A$AP Rocky celebrates his crew on, “A$AP Forever,” an advanced single from his forthcoming third studio album.  Moby serves as an unlikely collaborator.

A$AP Rocky has had a stellar rap career up until this point. Both of his albums – Long. Live. A$AP and At. Long. Last. A$AP – stood out.  So far, the promo for his forthcoming studio album has been so-so. The case is the same on his latest single, “A$AP Forever.” On paper, “A$AP Forever” is an unlikely pairing, featuring Moby (!).  The record samples his song, “Porcelain.”  Ultimately, Moby’s vocal contributions are successful, though minimal.

On the intro, A$AP Rocky shouts out to the Gang (“Gang! Gang! Gang!”). Expectedly, this basically reveals the record’s cards… Strings dominate the production from the beginning, remaining a key feature of throughout the course of the record.  The ‘gang’ sentiment continues on the hook, which is entirely too long.  That said, the energy is appreciated on the hook, if nothing else.

The beat finally arrives beginning on the first verse. Here, A$AP Rocky exhibits a decent rhythmic flow. That said, he doesn’t really offer much substance, depth, or truly memorable bars. The bridge, which follows the sole verse, is a change of pace.  There’s a somewhat bizarre outro, dominated by the vocals of Khloe Anna, also incorporating Moby into the mix. Melodic piano lines are a nice touch.

Final Thoughts

Hmm. “A$AP Forever” has its moments, and I like the idea, but it’s still a bit underwhelming, particularly when examining the rapper’s best work.  Perhaps it’s a grower, but still, hard to see this eclipse the likes of “Goldie”, “F**kin’ Problems”, “L$D”, or “Everyday.”

A$AP Rocky • A$AP Forever (Ft. Moby) – Single • RCA • Release: 4.5.18

Writers: Héctor Delgado, Rakim Mayers & Richard Melville Hall « Producers: A$AP Rocky & Héctor Delgado

Photo Credit: RCA