At.Long.Last.ASAP

''At. Long. Last. ASAP'' (stylized as ''AT.LONG.LAST.A$AP'') is the second studio album by American rapper ASAP Rocky. It was released on May 26, 2015, by ASAP Worldwide, Polo Grounds Music, and RCA Records. The record serves as a sequel from Rocky's previous studio effort ''Long. Live. ASAP'' (2013). The album's executive production was provided by Danger Mouse, mentor ASAP Yams and Rocky himself, featuring production by Rocky and Danger Mouse, as well as a variety of several high-profile producers, including co-executive producers Hector Delgado and Juicy J, Jim Jonsin, FnZ, Frans Mernick, Kanye West, Thelonious Martin, and Mark Ronson, among others. The album features guest appearances from Bones, Joe Fox, Future, Schoolboy Q, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and A-Cyde, among others.

''At. Long. Last. ASAP'' was supported by three singles: "Lord Pretty Flacko Jodye 2 (LPFJ2)", "Everyday", and "LSD". The album received generally positive reviews from critics and debuted at number one on the US ''Billboard'' 200. It is Rocky's second US number-one album. The album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Background

On March 16, 2014, announcements were made for two releases; including their first instrumental mixtape, ''Beauty and the Beast: Slowed Down Sessions (Chapter 1)'', and the ASAP Mob's collaborative album, ''L.O.R.D.'' ASAP Rocky revealed that he had been working on his second album. On September 26, 2014, ASAP Mob's founder ASAP Yams announced on his Tumblr account that the group scrapped the release for their collective's album, ''L.O.R.D.'', and instead named Rocky's second album as the label's next release. On October 2, 2014, Rocky announced that he signed a contract for worldwide representation with William Morris Endeavor.

On January 18, 2015, ASAP Rocky's mentor and business partner Yams died at the age of 26, which greatly affected the album's development. Upon ASAP Yams' death, Rocky revealed that his second album would be executive produced by himself and Yams, alongside rapper Juicy J, and record producer Danger Mouse; as well as collaborating with artists such as FKA Twigs and Lykke Li, with production by Clams Casino.

Title

After performing at the 2015's South by Southwest (SXSW) festival, ASAP Rocky revealed to '' Billboard'', that the title to his second album would be ''A.L.L.A.''. On March 26, 2015, in an interview with '' GQ'', Rocky deciphered the album's title: "I'm claiming ownership of my legacy. Look at it: ''At.Long.Last.A$AP.'' A-L-L-A. Like slang for ' Allah.' It's the return of the god MC. I'm named after Rakim, and I'm finally facing what it means: I was born to do this shit. And I hope I get to do it for a very long time."

Composition

Upon the release of the song " M's" (stylized "M'$"), Rocky revealed that he had also worked with New York City rapper Mos Def, as well as up-and-coming British musician Joe Fox (who is prominently featured on many tracks on the album). Hector Delgado and Rocky say that they met Joe Fox while roaming the streets of London: "I met the man. He was a street performer. met him inLondon. I was at Dean's Studio until 4 a.m. I came outside and we waiting for our Uber to go to Starbucks, tired. This kid comes with his guitar and stuff. He was out there playing and stuff and he comes," Rocky explained of his first encounter with Fox. "It was about 4 a.m. so there's nobody in the streets. He tried to give me a CD and shit. I was like, 'I'm not about to listen to that, man. Play something. You got your guitar.' He played it and I was just like, 'Stop man. Come on let's go.' That's where it started."

Release and promotion

On October 2, 2014, ASAP Yams and ASAP Rocky posted links to their website FlackoJodyeSeason.com, and then announced that Rocky's new single would be releasing at midnight. On October 3, Rocky released the album's promotional single, "Multiply" featuring Memphis-based rapper Juicy J. The song was accompanying by the music video (directed by ASAP Rocky and Shomi Patwary), which was officially released at midnight on the website, which had previously displayed a countdown timer. Upon the release, Rocky teased the release of his second studio album, which gave no further details.

On April 8, 2015, a song that was called "M's" debuted during Rocky's interview with the Red Bull Music Academy, and the song was released two days later on the iTunes Store. However, Rocky denounced the song as an official single from the album. The album version includes a re-worked version of the track, replacing Rocky's second verse, with a guest verse from New Orleans-based rapper Lil Wayne. On May 7, Rocky announced that the release date for the album is on June 2, 2015. On May 9, Rocky unveiled the album's cover art on his Instagram page, with the caption "AT LONG LAST...." On the same day, he also released the album's alternative artwork.

On May 25, 2015, the album was leaked online, approximately one week before its expected release. Rocky later tweeted to announce that the album had to be released at midnight, advancing the date to a week early. The album was released to digital retailers on May 26, 2015, by ASAP Worldwide, Polo Grounds Music and RCA Records. On August 30, Rocky performed "M's" and "LSD" at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards.

Singles

On January 7, 2015, ASAP Rocky released the album's lead single, titled "Lord Pretty Flacko Jodye 2 (LPFJ2)". The song was produced by the duo Nez & Rio. The music video, which was directed by Rocky, was released on February 11, 2015.

