ASAP Ferg Drops Off ‘Trap Lord’ Album: Today in Hip-Hop

On this day, Aug. 20, in hip-hop history...

2013: A$AP Ferg solidifies his status as the A$AP Mob's next full-fledged rap star with Trap Lord, a debut album filled with eclectic features and bangers to end all bangers.

Released at the end of summer 2013, Ferg's debut includes features from varying rap sub-genres and even different eras. On his energetic, dancehall-leaning track, "Shabba," Ferg spits alongside his A$AP comrade, A$AP Rocky. The very next song ("Lord"), he's adopted an even faster-than-normal flow as he trades bars with Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. Appearances from Waka Flocka Flame, B-Real, ScHoolboy Q and Onyx only add to this cross-generation collage of rap sounds, making for an unpredictable project.

Although the phrase "trap lord" evokes images of a Nino Brown-like figure, the then-24-year-old made it clear he wasn't just talking about drug dealers. Seven months before the release of Trap Lord, Ferg explained the album's title to XXL.

"I feel like it’s not just me that represents Trap Lord," explained Ferg, who was then planning on releasing Trap Lord as a mixtape. "I feel like A$AP Rocky is a Trap Lord. I feel like Nast is a Trap Lord. Wale just posted a picture on his Instagram wearing a Trap Lord sweatshirt. DJ Enuff be sending me pictures of his sons wearing Trap Lord stuff. You gonna see a lot of different new faces that represent the brand—not only the brand, but where we come from. A Trap Lord is basically the struggle to do better. It’s almost like the theme of Always Strive And Prosper (A$AP). Trap don’t necessarily mean you selling drugs. You could be selling clothes, watches, fake watches, gold teeth, hats—anything. You just trapping. And you a Lord of it."

Relive Trap Lord by checking out the video for "Shabba" below.

See Photos of A$AP Ferg's Different Looks Over the Years