When it became clear that A$AP Rocky was a full blown star, we started looking at his crew, the A$AP Mob, to see who might be next in line. There were many suitors (we see you Twelvy and Nast) but two tours, one group mixtape, and almost a year later we have a definitive answer. That answer is A$AP Ferg. Riding the wave of two back to back street bangers ("Work" and "Shabba"), Ferg officially dropped his debut album Trap Lord this week.
To celebrate, we had the Young Lord himself come by the Complex offices, sip on a little something, and tell us about his favorite albums. The list is pretty representative of where Ferg finds himself musically. It's full of New York superstars (a city he proudly calls his own), tride and true hip-hop legends (something he's hopes to become), and artists he feels excelled by stepping outside of the norm (something his debut album most certainly does). Oh, and he's also got Selena's greatest hits on there. Check out A$AP Ferg's 25 Favorite Albums.
Also check out A$AP's Tracklist Episode on Complex TV below.
As told to Max Goldberg (@goopygold)
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Mary J. Blige, What's The 411 (1992)
Onyx, Bacdafucup (1993)
The Notorious B.I.G, Ready To Die (1994)
Label: Bad Boy
A$AP Ferg: "I was depressed at the time when I was listening to that. I remember first seeing the album cover when I was younger and liking it because of the baby. I always used to just see 'B.I.G,' I never really knew what he looked like, I just thought of the baby. I didn't even know if he was a singer or something, I didn't know who he was. Soon, my father started playing his music around me and I knew who he was.
I was on sleeping on the train, listening to that on my headphones. Everybody else was a blur to me at that time.
"I used to listen to Ready to Die around the time I dropped out of college. I was scrambling for work and money. I was just going through life's triumphs and obstacles so I felt what he was talking about in it, like, getting kicked out of his house or going through stuff with his girlfriend on 'Me and My Bitch.'
"I related to it. I was like, 'Damn, what if I robbed a train like him. I need money right now! Gimmie the loot!' He was real hungry, and that's how I was feeling at the time. I was running around, wearing my 40 Below Timbs, with my lumberjack shirts. I was on sleeping on the train, listening to that on my headphones. Everybody else was a blur to me at that time."
Da Brat, Funkdafied (1994)
Nas, Illmatic (1994)
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, E. 1999 Eternal (1995)
Makaveli, The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory (1996)
Jay-Z, Reasonable Doubt (1996)
Notorious B.I.G, Life After Death (1997)
DMX, Flesh of my Flesh, Blood of my Blood (1998)
Cam'ron, Confessions of Fire (1998)
Ruff Ryders, Ryde or Die Vol. 2 (2000)
Beanie Sigel, The Truth (2000)
Jadakiss, Kiss The Game Goodbye (2001)
Cam'ron, Come Home with Me (2002)
The Diplomats, Diplomatic Immunity Vol. 1 (2003)
Jay-Z, The Black Album (2003)
Selena, Greatest Hits (2003)
Lil Wayne, The Carter (2004)
Kanye West, College Dropout (2004)
Kanye West, 808s and Heartbreak (2008)
Kid Cudi, Man on the Moon: End of Day (2009)
Kanye West, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010)
Kendrick Lamar, good kid, m.A.A.d city (2012)
A$AP Rocky, Long.Live.A$AP (2013)
Label: A$AP Worldwide/Polo Grounds/RCA
A$AP Ferg: "I respect it because I know where Rocky came from with Live.Love.A$AP, and Love.Live.A$AP is just that to the 10th power. Live.Love.A$AP was kicking down the door but then Long.Live.A$APwas like, 'I arrived.' He got the ill production from Danger Mouse, Skrillex, just crazy dope songs.
'F***in' Problems' wasn't my favorite at first but then it grew on me.
"As a collective album—like musically and sonically—it was different from anything that I've ever heard. It just has a lot of bangers. 'Fuckin' Problems' wasn't my favorite at first but then it grew on me.
"'Long Live A$AP,' the first song, is my probably favorite joint. When he played that, it reminded me of an old school No Limit or Hot Boyz beat by Mannie Fresh. He co-produced that with Jim Jonsin so to know that he had his hands in it, to know that he crafted it and molded it to something great himself is great."