Jon
Caramanica is no stranger to the state of affairs in the rap world.
As the music editor of Vibe magazine, a bi-monthly publication
dedicated to rap, hip-hop, and R&B, Mr Caramancia has witnessed
the rise of many a young rapper.
In
an article published January 17th,
2013, in the New York Times arts and culture section, he turns his
attention to Harlem based rapper Rakim Mayers, better known as A$AP
Rocky.
The
A$AP acronym Rocky adopted stands for; Always Strive and Prosper,
Assassinating Snitches and Police, or Acronym Symbolizing any
Purpose, depending on who you ask. The ambiguity surrounding his
moniker is a reflection of his own pioneering style, from the thinly
veiled double-entendres in “Cockiness” to the the Marty Mcfly
references in “Back to the Future”.
A$AP
prefers “how words sound rather than what they say”. Even so, he
exhibits a mastery of language, exemplified in his latest album,
“Long.Live.A$AP”. Being his first major label release, A$AP has
made the leap from releasing obscure mix tapes online to becoming one
of the most promising young rappers in the game.
A$AP Rocky's preference to the sound of words rather than what they say raises interesting questions about the intentions of rap music.
ReplyDeleteWhile he, in your words, is a pioneer, I have to ask a rhetorical question: does the rap audience, from casual listeners to aficionados, care more about the words or the sounds?
Thanks Joe & Patricia.