A$AP Rocky: Who is he? What's his deal with Odd Future? $3 Million, Really?

If for some off chance A$AP sees this, Ya Tu Sabes, he is like, "Who the F are You?"
That is fine and dandy. I'm LA, nice to meet you.  I love music and when it comes down to it I am emotionally involved with many artists right now.  There is no way to truly feel it without committing.  I live for new artists that have something NEW to bring. 


All throughout the CMJ Music Marathon, I kept hearing and seeing the name A$AP Rocky.  At first I thought Aesop Rock was performing and I needed to know where.  According to his FB page, (A$AP FB), his government name is Rakim, yes named after the rapper.  Rocky became a childhood nickname.  A$AP means to ALWAYS STRIVE AND PROSPER.  Not mad at it.  When you put the name together, "Always Strive and Prosper Rocky" it is kind of a self reminder.  How could you ever forget your life goal if it is in you name? Clever. So what does this dude have to bring to the table that my booboo Weezy is all about him?  I was extremely curious.  Then there was this $3 Million deal with Sony/RCA.  How could an independent artist get this huge deal without my knowledge?  When 50 and Drake got their original signing deals, I had already been bumping them for months.  I am always on the new ish; I figured something was up so I have been investigating.


All my opinions and realizations came from his invterview with Pitchfork on October 28th (Pitchfork A$AP Interview) and his video on AllHipHop.com (AllHipHop.com Video Interview)...


According to the Pitchfork article, the $3 mil breaks down as follows:
"$1.7 million for his solo output and $1.3 million to fund a group label A$AP Worldwide."


Apparently homie got more money than Drake.  Now does he really deserve it?  Now I am very much biased when it comes to Drake because I believed in him when he was Jimmy AKA Aubrey Graham the actor/aspiring rapper.  That dude worked hard to get to where he is.  Now people seem to enjoy A$AP because he's a a real Harlem dude.  It is sad to say that I reached an age when I cannot understand how a 22 year old rapper, with no REAL life experience, is getting all this glorified respect.  A$AP states that the only thing mainstream about him are his investors. Then he goes on to say that he can adapt to radio and adapt to underground because that's what he was for a while.  It agitates me because he acts like he has been struggling in the indie rapper scene forever.  Yes it is a struggle but there are so many rappers with beautiful/gritty/nasty/sensual words that will never get the $3 million or more that they deserve.  And why does he have to adapt to underground, if that is where he has always been?  What, is there no more love for the scene that gave you life?


A$AP speaks of his happiness towards his "new" followers.  These fans used to be haters and he speaks openly about that.  He even admits that he knows that they are on his jock because he's got Capo Jimmy and Weezy standing in his corner.  I understand that he has a FU attitude towards the people in Harlem because they weren't feeling it.  A$AP is happy that he has white dudes in Corporate America lovin' his stuff.  Now there is nothing wrong with that but are you just gonna leave your Harlem people behind?  Why don't you try and reel them in for real, not just with big names and numbers?  Obviously there is something missing in his flow.  Your hometown wasn't feeling you? Really?  To me there is something odd about that. 


I enjoy his HNIC attitude.  He speaks the truth when he says, "When Jay Z was the only one rapping about stuff it was cool. Not it's just so f***ing old. Who gives a f**k?"  For real though.  That ish did get old. (Says the girl who is going to see Jigga and Kanye on Sunday hehehe, they are legends you know).  With that confident mentality, I needed him to back up his statements.  However, I am not satisfied.  Homie needs work in my opinion.  His vocals need to be aged.  I do not mean that he needs to get older but he needs to live a little more.  A$AP Rocky should take that money and do something worth rhyming about.  He is not a doctor of words; he's in the "Swagger Rapper" category.  These are the rhymers that talk about Swag.  Half of them do not have it or know what it really is.  Swagger used to be this exclusive, seductive word that has been misused and abused by the reckless.  When Wiz first came out and talked about Swagger, he had it, I saw it first hand a year before "Black and Yellow" was ever heard by the masses.  Swagger Rap is only necessary if created by those who have it. 


