The same weekend as a bonecrushing set at the Sydney and Brisbane editions of Listen Out (and a week after leaving Melbourne and Perth in his wake), trap lord A$AP Ferg played one of his three festival sideshows at Sydney’s iconic Metro Theatre. We were on ground to catch Ferg in a more intimate indoor environment and the results were outstanding.
Check out the full gallery of snaps below:
Photos: William Zhang/Howl & Echoes
It’s video roundup time! Once again, Howl And Echoes are coming in hot with the freshest, most eyeball-stimulating music videos to be dropped by the artists you love and some of the artists you don’t know you love yet this week. We do all the dirty work and herd them all into one convenient web-based location for you to enjoy every Friday so that you don’t have to. Have yourself a good old gander at the latest offerings from:
Mitski – Happy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJ0O2vDT0VE&feature=youtu.be
We were loving New York’s Mitski when she last appeared in the roundup for the video for Your Best American Girl, she’s back again with the latest single to precede her highly anticipated fourth studio effort Puberty 2. Happy is the title, opening with a synth backbeat that sounds like a skipping CD and Mitski sounding like she’s crooning through a bad dial-up connection. There’s a discordant atmosphere immediately before the layers of sound are built upon (a low saxophone snaking its way in and out) and Mitski’s vocals shine through before the song picks up the pace, slowly building more and more frantically.
The video accompanying it is a wonderful short horror film, set in the 50s, it watches Mitski slowly unravel as she discovers her partner is cheating on her (the ending accelerates to 100 in about three seconds). This one really satiated my love for both horror movies and music videos with clear narrative arcs.
Puberty 2 is out June 17th on Dead Oceans via Inertia.
NO ZU – Hi Gloss
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osM1dQlCRY8&feature=youtu.be
Melbourne eight-piece NO ZU have released their latest single Hi Gloss. It’s five minutes of raucously experimental synth pop sounding straight out of the 90s. It’s an unholy blend of different instrumental parts and vocal harmonies, so many unexpected bursts of noise that will keep your ears beyond stimulated.
The video is fantastically lo-fi and matches the bygone era sound with some vintage 3D graphics. Designed by 3D animator Alex Last, there’s as much going on in this video as there is in the song behind it. It’s almost impossible to explain but it looks like something you’d see on early 90s ABC and it’s an amazing throwback sonically and visually.
Nicholas Allbrook – A Fool There Was
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmxdWeMBdT0
Howl And Echoes loves us some Nick Allbrook too, and the POND frontman has his latest single out as well as his second solo studio album today in Pure Gardiya. A Fool There Was opens with a furious staccato guitar riff before mellowing into a marching rock tune, the choruses punctuated by the same shredding guitars from the beginning, Allbrook’s positively theatrical vocals engaging the listener at every turn.
The video, directed by Matt Sav, is an Australian homage to Osez Josephine by French rocker Alain Bashung and features a mysterious figure circling Allbrook and a few companions in an illuminated carpark, creating a dizzying effect for a rollercoaster of a song.
Pure Gardiya is out today via Spinning Top Records.
Wild Beasts – Get My Bang
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nkdZhFzglA
Across the pond to Kendal in the UK for this next one, with rockers Wild Beasts announcing their fifth album Boy King and releasing a brand new single simultaneously. Get My Bang is the first, a slow-burning electro-rocker that coils and uncoils across three and a half minutes before a twisting guitar solo plays it out.
The video artfully mirrors the dark feel of the song, a pair of lovers dancing through the dimly lit streets of Belgrade while the band plays. It’s an exciting introduction for what’s to come on Wild Beasts’ next album.
Boy King is out August 5th on Domino.
Whitney – No Matter Where We Go
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SN-9ZAr2ePQ
This. Is. Nice. Indie rockers Whitney are just a few days away from the release of their debut album after wowing crowds at this year’s SXSW and have released their latest single this week in the breezy No Matter Where We Go.
The Eagles vibes are palpable in the jangly, southern-flavoured classic rock guitars and stomping percussion, singer Julien Ehrlich’s falsetto putting this summery tune on a nimbus cloud. The video, directed by Alan Del Rio Oritz, visualises the feelgood nature of the song, shots of the band jamming mingled with intimate looks at several different happy relationships.
