitely turn people off, but these are all “alternative rap” albums, and they stray from the typical sounds, minus A$AP Rocky’s debut; I’d almost argue that’s the one to check out, but maybe even start with something like Camp. That seems like cheating, both because this is a piece about some 2013 albums that I got into at that time as a fresh-faced rap fan, and because I already talked about that in its own piece, but Camp worked really well for me, because it was a pop-rap album, so the hooks were there, but it was also hard-hitting, clever, funny, and catchy.

It had enough to pitch to a newcomer but also the hallmarks of the genre to get an understanding of what it’s about, especially if you’re not familiar with it. Hell, if you were like me, you were more of a rock and metal guy, so something like rap would be very foreign to you. This was still a fun deep dive to do, and all these records are still wonderful, so I’m glad I got back into them. I don’t listen to much rap these days, but I’ve been wanting that to change, so that’s why I spent some time getting into these records. 2013 was the year that I truly got into the genre, because so many formative albums for me came out, and it feels like yesterday that some of them came out.

[nickssidewitch]

can you recommend me an album pls :)

Long.Live.A$AP by ASAP Rocky! 🤍

[cyarskaren52]

There’s nothing like a good collaboration with mcs that really gets the fans excited

There are some posse cuts that are undeniable.

We all know "The Symphony" and "Buddy." And who doesn't love the star-making turn Nas gave us on "Live At the BBQ" or Busta's scene-stealing verse from "Scenario?" And there are posse cuts that may not be as inescapable as those tracks, but are just as noteworthy. The one-upmanship of "Don't Curse." The camaraderie of "Watch For The Hook." So many others that deserve way more love that don't get discussed as much as the go-to tracks. 

But what is a posse cut? In this day and age of constant collaboration, the thought of several emcees hopping on a track together may seem routine. But a posse cut is when a corp of rappers team up and take turns showcasing their skills on the mic. For the purposes of this list, we're gonna stick to songs that feature at least four emcees (sorry "I Wanna Be Down" remix) and couldn't be group cuts like "Triumph" by Wu-Tang Clan. 

But here are songs that we think you might wanna check out, if you love hearing emcees bringing out the best in each other over a dope track.

#26

"VIBIN'" (REMIX) - BOYZ II MEN FEAT. CRAIG MACK, TREACH, BUSTA RHYMES, METHOD MAN [BONUS SONG]

Our BONUS SONG is a celebrated guest spot! Or in this case--four emcees taking over for the harmonizing Philly quartet.

#25

"DA LADIES IN THE HOUSE" - BIG KAP FEAT. U-NEEK, PRECISE, LAURYN HILL, BAHAMADIA

This track from Big Kap may have had quite the on-the-nose title (and very 90s spelling: "Da?"), but it's one of the most underrated posse cuts of all time. Shout-out to Precise and Uneek, Bahamadia and the one they call "L," who shows up and shows out in this early (Pre-THE SCORE, that is) appearance.

#24

"DUSTED N DISGUSTED" - E-40 FEAT. MAC MALL, 2PAC, SPICE-1

Everyone came with heat, and in the video they held it down for 2Pac, who was incarcerated. The Bay Area represented to the fullest on this classic from 40 Fonzarelli. 

#23

"1 TRAIN" - A$AP ROCKY FEAT. BIG K.R.I.T., YELAWOLF, DANNY BROWN, KENDRICK LAMAR, ACTION BRONSON

An impressive lineup of 2010s emcees go bar-for-bar on this banger from LONG.LIVE.A$AP. Hit-Boy produced this track with the intention of capturing a 1990s East Coast underground feel. Mission accomplished. 

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#22

"GOT MY MIND MADE UP" - 2PAC FEAT. THA DOGG POUND, METHOD MAN, REDMAN

A great lyrical showcase that debunks the East-vs-West mythology of 1996; this is lyricism at it's finest. And 2Pac quotes Run-D.M.C. and Rakim for good measure, just to remind everyone he was as Hip-Hop as anyone. 

#21

"SYMPHONY 2000" - EPMD FEAT. REDMAN, METHOD MAN, LADY LUCK

We could not talk about great posse cuts that deserve more love and not mention this heat rock from the Def Squad/Hit Squad crew. Everybody snaps the fuck out on this track. And it'll make you wish we heard way more from Lady Luck.

