Long. Live. ASAP Digital Booklet

Long. Live. ASAP is the debut studio album by American rapper ASAP Rocky, released on January 15, 2013 by ASAP Worldwide, Polo Grounds Music, and RCA Records. The album features guest appearances from Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q, 2 Chainz, Drake, Big K.R.I.T., Santigold, Overdoz, Yelawolf, Florence Welch, Danny Brown, Action Bronson, Joey Badass, Gunplay, and ASAP Ferg. The album's production was handled by Rocky himself (under the pseudonym Lord Flacko), Hector Delgado, Hit-Boy, Clams Casino, Jim Jonsin, T-Minus, Danger Mouse, 40, Skrillex, and Emile Haynie, among other high-profile producers. The album was supported with four singlesâ"Goldie", "Fuckin' Problems", "Wild for the Night", and "Fashion Killa"âand Rocky's Long. Live. ASAP national tour with rappers Schoolboy Q and Danny Brown.

Background and Recording

In May 2011, Rocky quit selling drugs and decided to focus on his rap career. When he released a music video for his song "Purple Swag", it garnered Internet buzz and attention from record labels, despite negative feedback from his native hip hop scene in New York. He was courted by several labels, including the RCA-distributed Polo Grounds Music. However, he held off from any deal with a label, instead wanting to explore other pursuits. Rocky and Polo Grounds president Bryan Leach, also a Harlem native, subsequently spent time talking about music and lifestyles.

Download

In August 2011, Rocky following a music video for the song "Peso", which first appeared on internet blogs and eventually received radio airplay on New York City's Hot 97. The song also earned him respect in the New York scene, of which he later said, "It bring a tear to my eye to see native New York people give me my props because New York is stubborn and arrogant". After a bidding war among labels, Rocky signed a record deal with Polo Grounds and RCA on October 14 , a week after RCA's parent label Sony Music absorbed Jive Records into RCA itself. It was worth $3 million, with $1.7 million for his solo work and $1.3 million to fund his company ASAP Worldwide.

Rocky recorded the album in various locations around the world with different producers. He worked with Clams Casino in London; Hit-Boy in Los Angeles; Danger Mouse in Amsterdam; Skrillex in Paris; T-Minus in Toronto; Emile Haynie in New York; and Jim Jonsin in Miami . He also collaborated with Rihanna on a remix of her song "Cockiness (Love It)", which was performed at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards. Rocky described the album as diverse and influenced by various genres of music such as psychedelic rock and dubstep . He also said that he wanted to make a classic album that would be timeless and not just trendy. He stated that he was inspired by artists such as The Beatles , Jimi Hendrix , Pink Floyd , Moby , Portishead , Massive Attack , and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony .

Artwork and Title

The album cover features a black-and-white photo of Rocky with his braids sticking out of a beanie hat. He is wearing a long-sleeved shirt with the American flag on it and a gold chain with a pendant that reads "ASAP". The album title is written in white capital letters on the top and bottom of the cover. The cover was designed by Virgil Abloh, a creative director and fashion designer who is also known for his work with Kanye West and Off-White .

The album title is stylized as LONG.LIVE.A$AP, which is a play on the phrase "long live the king". Rocky explained that the title represents his longevity and ambition in the rap game, as well as his respect for his predecessors and peers. He also said that the dollar sign in his name stands for "always strive and prosper", which is the motto of his crew ASAP Mob.

Track Listing

No.

Title

Writer(s)

Producer(s)

Length

1.

"Long Live ASAP"

Rakim Mayers, Jim Jonsin, Rico Love, Finatik N Zac, Frank Romano, Danny Schofield

Jonsin, Love, Finatik N Zac