Light Upon The Lake is out June 3rd on Secretly Canadian via Inertia.
Oh Pep! – Doctor Doctor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGgy0GoemCU
A contemporary folk-pop duo out of Melbourne are Olivia and Pepita, collectively known as Oh Pep! Doctor Doctor is their latest single, coming just shy of the release of their debut album dropping as soon as July does. The track is a slice of clever, quirky pop with a scuttling backbeat that remains blissfully lighthearted despite lyrics dealing with self doubt. The hook ‘I know what I want, it’s not what I need‘ is just built for a singalong.
The video is positively gleeful, a pair of mates enjoying a cracker day out including throwing eggs at a soccer team and transporting each other around via such conventional means as a beat up hatchback and a pram found by the bins before they enjoy a beer and a sunset together. Truly beautiful.
Stadium Cake is out July 1 via Barely Dressed/Remote Control.
Bugs – Instant Coffee
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKGXhnvMAyQ
Presently one of my favourite bands in Brisbane are punk shredders Bugs. Having just released their latest record Growing Up yesterday, the most recent single from that album Instant Coffee received video treatment this week as well. Frenetically fun, the Bugs boys take pop punk and give it a distinct Australian flavour. Like good instant coffee (if there is such a thing) it never feels too sweet or saccharine, the main riff is a fish hook and the chorus is unbelievably catchy as well. Bugs shred and Instant Coffee is just one piece of a very fine record.
Its accompanying video is a ripper, with coffee beans flying everywhere while the duo enjoy a sunny day at home, although that bowl of Moccona drummer Brock Weston eats like its cereal is the stuff nightmares are made of. Overall stellar stuff from yet another promising band out of Brisbane, try listening to this or anything else by Bugs and not be wearing a shit-eating grin in seconds.
Growing Up is available now via Bugs’ bandcamp.
A$AP Ferg – Yammy Gang (ft. A$AP Mob, Tatiana Paulino)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQvb_oGWzgk
Wrapping up this week is Harlem hard-hitter A$AP Ferg and his new video for Yammy Gang, a shout out to their fallen comrade in A$AP Yams. From Ferg’s huge new album Always Strive And Prosper, Yammy Gang Featuring the rest of the A$AP Mob including Rocky, Twelvyy and Nast as well as a touching spoken word outro from Yams’ mother Tatiana Paulino about continuing her son’s legacy.
Yammy Gang goes hard like everything else on Always Strive And Prosper and the whole mob rightfully throws down in honour of Yams, Rocky’s verse exactly as nifty as you would expect. The video is a lo-fi desert trip (almost looks like the Joshua Tree), where the A$AP Mob ride in SUVs and chill out in half-built desert houses.
Always Strive And Prosper is out now on RCA.
Image: Supervisor Wire
Currently out and about promoting his star studded sophomore album Always Strive And Prosper (read our review here), A$AP Ferg stopped by DJ Self‘s radio show at Power 106 and dropped a couple of freestyles live on air.
The Harlem rapper went in over The Lox‘s Money, Power & Respect and Diddy‘s Victory, referencing everything from Madonna, his riches, and Rihanna, to his position in the rap game. Both freestyles are great, and although Self’s constant yelling and sound effects are as annoying as hell, once you get past them you realise how great a wordsmith Ferg is. Watching him getting animated and hyped as he’s rapping is great, as you can feel the passion and love he has for his craft.
If there’s one criticism, it’s that Ferg already used portions of the freestyles when visiting The Cruz Show last month. During the show he was asked to freestyle over Wu-Tang Clan‘s Triumph, using much of the same rhymes as he did for the Money, Power & Respect freestyle. While this is disappointing and makes you wonder if any freestyles are actually off the cusp or are all written down beforehand, it doesn’t take away from Ferg’s writing, while his delivery is excellent.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYnb9bIhmFc]
Image: Billboard
A$AP Ferg – Always Strive And Prosper
On opening track Rebirth, A$AP Ferg boldly declares he’s moved on from his Trap Lord persona to become the Hood Pope, and it’s hard to disagree. Sophomore album Always Strive and Prosper is a more mature and experimental Ferg, with the Harlem rapper expanding his sonic sphere and taking his lyrical wordplay to another level.
