If
A$AP Rocky
seemed the young, punkish member of the
A$AP Mob
,
A$AP Ferg
always seemed the elder, referencing veteran icons like
Shabba Ranks
on his singles and bellowing like an East Coast, fashion week-friendly version of
UGK
's
Bun B
. Not only that, his hit single with
Future
, "New Level," landed not only after
Drake
had already recorded a whole album with Atlanta's version of "what's next," but also after
Taylor Swift
had made a consumer electronics television commercial with their hit "Jumpman." Then this sophomore LP arrived as a complicated, winding, and weaving effort that's identifiably post-
Kendrick Lamar
, and it seems the man prefers to chase rather than lead. Still,
Always Strive and Prosper
is so stimulating and so eclectic that
Ferg
could be nominated as hip-hop's truest maverick in the already free and freaky year of 2016. Here's the man who walks like a brute but talks like an edgy art magazine editor and acts like an enigma cloaked in a riddle and wrapped in a trap beat as the
Skrillex
-helmed "Hungry Ham" hits the speaker, with the expected bass drops and unexpected throwback, double-dutch style.
Missy Elliott
fits perfectly into the pumpin', house music-driven "Strive" because
nails the underground club music style of delivering empowering lyrics ("And you're missin' opportunities/I know you're rich in opportunities") then slick silliness drifts into frightening mind games as "Psycho" tells the story of an Uncle that is just what the song says. The album is nothing if not diverse, as "Let It Bang," with
Schoolboy Q
, and "New Level" are radio-worthy winners, while the old-school "Yammy Gang" and the new-school "Uzi Gang" cover the streets. The lush and positive "Beautiful People" with
Chuck D
sounds as if
Public Enemy
teamed with
Digable Planets
, and if the sweet nothings of "I Love You" are more
Chris Brown
than
, the trap lord still does fine on the bedroom number, letting "I just wanna hold ya/Make ya say 'Uhh' like a
No Limit
soldier" eclipse the lesser lyrics like "You've been doin' the squats/Your ass is as tight as a glove." The common criticism that
is great for a feature and stretched on solo tracks and solo LPs is still up for debate, and plenty of arguments against it are included here. If he is that limited an MC,
is a diverse, free, ambitious, sonically stimulating, often infectious, and surprisingly big example of how to get away with it on a major level. Luckily,
ain't that rapper, and with this solid album, he ain't the
's second banana anymore, either. Cutting-edge production from
Clams Casino
Lex Luger
Cashmere Cat
, and
DJ Mustard
help him get the job done. ~ David Jeffries