The Rundown: ASAP Rocky, Long.Live.ASAP

Did the Harlem rapper live up to the hype?

A$AP Rocky, Long.Live.ASAP - ASAP Rocky made a statement for Harlem with his major label debut Long.Love.ASAP. He reinvigorated New York rap with laid-back warning "Goldie," the wanna-be-starting-something "F----n' Problems" and the slaying "Fashion Killa."(Photo: Interscope)
"Long Live A$AP" - A$AP quickly puts to rest any question of whether he'd abandon his spacey, artsy sounds of his breakthrough mixtape with the album's title track. The beat switches from insistent 808s and piano tinkles that sound like they're from the score to Eyes Wide Shut, transforming into a spooky chorus anchored by guitars and an ethereal sung hook. Rocky remains as charismatic and unflappable as ever, sticking to his usual boasts. The effect is like Three-Six Mafia moving to Williamsburg, Brooklyn, in the year 2050.    (Photo: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
/content/dam/betcom/images/2012/12/Shows/106-and-Park-12-01-12-10/120112-shows-106-2013-asap-rocky.jpg"PMW" feat. Schoolboy Q - If you're familiar with A$AP, it shouldn't take you long to figure out what "PMW" stands for. In some ways, given the album's subject matter, this should've been the title track. With fellow hedonist and frequent collaborator Schoolboy Q and a slinky beat from T-Minus backing him up, A$AP shows off surprisingly agile double-time flows, showing skeptics he can flat-out rap when he wants to.  (Photos from left: Awais, PacificCoastNews.com, Gary Gershoff/Getty Images)

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"Long Live A$AP" - A$AP quickly puts to rest any question of whether he'd abandon his spacey, artsy sounds of his breakthrough mixtape with the album's title track. The beat switches from insistent 808s and piano tinkles that sound like they're from the score to Eyes Wide Shut, transforming into a spooky chorus anchored by guitars and an ethereal sung hook. Rocky remains as charismatic and unflappable as ever, sticking to his usual boasts. The effect is like Three-Six Mafia moving to Williamsburg, Brooklyn, in the year 2050.  (Photo: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)

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