Back in the 2010s, the A$AP Mob was a force to be reckoned with in hip-hop. Masterminded by A$AP Yams, the Harlem-based, fashion-centric crew helped redefine what a New York rapper could look and sound like. But in the 2020s, most of the members had spun off into their respective lanes, not the least of whom being A$AP Ferg. Having apparently shed half of his moniker and capitalized the rest, he makes his full-length return four years after the *Floor Seats II* mixtape, offering some insight into the artist—and the man—he grew into. After pledging his neighborhood allegiance alongside fellow Harlemites DD Osama and Bloody Osiris on the dizzying opener “Light Work,” Ferg gets straight to it over the Lex Luger/Mike WiLL Made-It co-production “Thought I Was Dead.” With proof of life now well established, plus the added benefit of a Dapper Dan introduction, he recounts on “Alive :( ” how he unplugged from online life and took inventory of himself, leading to meditative introspection as well as self-destructive whims. Some might find it surprising to learn the erstwhile Hood Pope came to resent what fame did to him, but these reflective revelations seem to have improved his New York state of mind. That said, he hasn’t rejected the rich-rapper lifestyle wholesale, evident on the not-so-humble brags of “Messy.” On “Casting Spells,” he flips the perspective to a more critical lens, offering rare scrutiny in verse of a cultural propensity towards materialism and superficiality. Indeed, he aims to do something good with what he’s got, a message summarized amid the grieving of “Dead Homies.” Elsewhere, Southern rap royals Future and Denzel Curry commune with Ferg in their unique ways on “Allure” and “Demons,” respectively, reaffirming his Trap Lord bona fides. Yet *DAROLD* finds him just as likely to connect with soulful singers as rappers, with the inimitable Mary J. Blige joining for two songs, including the hopeful “Chosen.” Assured of his own greatness and his accomplishments thus far, he says it with his whole chest on the righteous closing track.
Homegrown products of Atlanta’s adventurous artistic environs, Olu and WowGr8 never fail to find new ways to keep EARTHGANG interesting as well as entertaining. Preoccupied with the promise and peril of technology, not the least of which being AI, their *PERFECT FANTASY* mixes the physical, the metaphysical, and the just plain meta in an engaging if gently provocative manner. Beyond their ever-enjoyable vocal presences, a considerable part of their successful methodology comes from the instrumentals themselves, be it the springy funk behind their heady “PUT IN WORK” or the velvety grooves draped upon their intimate “BLACKLIGHT.” The roughly hour-long episode features appearances by an eclectic supporting cast including Damon Albarn, Eric Bellinger, and Cochise, alongside extensive contributions from the duo’s broader Spillage Village collective. These guests tend to make the most of their moments here, with Snoop Dogg offering some sensual seduction on the title track and T-Pain nodding to a Minnie Riperton classic on “Love You More.”
