A$AP Ferg - Still Striving


A$AP Ferg
Still Striving
2017
Spotify

There is something you will notice right off the bat with this new A$AP Ferg record and that is the sheer number and quality of features. Nav, Lil Yachty, Cam'ron, Busta Rhymes, Migos, Snoop Dogg and the list goes on and one with a couple of the tracks featuring at least four other rappers. It is not a overt condemnation of the album, but when only three tracks are featureless out of the 14 it feels like Ferg is not as confident in his solo voice. The problem with this record, from the outset is it feels like much more style than substance. There are maybe four or five stellar bars on the whole thing, from everyone, which makes absolutely no sense with this much talent and this much time. Yet the beats Ferg chooses are just slightly off, they don't hit quite hard enough to be bangers and aren't interesting enough to be underground sensations. The songs sort of sit in this middle ground of being fine but not great, and the lyrics are so boring that it is often hard to pay attention. "Coach Cartier" is a really funny title, but the song is so fucking stupid and repetitive it totally falls flat. Much of this is because Ferg really has nothing to say simply saying "call me coach Cartier" over and over. Famous Dex has a relatively ok feature, but with a surrounding this bad how was He ever going to be successful. His delivery is also so generic sometimes even using a bunch of Travis Scott chirps rather than bringing something of himself to the trap sound. He just has nothing to say really about anything which makes the album such a disappointment.

Graciously the album moves at a relatively quick pace despite how repetitive it is. "Mattress REMIX" is the first rapper heavy track with four features and it does sound pretty good, but it doesn't blow you away like it would need to in the context of the rest of the record. On "One Night Savage" Ferg sounds so incredibly bored that how can the listener get excited about the track? Graciously Busta Rhymes delivers the verse of the album and elevates everyone else on the track. Ferg raps faster, and so do the other four features each trying to do better than the next save for French Montana who still is just awful. The only problem with the five and a half minute track is it has almost know unifying force. In the beginning of the track Ferg and Busta go hard to rep New York and East coast rap, but then they sort of say oh but here is west coast hip hop and Snoop as well. It just takes any credibility you may have and vaporizes it, because it shows by your own admission you are full of shit. It would be great if there was some redeeming quality or something that brought this album around, but there just isn't. Go ahead and hit a hard skip on this one, you'll thank me for it.

4.2 out of 10

Comments

Popular Posts