A$AP, The Three Million Dollar Man

Remember when Drake released So Far Gone? If you don't what are you reading for? Whether you do or don't it was considered groundbreaking at the time because here comes this guy from Toronto who used to be on Degrassi (DEGRASSI!), who released So Far Gone as his third official mixtape which managed 2,000 downloads in 2 hours and two legitimate hit singles while somehow managing to be something sonically unique in a hip-hop scene that has been decried for becoming far too formulaic. Not to mention this was free. What resulted was what Billboard called 'a massive bidding war' that resulted in Drake getting a $2 Million advance. No one had seen anything like it in a long time, if ever.

Enter A$AP Rocky, who has become one of the most discussed figures in hip-hop in the matter of two weeks thanks to this revelation. A Three Million Dollar Record Deal and unlike Drake, he hadn't released a mixtape (although he has now, which I'll get to soon) and he isn't exactly groomed for success as Drake was, who is listed as an 'entertainer' (because let's be honest he's not truly a rapper) on his wikipedia page. Three Million with no mixtape and videos like the one below? Now THAT'S unheard of.

People have tried comparing A$AP Rocky to Tyler the Creator and I can see the comparison. Both are very young, seem very outrageous, and have a tight knit clique that provides fantastic production. But I think the comparisons stop there. Tyler the Creator seems to live in the vacuum of his own world, where as A$AP Rocky wears his many influences on his sleeve. At times, its easy to think you're listening to a Houston rapper with the ubiquitous to syrup and slow, drawn out beats. But then the next verse he raps with the sped up flow trademarked by Cleveland's Bone Thugs N Harmony. And you can't forget the omnipresent Harlem cockiness that pervades every syllable.

But right now, it's that last influence that's going to be the most important. To take on the expectations of a $3 Million record deal and deliver isn't easy (although it may be one of those good problems) and with his mixtape released this week, LiveLoveA$AP, he's off to a good start.