SuppliedCozy Tapes Vol.1: Friends
A$AP Mob
A$AP Worldwide/Polo Grounds Music
https://www.asapmob.com/
Like any large collaborative record, A$AP Mob’s Cozy Tapes Vol. 1 isn’t without faults, leaving some contributors underused, but ultimately finding strength in the members’ cohesion and ability to have fun together. This is by no means a revolutionary album, but it’s an effort packed with heavy bangers, heated verses, and A$AP Rocky’s best and most innovative flow patterns since his early work.
The album starts with “Yamborghini High,” an ode to A$AP Mob’s late founder, A$AP Yams. The song is introduced with a skit, which depicts a hilarious conversation between friends about how “cozy” A$AP Mob is. The hilarity is intensified by Rocky`s frivolous boasts about his cozy fashion, “Yesterday, I came through with the Valentino shorts.” This is undeniably one of the strengths of the album, everyone came to have a good time and celebrate the vision of Yams.
For an album labelled as a collective release, the different members of the A$AP Mob are quite minimal in their appearances. Save for Rocky, who appears on every song except three, other members of the Mob only appear on a handful of songs. Despite this, it still is able to embody an A$AP Mob album, showcasing the talents of each member, albeit sparingly.
Rocky dominates throughout, impressively experimenting with different flows. “Crazy Brazy” is a tennis match of words between Rocky and Key; Rocky challenges his opponent by using three different flows throughout the song. “London Town” is supreme Rocky, as he outshines everyone else with his clever manipulation around the beat and intelligent rhyming continuity. Another standout from Pretty Flacko is “Telephone Calls,” which finds Rocky rapping with such confidence he elicits an equally god-level performance from his new best friend, Tyler the Creator. These moments are especially refreshing from Rocky whose last album wasn’t focused on pure, unfiltered rapping. Here, his prowess as a wordsmith is undeniable.
Rocky`s great solo performance doesn’t take away from the other members of the Mob, who might play bit parts, but still display their talents in the process. A$AP Nast takes control of “Nasty’s World,” with agile flows and lyrical ability, hearkening back to vintage New York rap. A$AP Ant, Twelvvy and Ferg also complement the group (I would have loved to see more of Ferg) while most of the non-Mob guests do not disappoint either. Skepta, Tyler the Creator, Wiz Khalifa (who displayed his oft-underrated talent for melodies on “Way Hii”) and BJ the Chicago Kid complement and elevate the album in their respective contributions.
Ultimately, Cozy Tapes represents the best parts of A$AP Mob, most notably Rocky, and the group’s strong bond as friends. As they honour their leader and fallen brother, Yams, A$AP Mob finds their footing creatively in his absence. Yams would be proud.