Ferg’s musical experimentation doesn’t always work, as is the case with the Skrillex produced EDM thumper Hungry Ham, but when it does, the results are spectacular. Let It Go incorporates strings, a verse from Chuck D, narration from Mama Ferg and an acapella verse, World Is Mine finds Ferg and Big Sean trading verses about girl problems, and the piano laced Strive is a club hit in waiting that features a rare appearance from Missy Elliot in fine form.
That’s not to say it’s all new sounds, with the former Trap Lord keeping things aggressive with SchoolBoy Q on Let It Bang, Future on New Level and highlight Uzi Gang with newcomer Lil Uzi Vert and Marty Baller. At times the amount of guests is a little overwhelming (there is no need for Chris Brown to be on this album), with only four of the album’s tracks solo cuts, the best being closing number Grandma.
Verdict: A worthy follow-up to his debut with just a few too many features for my liking.
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Rich The Kid – Trap Talk
The South, particularly Atlanta, is the centre of a new breed of rapper taking the Internet by storm. Fusing trap beats with a healthy amount of auto-tune and weird flows, the likes of Young Thug, Lil Uzi Vert and Lil Yachty have all begun to make their mark, with Rich The Kid the latest to join the party.
Originally born in New York, Kid grew up in Georgia with the southern sound plastered all over his latest mixtape Trap Talk. While enjoyable, there’s nothing new here. Kid talks about the usual rap cliches concerning women (Just Might, Running Threw), drugs (Trap House) and his ego (Trap Talk Outro) but it all sounds like familiar ground. That’s not to say it’s all bad. The aforementioned Trap Talk Outro features a classic Harry Fraud beat, Ty Dolla $ign pops up on 911 while the moody PARTYNEXTDOOR produced Routine Rogue is deluxe, but the bangers are few and far between.
Verdict: Worth a listen but nothing I haven’t heard done better.
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Bankroll Mafia – Bankroll Mafia
Bankroll Mafia are the Atlanta hip-hop supergroup comprising T.I., Young Thug, Shad Da God, Peewee Roscoe, MPA Duke and London Jae. Formed last year, it looked unlikely the super six would release new material after Roscoe was sent to prison for shooting up Lil Wayne‘s tour bus, but the remaining five members have forged ahead with the release of their debut self-titled album.
While the album allows all six members (Roscoe manages to pop up on four tracks) to flex their talents, it’s T.I. and Young Thug who are the big draw cards. While both have different rap styles, together on wax they work well, with highlights including the anthemic Out My Face and the slow-drill of Cash. The group also expose many of the South’s rising talents, with Migos joining Shad Da God on Up One, 21 Savage helping out T.I., Thugger and MPA Duke on the misogynistic I Want Her, and my new favourite Lil Yachty fuelling his ego on album opener Hyenas.
Verdict: Solid effort that’s worth a listen just to hear T.I. spit fire after a few lacklustre solo albums.
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B.o.B. – E.A.R.T.H. (Educational Avatar Reality Training Habitat)
When rapper B.o.B. took to Twitter early this year to claim the world was flat, he copped his fair share of flak, as you can imagine. Not only was he ridiculed on social media but he managed to get into a beef with famed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. The two exchanged views over Twitter leading to B.o.B. dropping diss track Flat Line. Tyson enlisted his nephew Stephen Tyson to clap back with Flat-To-Fact and that’s the last we’ve heard from B.o.B. Until now.
E.A.R.T.H. (Educational Avatar Reality Training Habitat) is B.o.B.’s latest mixtape full of lyrical references to conspiracy theories, science, environmental issues, and of course, more reasons why the earth is flat. Album opener Under The Dome speaks on chemtrails, fluoride in the water supply, acid rain and the New World Order, while PoW-WoW samples President Obama talking about cloning and has B.o.B. asking “Show us your belly-button if you’re not a clone.” B.o.B. even finds time to clap back at scientists, particularly deGrasse Tyson on Fkn’ Science Bro, a track that questions people’s faith in science.
It might sound like B.o.B. is off the reservation, but since he dropped out of the commercial spotlight he’s music has often been influenced by his thoughts on science, politics and the environment, so this project isn’t that big of a surprise. If anything, it’s another solid tape from B.o.B. who’s criminally underrated.
