Exploring A$AP Rocky’s Diverse and Extensive Music Catalogue
Whether it's trap, boom-bap or experimental, we're exploring Rocky's discography and what makes it so unique.
Rakim Mayers was always destined for greatness. Named after one of the best rappers to ever grace the mic, Mayers had some big shoes to fill.
Today, you’ll catch Mayers under the stage name A$AP Rocky, the de-facto leader of the A$AP Mob collective.
Rocky broke into the mainstream in 2011 with his song ‘Purple Swag’. The song quickly went viral which netted Rocky enough clout to release his mixtape ‘Live. Love. ASAP’ on Halloween 2011.
Musically, Rocky helped usher in a new sound for east coast rap music of the new decade. The mixtape featured an eclectic mix of traditional 90s boom-bap, psychedelic/funk grooves and chopped and screwed southern production akin to the late DJ Screw.
Rocky followed up with his debut album ‘Long. Live. ASAP’ in January 2013. His album was jam-packed with radio-friendly tunes (Fashion Killa) and club anthems (Fuckin’ Problems)
Rocky even had an indie-pop crossover in ‘I Fall Apart’ with Florence Welch. Rocky’s debut put all his wide-reaching talents on display.
One track that stands out is the tough-as-nails posse cut ‘1 Train’. 1 Train featured verses from; Kendrick Lamar, Joey Bada$$, Yelawolf, Danny Brown, Action Bronson and Big K.R.I.T.
Afterwards, Rocky took a different, less commercial approach with his sophomore album. After living in London and befriending singer Joe Fox, Rocky released his best work to date with ‘At. Long. Last. ASAP’ in May 2015.
Rocky’s varied sonic blueprint continued with songs like ‘Everyday’ with Rod Stewart, Miguel and Mark Ronson. All artists of seemingly different worlds coming together in almost effortless cohesion.
After a three-year hiatus, Rocky returned with his third LP ‘Testing’ in 2018. Testing ventured further into the psychedelic, druggy and off-kilter sound he had adopted on past releases. The album featured the New York to London crossover hit in ‘Praise Da Lord’ with grime MC Skepta.
Testing featured guest appearances from the likes of; FKA twigs, French Montana, Kodak Black, Moby, Kid Cudi, Frank Ocean and T.I. among others.
Fans were often divided or lukewarm on the album. Many claimed Rocky wasn’t as strong without his Mob bredrin A$AP Yams who passed in 2015.
Regardless, Rocky’s creative vision in the world of music has helped reshape the culture. Whether it's Rocky's one of a kind music videos or boundary-pushing albums, Rocky continues to push hip hop forward.
Listen to A$AP Rocky on Spotify and Apple Music here.