On May 8, 2015, Rocky released the album's second single, titled "Everyday". The track features guest appearances from musician Rod Stewart, American R&B recording artist Miguel, and Mark Ronson (who also produced the track as well, alongside Emile Haynie).

On May 19, 2015, Rocky released a music video for "LSD" (stylized "L$D", which stands for Love, $ex, Dream). The song was produced by Hector Delgado, Jim Jonsin and Finatik N Zac. The music video was directed by Dexter Navy. "LSD" was officially released as the album's third single on May 21, via digital distribution.

Critical reception

''At. Long. Last. ASAP'' was met with generally positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 76, based on 33 reviews. Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 6.7 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.

In ''The Daily Telegraph'', Neil McCormick called it a "big, bold, madly ambitious album" on which Rocky "made a frequently dazzling spectacle, another reminder that hip hop is currently setting the bar very high indeed". Jon Caramanica of ''The New York Times'' said the rapper "doesn't absorb and repurpose his guests' styles. He's fully formed, a rapper who understands his talent in relation to that of his peers and that of his influences, unafraid of showing you his blueprint". Alex Denney of ''NME'' said, "Playground misogyny aside, ''ALLA'' is a thrillingly focused follow-up that betrays its anxieties even as it mostly makes do with extolling the virtues of vice". Jon Dolan from ''Rolling Stone'' credited the producers for sustaining the album's "expensive vibe" with "a sound that's at once tough and transporting — from the gospel-steeped 'Holy Ghost' to the interplanetary ass-shaker 'Electric Body' to the Rod Stewart-sampling soul fantasia 'Everyday' (featuring Miguel). Even at his trippiest, Rocky makes sure things never swirl off in a haze of incense and peppermints, with steely lyrics that often focus on inescapable truths". Ben Thomas of ''The Guardian'' said, "Some might call it retrograde in the year of ''To Pimp a Butterfly'', but rap is big enough to contain multitudes – including self-regard when it's this perfectly delivered".

Rebecca Haithcoat was less impressed in '' Spin'', highlighting the upbeat production of "LSD", "Excuse Me", and "Westside Highway", but finding the rest of the record often "despondent". Jonathan Hatchman of '' Clash'' said, "As a collected body of work ''At.Long.Last.A$AP'' is far from dreadful, but taken as a whole it lacks the elements of depth and star quality that—having set the bar incredibly high with his debut—many expect from A$AP Rocky". ''Mojo'' reviewer Andy Cowan gave it a lukewarm assessment, writing that while "there are few lyrical miracles in these scattershot songs obsessed with sex, drugs and shopping, in this intuitive stylist's mouth the words themselves are often beside the point". Brooklyn Russell of ''Pretty Much Amazing'' said, "Even if we were to give ''ALLA''s abysmal lyrics a pass, the production doesn't help, either.... Still, Rocky can, at times, be an engaging figure that radiates charisma when he wants".

Year-end lists

Commercial performance

''At. Long. Last. ASAP'' debuted at number one on the US ''Billboard'' 200 with 146,000 album-equivalent units, of which 117,000 were pure album sales. In conclusion to this, it also gave Rocky his second consecutive number one album on the charts to date. In Canada, the album debuted at number one, with 11,000 copies sold. The album spent two more weeks in the top ten of the ''Billboard'' 200. As of July 2015, the album has sold 215,000 copies in the United States.

Additionally, ''At. Long. Last. ASAP'' also spent four weeks at number one on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums from June 13 – July 4, before singer Leon Bridges' debut album, '' Coming Home'', dethroned the album's run at the top slot. Also, as the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart's distillation, ''A.L.L.A.'' stayed at the top slot on the US Rap Albums chart for a total of five nonconsecutive weeks (between June 13 – July 11), before being dethroned by rapper Meek Mill's second studio album, ''Dreams Worth More Than Money'', which also debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200, giving Meek Mill his first number one album to date as well. As of April 2018, the album has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for achieving over a million album-equivalent units.

Track listing

Credits adapted from album's liner notes.

Track notes
* indicates a co-producer
* indicates an additional producer
* Every featured artist is separated by an "x" in place of commas and an ampersand
* "LSD" features additional vocals by Joe Fox
* "Electric Body" features additional vocals by Joe Fox, King Kanobby and Theola "Theezy" Borden
* "Westside Highway" features background vocals by Christina Milian
* "M's" features additional vocals by 2 Chainz
* "Everyday" features additional vocals by Yasiin Bey
* "Back Home" features additional vocals by Anthony Pavel

