A$AP Mob

A$AP Mob's new compilation mixtape, Lord$ Never Worry, clears up any confusion you might have had concerning the movement. For one, these kids are lords, which means they are the hereditary descendants of the kind of lifestyle that birthed NYC hip-hop. They are either sons of criminals and street artists, former criminals and artists of another discipline themselves or the understudies of the OGs. And they all rep Harlem, which is to say: A$AP Mob, along with friends Flatbush Zombies, Bodega BAMZ, Joey Bada$$ and his Pro Era crew, are new NYC hip-hop, while Lord$ Never Worry is a manifestation of that rite. The tape starts out with "Thuggin' Noises," featuring Rocky rattling off threats of gunplay, old school-references and talk of drugs and pussy. The beat is an accordion sample that includes gunshot sounds and chopped and screwed sections. Another good number is "Persian Wine," which spotlights Rocky's sergeant-at-arms, Ferg, who rhymes in his trademark melodic flow over skittering hi-hats, steely drums and synths that recall the Gravediggaz. This track at once channels Lil Wayne for the hook and Bone Thugs for part of the second verse. "Freeze" and "Underground Killa$" are noteworthy as well, in that they highlight this passing of the torch from old heads like Jim Jones and Raekwon to cats like Ferg and Rocky. Jones clarifies, on the aforementioned "Underground Killa$," that although he has influenced the womanizing habits of these youngins, he's still very much active in that respect as well. With assistance from Clams Casino, AraabMuzik, Danny Brown, Fat Trel and Gunplay, among others, Lord$ Never Worry does its job. It further familiarizes fans with the Mob, including Ferg, who, by the sounds of it, is next after Rocky. And it proves that despite their wide range of influences, A$AP is still NYC in spirit: raw, rowdy and, more often than not, shrouded in darkness. The assumption seems to be: why worry in a city that your elders built?