CD REVIEW! A$AP Rocky - Long.Live.A$AP

If you like your hip-hop and rap like you love Jay-Z, then give 'newbie'A$AP a listen. In late 2011 this young Harlem MC (born Rakim Mayers) announced his arrival with an impressive mix-tape, "Live Love ASAP," that married a streetwise lyrical sensibility to plush, pop-savvy beats. Now, less than 18 months later, he's releasing his feverishly anticipated major-label debut, Long.Live.A$AP. His debut CD sees input from A-list producers such as Danger Mouse and Skrillex and guest appearances by Drake and Florence Welch. "It feel good waking up to money in the bank," he admits in the album's lead single, "Goldie," and you can hear in his unhurried swagger that he knows the security of which he speaks. A$SAP is a magnetic persona and has a knack for crafting dreamy hip-hop anthems – tracks that might seem underground on paper but ultimately have the unmistakable feel of a hit.

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