Verdict: Get past some of the outrageous theories B.o.B. believes and this is an enjoyable listen.
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Image: HipHopDX
Jim Jones and A$AP Ferg are well on their way to becoming rap’s version of 10 time WCC Tag Team Champions Harlem Heat. While real life brothers Booker T and Stevie Ray became huge stars before parting ways and going solo, Jones and Ferg are doing things backward. The two are established names in the rap game, and their recent work together demonstrates the explosive chemistry that they have when pairing together.
Following on from last week’s Finesse, featuring Rich Homie Quan and Desiigner, Jones and Ferg put their rap prowess to the test on The Drumatics and Mike WiLL Made It produced Harlem, staking their claim as the latest rap tag team to bring the heat.
The beat for Harlem is ferocious, with Jones adapting to the modern sounds while keeping things gangster as Ferg spits rapid fire bars about how he’s “Swaggin’ so hard, fucked a grandma.”
The biggest downfall with Harlem is it’s under two minutes long and leaves you wanting more. Ferg’s sophomore album, Always Strive And Prosper, drops this Friday, and although Jones doesn’t appear, if Harlem and Finesse are a taste of what the two can cook up in the booth, I’m hoping some kind of project is in the works for later in the year.
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Image: Rap-Up
Jim Jones brings the flavours of East Coast and Southern style rap together on new anthem Finesse. While Jones has been quite of late, Finesse is a solid reminder of what Jones can do when he puts his mind to it. Joining forces with Atlanta’s Rich Homie Quan, fellow Harlem rapper A$AP Ferg and Brooklyn newcomer Desiigner, the Dipset member brings the heat with this one.
Produced by the relatively unknown 808 Stash and propelled by 808s and stinging hi-hats, Finesse is the type of track you want to hear late night in the club. Jones opening salvo finds him rhyming about slinging drugs and his affiliations with the Crips and Bloods, but it’s Ferg who’s the clear star of this hustlers tale. Not only does he sing the catchy as hell hook, but he shares verses with Quan and Desiigner.
The chemistry between Ferg and Quan is off the chain and I’m surprised the two haven’t collaborated more often since jumping on DJ Don Cannon’s Big Money back in 2014. Desiigner continues to sound more and more like Future every time I hear him, with Finesse being one of the few tracks Desiigner has featured on since blowing up with Panda.
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Image: HotNewHipHop
We’re almost a third of the way through 2016, and already it’s proven to be one of the most exciting periods for phenomenal hip-hop, soul, R&B and funk music in recent memory. Here’s some of the best new songs, remixes and videos from the last couple weeks.
BJ The Chicago Kid, The New Cupid ft. Kendrick Lamar
This track came out as part of BJ’s brilliant debut album In My Mind, and the video was released this week. The New Cupid was one of the smoothest tracks on his generally brilliant album, no less of course, because it featured hip-hop’s messiah, Kendrick Lamar.
The video, directed by Matt Barnes, stars comedian and actor Hannibal Buress as a rather uncouth cupid. Meanwhile, Kendrick and Raphael Saadiq (whose track Oh girl is sampled) add some hilarious star charm to the velvety smooth number. Buress spoke to Rolling Stone about the video, claiming it to have been a “spiritual experience. We’re gonna change lives with this one. BJ was telling how the video was missing one piece. It was me. I came into the picture and made this project whole. The cherry on top. The final stroke of the paintbrush on a masterpiece.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrzTkP2bJpk
A$AP Ferg, Let It Bang ft. ScHoolboy Q
There’s been a lot of big news out of both Ferg and Q’s camps of late, with an imminent album from A$AP Ferg, and TDE’s head honcho teasing an upcoming Schoolboy Q release, coming later this year. Now, Ferg has dropped Let It Bang, a groove-laden track that’s somehow equal parts laid back and banger.
The video, which opens with a bit of a jazzy storyline, meshes scenes of a nightclub, nightmares, convenience store robberies and disturbing reaper-esque shot of Q, shadowed and hooded, stealing the show with his heavy-hitting words of wisdom.
