Dig deep in the credits and find that Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys plays guitar on one song, that Pablo Dylan (Bob’s grandson) assisted on another, and so on. The album is laden with samples, from soul to Southern rock to indie rock. “At.” is also a deeply curated affair - there are guest verses from Lil Wayne, Kanye West, Future, M.I.A., Yasiin Bey (formerly Mos Def) and UGK, including Pimp C, who died in 2007. A hip-hop producer before moving into dull hand-holding for rock bands, he’s an orchestral-minded producer, and the pacing of this album takes advantage of his gifts without being saddled by his weaknesses. It’s in moments like this that the guiding hand of Danger Mouse is evident. And “Excuse Me” moves with spaghetti western jitters. There’s a nod to Baltimore club music on “Electric Body.” “Fine Whine” has the syrupy affect of Rocky’s early tracks, his vocals pitched down to a slur. “Lord Pretty Flacko Jodye 2 (LPFJ2)” has the maniacal tension of early Three 6 Mafia. It’s fleet and sparkly, and also weighted with better adapted guests (Drake, 2 Chainz, Kendrick Lamar). On those songs, too, he rapped slowly but deliberately, obscuring syllabic tricks underneath a narcotic haze.īut ASAP Rocky’s biggest hit - the profane title shortens to “Problems” - is also his least representative. His earliest breakthroughs, “Purple Swag” and “Peso,” celebrated both directly and indirectly the chopped-and-screwed sound of Houston rap, and its attendant culture around prescription-strength cough syrup.
Rocky has always preferred life in the ooze, and drug music is what got him here. “I look for ways to say, ‘I love you,’/But I ain’t into making love songs/Baby, I’m just rapping to this LSD,” Rocky sing-raps languidly, finding feelings inside the high but losing grip of them just as easily. The one true love song on the new ASAP Rocky album, “At.,” is called “LSD.” A wobbly, slightly morbid affair, “LSD” is about the drug and the love you make - or can’t make - on it.
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