I listened to "Purple Swag" and was not impressed (A$AP-Purple Swag).  Seriously, Mary Jane is beautiful and cool but you do not need to put her out there all the time, damn.  When you talk about how much "Swagger" you have, it is not cute.  Honestly, it is the same thing when men brag about how good they are in "La Cama" department or how much money they got in the bank; that ish is so unattractive.  If he toned it down just a little, that gritty sex would ooze out of him so deliciously.  Yea, I get the hype about him, he does have Swag, never said he didn't but he's in little boy mode about it.  Act like a MAN with $3 million resources.  I realized that he wasn't so bad when I heard "Peso" (A$AP-Peso) .  Now that was swaggerific.  I love the Jamaican in the chorus, nice touch.  A great line that is confidence with not too much cocky is "Our presence is a present. Just to kick it is a blessing."  That line makes me wanna hang with the A$AP crew.  If more songs are like that I can fux with homie.  Honestly, I am already sold on Ty Beats.  He seems to be a nasty producer.  His beats are tough.  A$AP will make something over one of his beats that will murder everything, I can feel it.


What is up with him and OFWGKTA?


According to the AllHipHop.com video interview, A$AP has no beef with the LA crew.  Apparently, Left Brain, one of Odd Future's producers, stated that A$AP Rocky copied him.  Then Hodgy Beats, an Odd Future lyricist, joined in on Twitter, allegedly.  The way that A$AP handled himself was very respectful UNTIL he mentioned that he was not a fighter but he will "smack the s**t outta somebody".  He said that when he runs into those two he's going to ask them what's goodie.  A$AP says that he actually enjoys their music and is a huge fan of Tyler, The Creator, another Odd Future rapper.  Now here is when the confusion comes in for me.  He mentions that OFWGKTA are a lot wilder than him and like to do stuff like skateboard and be extreme.  A$AP says that is not what him and his crew are about. UMMMMM, aren't you under Weezy's wing right now? You know what he likes to do right, yes skateboard and wild out.  I don't understand how you don't roll with dudes "like that" but fux with Weezy no problem? 


I do not now where I stand when it comes down to all this.  These are young dudes trying to prove who is harder; the age old pissing contest.  When they all get older, it will be different.  When my boy Montoya put me on to OFWGKTA, I was automatically into it.  They are weird and wild but I wholeheartedly dig it.  They are strange and "odd" but what real things/people aren't?  "Orange Juice" is my jump off.  I love Earl's raspy ass voice and Tyler's perfect annunciation.  For the record, Tyler's deep/rugged voice is that much sexier because he has such a baby face.  It is shocking and unreal every time.  Check it out: Odd Future: Orange Juice.  Frank Ocean is my dude though.  My girl Melissa tells me that the song "Novacane" reminds her of me.  Thanks Boo! I love him on "No Church in the Wild".  Ah, I hope he pops out on Sunday with Jigga and Kanye. I will not sit here and say I am a huge fan of OFWGKTA because I am not.  I do not know them enough to be an avid fan but I am into it and have been for a while.  As of right now if I had to stand behind a team it would obviously be Odd Future, and for the record, Weezy was at their show last week and was feeling it so...
To me they have always been the same, weird as s**t.  I love that s**t.


My Conclusion on A$AP Rocky


All of my comments are before listening to LiveLoveA$AP, his new mixtape that dropped on Halloween.  I've been trying to download it for days but all the links have been wack.  Obviously, DatPiff.com has it running properly (LiveLoveA$AP Download)!  I suggest everyone cop it; it's free and we all need to know what is going to be coming into our cars, clubs and lounges soon. I think homie has a lot of growing to do, as an artist.  A$AP needs help in the execution department.  He has a maturity beyond his years but doesn't let it come out through his music.  Nothing is wrong with that, but me personally, I want some more.  He contradicts himself so many times that I do not know what to believe.  I just want to ask him, A$AP, what do you want from your career?  What do you want to do?  Do you want the masses to love you or do you just want to be famous?  Honestly, I do not know the answer to any of those and usually I can pick up on it.  He's not bad but I do not know if he is a favorite of mine.  I love his confidence and his Sexy Boy swag, but is that enough?  I need to see more before I make any final decisions on him.  I finally downloaded the mixtape today so I'm going to check it out and get back to you with my final opinion.  I wish A$AP so much luck because I think he can truly go anywhere.


New Jam #1: "Leave My Body" -Florence and the Machine (She murders this song, it is unbelievable)
Leave My Body YouTube


New Jam #2: "Legendary" -Wale
Legendary YouTube


Today's Mood: "Can't Get Enough" -J Cole
Can't Get Enough YouTube