2 Stars

Always Strive and Prosper by A$ap Ferg only sounds good on paper. With appearances by stars such as Missy Elliot, Chris Brown, and Future, the album’s tracklist almost looks heaven sent. The problem with this album, though, is that the sound is not. Though there are big names all over the album, Ferg can’t seem to match their performances. Most songs start off with a bit of jazz, but that jazz sound can’t seem to be held throughout an entire song. “Hungry Ham,” a song featuring Skrillex, shows the lack of effort regarding the beats on this album. In the few songs that Ferg does not try to match the jazz sound, the improvement is noticeable. “I Love You,” featuring Chris Brown and Ty Dolla $ign, is by far one of the most tolerable songs on this album. The problem, though, is that even the songs that are tolerable sound the same as every other song being played at a club. This record is a big change from Ferg’s debut, Trap Lord, but it is a step in the wrong direction.