#20

"WATCH FOR THE HOOK" - COOL BREEZE FEAT. OUTKAST, WITCHDOCTOR, GOODIE MOB

The Dungeon Family was at the peak of its powers when Witchdoctor, the members of Goodie Mob and OutKast teamed up with Cool Breeze for this anthem. Highlighting a handful of the greatest emcees in Atlanta rap history, it helped solidify the talent throughout the crew and still has one of the coolest videos of the 1990s.

#19

"24 HRS TO LIVE" - MA$E FEAT. DMX, BLACK ROB, THE LOX

Ma$e became one of the biggest rap stars of the late 1990s on the strength of slick pop hits, but this classic was one of the grimier moments on the multiplatinum-selling Harlem World and features a star-making appearance from Dark Man X.

#18

"MAKE 'EM SAY UGH" - MASTER P FEAT. FIEND, MYSTIKAL, SILKK THE SHOCKER, MIA X

New Orleans rap stormed the mainstream in 1997, and this anthem from Master P's GHETTO D album was the rallying call. No Limit smashed through and showcased some of the brightest stars on the label, with Mia X, Fiend and Mystikal ripping the track to shreds. 

#17

"JOHN BLAZE" - FAT JOE FEAT. NAS, RAEKWON, BIG PUN, JADAKISS

You can feel the respect in the room. These are all emcees who hold each other in the highest esteem and they bring the best out of each other here. Pure late 1990s Mafioso rap greatness, all on one track. 

#16

"STRANDED ON DEATH ROW" - DR. DRE W/SNOOP DOGGY DOGG, KURUPT, LADY OF RAGE, RBX

It may seem contradictory to act like any track on one of the most famous rap albums of all time is something you might've slept on, but seriously-- why don't we talk more about how great the album closing Death Row call-to-arms is here? And there' a Bushwick Bill cameo!

#15

"I SHOT YA" (REMIX) - LL COOL J FEAT. KEITH MURRAY, FAT JOE, PRODIGY, FOXY BROWN

It may suffer in the shadow of a hit single like "4,3,2,1," but we can't front on LL's grimy, gritty group shot from 1995. Featuring one of his most bombastic verses, a straight up classic by Prodigy, and a star turn from Foxy Brown, it reminded everyone (once again) that LL can go hardcore with the best of 'em.

#14

"MONSTER" - KANYE WEST FEAT. NICKI MINAJ, RICK ROSS, JAY-Z

Kanye flew his collaborators to Hawaii to record this standout from MY BEAUTIFUL DARK TWISTED FANTASY, and Nicki Minaj's hyperkinetic verse absolutely steals the show. The controversial Jake Nava-directed music video remains one of Kanye's most memorable. 

#13

"BANNED FROM TV" - N.O.R.E. FEAT. JADAKISS, STYLES P, BIG PUN, CAM'RON, NATURE

Swizz Beatz was a new producer when he laced N.O.R.E. with this anthemic beat and six hungry wordsmiths let loose on it. It's an anthem that sounds of its era—and we mean that in the BEST way. 

#12

"RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE" - THE FUGEES W/A TRIBE CALLED QUEST, JOHN FORTE, BUSTA RHYMES

Over one of Clef's best productions, these legendary crews repped from Native Tongues and the Refugee Camp while singing the praises of none other than Muhammad Ali. It's the Blackest, dopest shit you've ever heard. Is it the most underrated posse cut of all time? We think so.

#11

"DON'T CURSE" HEAVY D & THE BOYZ FEAT. PETE ROCK & CL SMOOTH, Q-TIP, KOOL G RAP, BIG DADDY KANE

Heavy D knew that he was every grandmother's favorite rapper and decided to poke fun with that image (and with the idea of censorship) while recruiting some fellow legends to do it. It's a wonderfully tongue-in-cheek moment that showcases real camaraderie, over a sick Booker T. & The M.G.'s flip.

#10

"STAY FLY" - THREE SIX MAFIA FEAT. EIGHTBALL & MJG, YOUNG BUCK

Legends gon' legend. It's a victory lap for some titans of Memphis rap. Call it a "crossover" hit all you want, some songs are just dope. And this is one of 'em.

#9

"4, 3, 2, 1" - LL COOL J FEAT. REDMAN, METHOD MAN, CANIBUS, MASTER P, DMX

The song that launched one of the most infamous beefs in rap history, it's almost taken for granted that it's also one of the dopest posse cuts of all time. Erick Sermon provides the beat, as a handful of rap icons do their thing.

