Rank: 3/5
The Hood Pope is back with more of his sometimes goofy, sometimes gangster persona.
The sound which enticed listeners on “Trap Lord” is back, but this new project feels like A$AP Ferg is taking a step in the wrong direction in terms of both creativity and lyricism when compared to his first album.
That’s not to say that “Always Strive and Prosper” doesn’t have its highlights.
The whimsical banger and Skrillex collaboration “Hungry Ham” features some truly impressive flow on Ferg’s part, and there’s chemistry between Missy Elliot and Ferg on “Strive.”
The Harlem rapper is as effective on the bookends of the album, with the aggressive and ambitious opener “Rebirth” and the personal and honest closing track “Grandma.”
A good deal of Ferg’s songwriting on this project is actually deeply personal, usually concerning his relationship with his family – particularly his mother, grandmother and “psycho” uncle.
“Grandma ain’t gotta go through pain no more / Arthritis and pain and sores / Bleedin’ red, they paint your gauze / Many nights you pray to God / Lord help me, I can no more, I can’t endure this pain no more.”
An equal portion of the album is oddly motivational and uplifting, but some of these moments feel cornier than they do impactful, especially during Ferg’s sung hook on “Strive.”
Sadly, even these highlights are far from groundbreaking or even inventive as many of the tracks here sound like “Trap Lord” leftovers. Bland trap beats and uninspired lyrics plague songs like “Swipe Life” and “Uzi Gang,” and it’s hard to call the Future collaboration “New Level” anything but a mediocre banger.
Even worse is the wasted A$AP Mob collaboration “Yammy Gang” and the abysmal ballad “I Love You” – by far the worst track on the entire project.
The production on most of the album is about as solid as you would expect from a top-tier hip hop release, and sometimes it’s very satisfying, most notably during the blissful instrumentation on the track “Beautiful People.”
While listening to the highlights of “Always Strive and Prosper” it’s hard to deny that A$AP Ferg is pouring his heart into his rhymes, but even those moments ultimately fall short, especially when coupled with the handful of flavorless trap offerings that occupy the rest of the track listing.