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Apr 29, 2016The problem is that Ferg fails to provide a coherent musical vision to go with these compelling reminiscences.
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Apr 29, 2016Some songs function well as singularities, particularly “New Level” and “Grandma,” which showcase a few of Ferg’s best qualities in spurts, but as a complete work, Always Strive and Prosper is a misfire that presses to be greater than the sum of its parts.
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Apr 29, 2016That title is the rapper’s motto for the project and he accomplishes both. Not only does he strive to become a better, more diverse artist, he definitely prospers in more ways than one as he continues to make a name for himself as one of New York’s biggest talents.
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Apr 27, 2016Clocking in at roughly 47 minutes across a charitable eighteen tracks, Always Strive and Prosper does not seem to break any new ground.
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Apr 27, 2016Always Strive and Prosper is arena rap in jet-set dance-pop drag, and while A$AP Ferg’s talent occasionally flickers when it’s directed in the wrong places, it shines brightest when he’s just being himself.
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Apr 27, 2016Despite the occasional uncertainty, Always Strive and Prosper answers more questions than it poses. Ferg has clearly stepped up his game by delivering his most well-rounded project thus far.
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Apr 26, 2016Production-value is high, with Ferg enlisting top-tier beatmakers like the aforementioned DJ Khalil but also No I.D., DJ Mustard, and even Skrillex. But the beats take a backseat to the lyrics. The overall sound remains intact, but he’s even more invested in what he’s saying.
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Apr 26, 2016With Always Strive and Prosper, we now know about Ferg’s family, his faith, his ambitions, and his past, and his story is more beautiful that anyone ever expected.
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Apr 25, 2016Without succumbing to false sentimentality or restricting himself with the overly linear narrative structure of many of rap’s recent prestige albums, Ferg has crafted a tender tribute to the people he loves most. It’s not often that albums that bang this hard are this moving.
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Apr 25, 2016Always Strive and Prosper doesn’t play to Ferg’s strengths. It feels more like album made by a big label committee, carving up a talented rapper piece by piece and stripping away everything that makes him special.
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Apr 25, 2016Ferg’s pungent wordplay powers this splendidly diverse and dynamic second album.
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Apr 22, 2016Always Strive and Prosper is a chaotic, buoyant album, moving at varying speeds and with different textures. But uniting it all is an almost pervasive feeling of warmth, a sense that its creator comes from a world where he’s surrounded by care, even if he doesn’t always return it.
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Apr 22, 2016With this solid album, he ain't the A$AP Mob's second banana anymore, either. Cutting-edge production from Clams Casino, Lex Luger, Cashmere Cat, and DJ Mustard help him get the job done.
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Apr 22, 2016The follow-up to his acclaimed 2013 debut Trap Lord sees the Harlem rapper open up with more honesty, humor and charm.
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Apr 22, 2016Eclectic, smart, skilful, occasionally experimental.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 57 out of 85
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Mixed: 22 out of 85
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Negative: 6 out of 85
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Apr 22, 2016
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Apr 25, 2016
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Apr 25, 2016