#8

"NOT TONIGHT" (LADIES NIGHT REMIX) - LIL KIM FEAT. ANGIE MARTINEZ, MISSY ELLIOTT, LEFT EYE, DA BRAT

Hip-Hop had precious few all-star female posse cuts when Lil Kim tapped four fierce emcees for this girls-night-out classic. An iconic performance at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards cemented it as a rap standard.

#7

"LIVE AT THE BBQ" - MAIN SOURCE FEAT. NAS, JOE FATAL, AKINYELE

The legendary track from CRITICAL BEATDOWN is famous for announcing a pair of newcomers named Akinyele and Nas, but let's not forget that "...BBQ" is also just a blazing posse cut that captures the round robin energy of friends freestyling in the basement. 

#6

"I GOT 5 ON IT" (REMIX) - THE LUNIZ FEAT. DRU DOWN, E-40, SHOCK G, RICHIE RICH, SPICE-1

Some shit you just have to do. Whether this is an widely hailed classic or woefully slept on masterpiece might depend on where you grew up, but we weren't going to do this list and just not mention this Bay Area roll call. It's just all NoCal love, and it's just as cool today as it was 25 years ago.

#5

"FLAVA IN YA EAR" (REMIX) - CRAIG MACK FEAT. THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G., RAMPAGE, LL COOL J, BUSTA RHYMES

The song that really let the world that Bad Boy had arrived. Craig Mack's original single was a hit, but it was subsequently overshadowed by this classic. Fans can recite everybody's verse on this one. 

#4

"BUDDY" - DE LA SOUL FEAT. JUNGLE BROTHERS, Q-TIP, MONIE LOVE, QUEEN LATIFAH

The Native Tongues were already earning a reputation for outside-the-box creativity when De La Soul dropped this D.A.I.S.Y. Age ode to coitus. It's so freewheeling and whimsical that you might not notice how naughty it is; but the vibe stays breezy. 

#3

"INTL PLAYERS ANTHEM (I CHOOSE YOU)" - UGK FEAT. OUTKAST

It's a song that has come to epitomize rappers gettin' grown. After years of songs about being playas and pimps, two of the South's most iconic acts gave the Dirty an ode to matrimony. Produced by DJ Paul of Three Six Mafia, the ceremony begins with an uber-classic verse from André 3000, and Big Boi, Bun B and Pimp C do the rest from there. Three Six joins in on the remix. 

#2

"SCENARIO" - A TRIBE CALLED QUEST FEAT. LEADERS OF THE NEW SCHOOL

Widely considered one of the greatest posse cuts of all time,  “Scenario,” which was the third single from "The Low End Theory,"  also served as a launchpad for Busta Rhyme’s solo career.

#1

"SYMPHONY" - MARLEY MARL W/BIG DADDY KANE, CRAIG G, KOOL G RAP, MASTA ACE

Marley put together Hip-Hop's Avengers for this Juice Crew-defining cut. Indisputably one of the greatest rap tracks ever, and a posse cuttour de force, this is one of Marley's masterpieces.

Sent from my iPhone

[zeitgeistofculture]

Joe Perez is a prominent creative director, graphic designer, and artist known for his work with Kanye West and DONDA, Kanye's creative content company. He has been involved in various high-profile projects, including album covers, merchandise design, and art direction. In His career, he has been able to elevate the standards of album covers and graphics used within the entertainment industry. His website (https://www.joerperez.com/work/) is a library of art and inspiration. Works included

-YEEZUS ALBUM COVER

(Kanye West's Official Album Artwork for Yeezus, Hypebeast.com)

-I AM NOT A HUMAN BEING II

( I Am Not a Human Being II , Genius.com)

-LONG.LIVE.A$AP

(LONG.LIVE.A$AP, Genius.com)

- THE PINKPRINT

(The Pinkprint, Genius.com)

-CRUEL SUMMER

(Kanye West Presents: Good Music - Cruel Summer, Genius.com)

- WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?

( WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?, Genius.com)

[98izzark12]

A$AP Rocky - LONG.LIVE.A$AP

2013

Favorite Track: Fuckin' Problems

[homagecollage]

HomageCollage: A$AP Rocky, “LONG.LIVE.A$AP” 🔊💜Today, January 15, 2013, A$AP Rocky released his debut album, “LONG.LIVE.A$AP.” The album’s lead single was ‘Goldie,’ produced by Hit-Boy,’ and it peaked at no.

[amourlashai]

Happy 8 Year LONG.LIVE.A$AP! This album was a whole era. Nostalgic af.

[starlitheaven]

I know nothing about Wakasa but LONG.LIVE.A$AP is for him just because I said so

especially Angels and Goldie