I for one am really interested to see where Ferg’s album takes him, having spent three long years living out his self-fulfilling prophecy as the Trap Lord. This is a diverse, dense and aggressive release, and considering the intensity of both this and his recent New Level ft. Future, I have a feeling that this is gonna be a banger-laden album to remember.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2foQwkKQgc
Pusha T, Untouchable (Aesop Rock remix)
This is weird. Aesop Rock over Pusha T and Timbaland (whose beat this is)? Huh? These guys seemingly couldn’t be on farther ends of the hip-hop spectrum. The glamorous head of G.O.O.D Music has the attention, money and publicity of Kanye West and co. behind him, while Timbo is, well, Timbaland, himself largely untouchable. Aes, meanwhile, the most lyrically explorative storyteller in the game, seems to stray as far from the mainstream spotlight as possible, ferociously below the radar. This remixes marries the smokey club beat with headphone lyrics, and it’s fucking brilliant.
If Aes is trying to raise the bar (and his audience numbers) ahead of the release of The Impossible Kid, he done good. This is a fabulous remix, one that showcases the darkest corners of his mind and music. Aesop goes hard, it’s basically a diss track against everyone who has ever undermined him, increasing in aggression all the way through to the Biggie sample which rounds it off.
Also I would safely say that this is the only rap track in history that has name-dropped John Zorn and quietly disses Jay-Z within sixty seconds.
At fifty six bars long, this track kills. Aesop Rock, I love you. The Impossible Kid comes out on April 29 via Rhymesayers.
Future, Low Life ft. The Weekend
Future just dropped the video for Low Life, from last year’s album EVOL. This was a streamy track to start with, as is literally anything which involves Abel Tesfaye, and the video only adds another element to that. Watch as the pair rock a decrepit, abandoned warehouse and similarly downtrodden, ghost town scenery. Expectedly including a few shots of gorgeous women posing seductively, it’s everything you might expect from a visual accompaniment to the track. While I (shock, horror) am not usually on the Future train, this track lays low enough that I’m hooked.
XXL reckon that this clip reminds them of Mad Max: Fury Road, and I have to agree. The beat is low and ominous – more end-of-the-night than club banger (despite Future’s repeated promise, “’bout to fuck this club up.”) The clip features such decrepit scenery that it does have a kind of end of days, post-apocalyptic vibe, and that’s just the way I like it. A Low Life, indeed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_9tX4eHztY
Funkadelic & George Clinton, Ain’t That Funkin’ Hard On You? (Remix) ft. Kendrick Lamar & Ice Cube
Here’s a video and a track that nobody can say anything bad about. The song itself came out in 2014, but a number of remixes have since appeared. Kendrick Lamar first appeared on a Louie Vega remix last year, and a new remix, also featuring Ice Cube, appeared last month.
The space age video blends sensual funk with OTT science fiction, set in a space ship flying through space, making stops at nightclubs, in glitzy cities and beyond.
It’s basically an R&B Blade Runner.
The Clinton & Funkadelic outfits deserve a special mention, with polkadots, hats, long-tailed coats, feathers, headdresses and more absolutely stealing the glittery show – particularly when pitted against Kendrick’s simple TDE-branded hoodie and Cube’s simple yet classy gangsta wear.
I can only hope that Cornrow Kenny and George Clinton with Funkadelic will work on more music together in coming years – Clinton’s feature on To Pimp A Butterly was one of the highlights of the album, and considering Kendrick’s endless affection toward jazz, soul and funk, his tone and flow could not match this style more perfectly.
Lamar, who was in town this week to perform in Sydney, Melbourne and at Bluesfest, is an endless highlight on tracks, and as good as the original was, he simply makes it better. Okay, so Cube’s verse feels a little weak and arbitrary, but am I going to complain? Hardly. I love his flow, and even if it contributes absolutely nothing lyrically (“Some suckers don’t like it, ‘cos I’m a psychic, and if you tricks don’t like it, hoe you can dyke it”… zzzzz) his bouncy rhythm is always a nice addition.
Image: Vevo/Funkadelic
It’s hard to believe that it’s been almost three years since A$AP Ferg released his debut album Trap Lord, and though he’s released two mixtapes since then, he’s always been known as the Trap Lord. Those winds may be changing soon enough though, with the A$AP Mob big gun this week releasing the cover art for his sequel, Always Strive and Prosper.
