A$AP Ferg “Always Strive And Prosper” Review
Release Date: 22/03/16
Stand-out Tracks: “Hungry Ham”, “Strive”, “Let It Bang”, “Swipe Left”, “Yammy Gang”
After months of releasing amazing single after amazing single, the TRAP LORD’s sophomore album has arrived. The question now becomes, can it live up the the commercial and critical success of his debut?
ALWAYS STRIVE AND PROSPER is an 18 track project that finds Ferg expertly delivering some of his best bars to date over some of the wildest beats he has tackled. Ferg has never been one to shy away from wild production and this dedication is clear from the very beginning of A.S.A.P, whose second song is an insane Skrillex produced trap anthem and one of the album’s highlights.
Ferg’s impeccable ability to alter his flow to best suit the song he is on is front and centre. Whilst a weaker rapper may be overshadowed by the beats he is on, this is never the case with Ferg. Instead, the Trap Lord is always in a constant battle with the production, every time the beat switches up or does something interesting, Ferg will flip his flow to match. His characteristic hard-hitting delivery often sounds like a second drum to the tracks he is on. All in all the result it is impossible not to bang your head along to every track.
Returning back to the production value of this album, Ferg litters his album with amazing production from a variety of artist. The above mentioned Skrillex produced Hungry Ham is definitely a stand-out, but not the only one. The DJ Mustard produced “Strive” (feat. Missy Elliot!), is most likely this album’s radio track, however treating it as such is unfair, as the track is a testament to Ferg’s lyrical ability and inherent ease when it comes to making bangers.
Speaking of features, this album is full of them, with all but 3 songs having a verse from someone other than Ferg. Schoolboy Q, Future, Rick Ross, Big Sean, Lil Uzi Vert as well as all of ASAP MOB and others, all lend a hand in this album. Firstly, kudos to Ferg who manages to get some of the best verses out of his guests in a long time. Schoolboy Q, who is currently working on his own album, is a hard hitting, wordplay filled beast on Let It Bang. Rick Ross’ braggadocious rhymes on spending money are right at home on “Swipe Left”. Lesser known, Lil Uzi Vert and A$AP Marty also delivery great verses on “UZI Gang” which could inspire a couple great chants if the track gains traction. With so many features, sometimes it is easy to find tracks where the guests outperform the host; this is not this case with Ferg. One could even argue that Ferg’s verse on the A$AP MOB track “Yammy Gang” is better than any of his A$AP gang members. (Wouldn’t be the first time Ferg out raps Rocky)
If there is any critique to this album it is it’s occasional inflation. With high-tempo banger after banger, the slower I Love You (Feat. Chris Brown & Tyga) and Grandma feel out of place. By no means are these bad tracks, they simply just feel different to the rest of the album. With that said, Grandma is the album’s most heart-felt song and probably has a longer lifecycle to it than some of the aforementioned club stoppers.
In conclusion, ALWAYS STRIVE AND PROSPER is an excellent sophomore album from A$AP Ferg. Built upon excellent productions, strengthened by amazing guest verses and held together by Ferg’s lyrics and delivery, currently it is worthy of a spot on the best of 2016.
(Originally written and published for Frequency21.com http://frequency21.weebly.com/asap-ferg-is-always-propsering)