Sample credits
* "Holy Ghost" contains a sample of "Noon as Dark as Midnight", performed by Lucero.
* "Canal St." contains a sample of "Dirt", written and performed by Bones.
* "LSD" contains a sample of "Ode to Billie Joe" (1967), performed by Lou Donaldson.
* "Excuse Me" contains a sample of "Come Home for Christmas" (Incorrectly credited as "I'll Be Home for Christmas"), performed by The Platters.
* "Electric Body" contains a portion of the composition "Shake That Ass", written by Edwin Perez and David Colquit, and performed by Tapp.
* "Jukebox Joints" contains samples of "Doa Tuk Kekashih", performed by Rasela; "Much Better Off", performed by Smokey Robinson and The Miracles; and "Who Cares", performed by Tony Aiken and Future 2000.
* "Max B" contains samples of "Who by Fire", written and performed by Leonard Cohen; and "Take Me to the Mardi Grass", performed by Bob James.
* "Wavybone" contains samples of "Heaven and Hell", performed by El Michels Affair; and "Could I Be Falling In Love", performed by Syl Johnson.
* "Better Things" contains samples of "Carry On", written and performed by Bobby Caldwell; "All Around and Away We Go", performed by Mr Twin Sister; "High School Lover", performed by Cayucas; and also contains a portion of "How I Could Just Kill a Man", performed by Cypress Hill.
* "Dreams (Interlude)" contains a sample of "Stuck In The Middle", written and performed by Naja Rosa and Anders Holm.
* "Everyday" contains a sample of "In a Broken Dream", performed by Python Lee Jackson and Rod Stewart.
* "Back Home" contains a sample of "Gotta Find My Way Back Home", performed by The Jaggerz.

Personnel

Credits are adapted from AllMusic.

* ASAP Yams – featured artist
* A-Cyde – featured artist, vocals
* Derek "MixedByAli" Ali – mixing
* Angel "Onhel" Apontel – vocals
* Beatriz Artola – assistant, engineer, mixing
* ASAP Rocky – additional production, executive producer, primary artist, producer
* Dan Auerbach – guitar
* Awge – design, executive producer
* Victor Axelrod – keyboards
* Yasiin Bey – vocals
* Jeff Bhasker – additional production
* Bones – featured artist
* Theola Borden – vocals
* Nathan Burgess – assistant
* Michael Burman – guitar
* Austen Jux Chandler – engineer
* Maddox Chhim – assistant
* Da Honorable C.N.O.T.E. – producer
* Riccardo Damian – engineer
* Danger Mouse – additional production, executive producer, producer
* DDot Omen – producer
* Mike Dean – mixing, producer
* Hector Delgado – additional production, arranger, editing, engineer, executive producer, keyboards, mixing, producer, programming
* DJ Khalil – additional production
* Rhys Downing – engineer
* Pablo Dylan – assistant
* Tom Elmhirst – additional production
* Max Ervin – assistant
* James Fauntleroy – featured artist
* FnZ – keyboards, producer, programming
* Joe Fox – featured artist, guitar, vocals
* Future – featured artist
* Dan Fyfe – assistant
* Noah Goldstein – engineer
* Emile Haynie – drum programming, producer
* Hudson Mohawke – additional production
* James Hunt – assistant
* Jaycen Joshua – mixing
* Chace Johnson – executive producer
* Jim Jonsin – keyboards, producer, programming
* Juicy J – executive producer, featured artist, producer
* King Kanobby – vocals
* Ryan Kaul – assistant
* Kennie Takahashi – mixing
* Dave Kutch – mastering
* Michele Lamy – art direction
* Carter Lang – bass
* Bryan Leach – executive producer
* Lil Wayne – featured artist
* Mario Loving – producer
* Thelonious Martin – producer
* Nikolas Marzouca – engineer
* Rakim Mayers – producer
* Frans Mernick – additional production, drum programming, engineer, producer
* M.I.A. – featured artist
* Miguel – engineer, featured artist
* Christina Milan – background vocals
* Will Miller – trumpet
* Todd Monfalcone – assistant, assistant engineer, engineer, mixing assistant
* Mos Def – featured artist
* Dexter Navy – photography
* Anthony Pavel – vocals
* Plu2o Nash – producer
* Che Pope – producer
* Rebel Rock – producer
* Dana Richard – assistant
* Steven "A$AP Yams" Rodriguez – executive producer
* Mark Ronson – bass, drum programming, engineer, featured artist, keyboards, producer
* Matt Schafer – assistant
* Jason Schweitzer – mixing
* S.I.K. – producer
* Jason Staniulis – engineer
* Rod Stewart – featured artist
* THC – additional production
* UGK – featured artist
* Tom Upex – assistant
* Vulkan the Krusader – producer
* Teddy Walton – additional production
* Taheed Watson – assistant, assistant engineer, mixing assistant
* Nesbitt Wesonga – producer
* Kanye West – featured artist, producer
* Kenta Yoneksaka – engineer

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

See also

* List of UK R&B Albums Chart number ones of 2015
* List of ''Billboard'' 200 number-one albums of 2015
* List of ''Billboard'' number-one R&B/hip-hop albums of 2015

References

External links

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2015 albums
ASAP Rocky albums
RCA Records albums
Albums produced by Mike Dean (record producer)
Albums produced by Honorable C.N.O.T.E.
Albums produced by Emile Haynie
Albums produced by Jim Jonsin
Albums produced by Danger Mouse (musician)
Albums produced by Mark Ronson
Albums produced by Kanye West
Albums produced by Hudson Mohawke
Albums produced by Jeff Bhasker
Albums produced by Juicy J
Albums recorded at Electric Lady Studios