Live. Love. A$AP is the first project released by Harlem native A$AP Rocky.
It's not the typical New York album you would expect from 2011.
It's impossible not to notice the West Coast and South's influence, mostly Houston, on Rocky's sound. A new hip-hop era (Cloud Rap) was upon us, and Rocky was the pioneer.
Rappers were growing up in a new environment characterized by fewer and fewer hurdles that could interfere with the diffusion of different sounds and cultures across the states.
The various influences are identifiable not only in the lyrics but also in the productions.
A key element behind this mixtape's success was Clams Casino, a very talented producer, whit which Rocky had the fortune to collaborate.
Some of these productions are fantastic: spacey, airy, hard-hitting like "Bass" definitely a highlight of the LP.
There are, however, some weaknesses like Rocky's shallow effort regarding lyricism and the aging process of some of those songs.
Nonetheless, other artists have perfected some sounds and ideas experimented on this album over the years, showing how influential Rocky has been in the American hip-hop scene.