ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: A$AP Rocky

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: A$AP Rocky

: Published on Friday, January 18 2013; Written by Raffy Ermac

Coolness is one of those terms that, although thrown around entirely too much and too often to some underserving things and people, is one of the only ways to properly describe and correlate to Harlem native and up-and-coming hip-hop extraordinaire Rakim Mayers, better known to the world as A$AP Rocky.

Most of us first saw and heard of him last year, when he made a cameo as a modern-day JFK figure in indie-pop songstress Lana Del Rey’s epic video for “National Anthem” (check it out here), as well as collaborating on their leaked song “Ridin’”, which is a perfect example of how two seemingly unrelated artists and genres can come together to make absolutely beautiful music.

We also know him from his many appearances on the works of some of rap’s biggest and hippest names, including Drake, 2 Chainz, Kendrick Lamar, and Rihanna, the latter of which he is touring with this year on her Diamonds World Tour.

Now, with this week’s recent release of his long-delayed and highly anticipated debut studio album, Long.Live.A$AP, the hip-hop community gets to see and listen to some of the best songs that showcase A$AP’s veritable coolness, swag, and unique flow. What other rapper do you know can rock the hottest sneakers and snapbacks, as well as the most stylish, high-fashion oxfords and furs?

A unique blend of wit, wordplay, and beats, some of the best tracks off the Long.Live.A$AP album include “Fashion Killa”, “1 Train”, and “Goldie.”