A$AP Rocky's commercial ascent seemed preordained, but his creative development has been strange, to say the least. When he first cropped up on Real N---a Tumblr and on Youtube, it was with largely forgotten flows from Memphis, pitched vocals from Houston and a Harlem sneer. But very quickly, he slipped to the middle, bolstering his debut album, Long.Live.A$AP, with by-the-book commercial plays like the Skrillex debut "Wild For the Night" and the Kendrick Lamar-, 2 Chainz- and Drake-featuring "Fucking Problems." Since then, his move has been away from the Top 40, but not back to his roots--instead, Rocky absconded across the Atlantic, with orgies, Rod Stewart and whatever iLoveMakonnen sold to him as acid. So it only makes sense that the "Peso" star would be taking his next cues from an unfamiliar source.

According to NME, Rocky spent his time on Pharrell's Beats 1 radio show talking about a new project he's been cooking up with Danger Mouse, the famed electronic producer. "Danger Mouse is ill," Rocky said. "People don't appreciate that kind of shit. There's no lyrics out there. What's important about this, he told me, 'yo dude, you bring out a side in me that I need'. And I feel he brings out a side in me. We got records. I can't wait to let you hear them." Pharrell didn't let the rapper slip out of the studio without promising to involve him in the project, which Rocky describes as "kind of" a concept album. At press time, there are no details as to a release timeline.

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