My album cover pic.twitter.com/F7PjyNG9Cm
— FERG (@ASAPferg) March 21, 2016
All in white, glistening in the light, this is a much more true to self side of Ferg than we’ve ever seen. Album photographer Renell Medrano recently shared some words on the album, and the continuing idea of Ferg being baptised:
“He’s always referred to as the “Trap Lord” and the “Hood Pope.” So he wanted to go for like, the new Ferg. This is him being baptised and reborn. We were going for that feel, that’s what he wanted. He kept telling me that he wants his audience to feel that this [is] a new Ferg. When you do hear the album, he talks about who he is, where he used to work at Ben & Jerry’s, his grandmother that passed away – it’s just pretty much everything.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exjgZ-a399o
He’s recently shared a list of features for the record, which will include Skrillex, Grimes, Missy Elliott, Ty Dolla $ign, Chris Brown, Clams Casino, Lex Luger, Stargate and DJ Khalil. In recent months he’s released a bunch of music as well – New Level with Future, Trap Anthem alongside Migos, an original titled Tatted Angel, and this week Let it Bang with Schoolboy Q – so it’s safe to say Ferg has been real busy. We’ve also got a date for Always Strive and Prosper, thank god, which will be dropping April 22.
Image: A$AP Ferg Twitter
There’s little question that expectations are running high for A$AP Ferg’s second full-length album.
With Always Strive and Prosper dropping sometime in the next month, the Harlem rapper has unveiled a few more tantalising details about the forthcoming LP.
Speaking with Stereogum the rapper revealed that hew worked both Grimes and Skrillex to create a new track for the album. Titled Hungry Ham, the collaboration came about after the three linked up on the set for Haim‘s MY Song 5 video clip. In the rapper’s own words the track was described as “electro-leaning, club-friendly and easily able to traverse a broad range of fans.”
It’s not the first time Skrillex and the rapper have worked together, with the dupstep producer also having lent his talents on Ferg’s fellow A$AP Mob member, A$AP Rocky’s track Wild For The Night from Ferg much lauded 2013 debut Trap Lord.
The album will also feature a slew of guest appearances including Missy Elliott, Chris Brown, Future, Schoolboy Q, Madonna and Rick Ross. But if that wasn’t enough, Ferg’s latest will also feature production from Clams Casino, Lex Luger, Stargate and DJ Khalil.
Providing some further insight into the forthcoming LP, Ferg reflected, “I’m working backwards a little bit because A$AP blew up so fast, and Work came, Shabba’ came, and blew up so fast that [fans] didn’t really get a chance to get an inside look into my life. So now it’s like I’m schooling all my fans and letting them know who I am. I’m giving them the lineage.”
https://youtu.be/Srns7NiO278
Wavy Wednesdays are swiftly becoming the hip-hophead’s humpday cure: each week we are guaranteed some firsthand exposure to fire in the form of the latest tracks, and some of course some hidden gems courtesy of everyone’s favourite New York rap collective, A$AP Mob.
Last week we were treated to an elusive Danny Brown verse on a remix of Hella Hoes, which funnily enough was the reason behind Brown’s Twitter rant back in 2014 where he dissed the crew for cutting his verse. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.
This week has further succeeded in providing a midweek reprieve, in the form of a new A$AP Ferg and Migos collaboration, Trap Anthem.
True to it’s name, the track delivers some sublime sonic stylings for those fiending few new trap music. Short and sweet (coming in at just over 2 and a half minutes) but high energy through and through, we are left to wonder why the self-proclaimed Trap Lord hasn’t collaborated with the ATL stalwarts more often, as Trap Anthem is undoubtedly a strong showing that only seeks to further whet the appetite for Ferg’s upcoming album, Always Strive and Prosper. The album itself is highly anticipated, and is slated for a release sometime in 2016.
As an aside, it is nice and refreshing to see a group make good on their weekly promise of music (are you paying attention G.O.O.D Music?)
If one track wasn’t enough to satisfy your Ferg cravings for this week, be sure to peep this killer cypher alongside Your Old Droog and Wiki.
Image courtesy of The Source.