The death of A$AP Yams in early 2015 continues to play a defining role in rap collective, A$AP Mob’s artistic expression, and the coziest crew in the rap game has not forgotten that in their debut studio album. The album offers triumphant bangers thick with features from the likes of Lil Yachty and Tyler, the Creator, creating a collage of young rap talent that never ceases to tout their success. The album relies heavily on the talents of A$AP Rocky and Ferg, who deliver solid performances in their own right while still giving their A$AP compatriots the chance to show off their flows. In terms of musical development and ingenuity, The Cozy Tapes offers little, but seems comfortable as a celebration of A$AP Mob’s success without taking itself too seriously.
The album opens with a dialogue about how comfortable various members of the rap collective are in their designer clothes, discussing “sock holsters” and how A$AP Rocky looks like he “fell asleep before he left the house” in “a cozy overload.” This transitions into one of the Mob’s most popular songs, “Yamborghini High”; the song piles on laidback verses from A$AP Rocky, Nast, Ant, Ferg, and Twelvyy, and a minimal feature from Juicy J, whose main role seems to be repeating his gleeful refrain: “you know it!” A tribute to Yams, it features everything the A$AP founding father would have wanted: strong collaboration between artists, exaggerated stunting, and cozy rappers.
Throughout the album, A$AP Rocky has to carry his crew through average beats and standard production, and he features prominently in a majority of the songs. The song “Young N*gga Living” delves into the lives of Ant, Ferg, and Twelvyy over a fantastic and catchy beat that seems to in itself sum up the opulence of the rappers’ lives. Ferg earns top marks in the song, with his distinctive and indomitable flow, addressing police bias, racial violence, and how “years of oppression” and feelings of violation have driven him and his friends to become “highly sedated, addicted to money and driving new Ranges.” He ends his verse saying: “they can’t even drink because their life is so jaded, I want to be clean but the world is so tainted,” lending powerful insight into his life and putting the braggadocio of the entire album into perspective.
“Nasty’s World” samples “Throw Ya Gunz” (1992) by Onyx for an enjoyable, albeit forgettable song. There are tight and deft verses, but they do little to distinguish Nast from myriad other MCs with similar talents. The skit “Motivation Foreign” is entirely a conversation in a crowded restaurant between an unnamed member of the A$AP Mob trying to convince his girlfriend to come to London with him. It is an intriguing insight into the daily lives of A$AP Mob members, and it shows how their stunting broaches every aspect of their lives, leaving them unable to have a conversation without mentioning how much they spend on clothes, their foreign cars, and how much sex they have.
Immediately after, these themes are embodied in a number of average songs, which fit very well into the sound of a lot of recent rap. They draw on many of the newest voices in the rap game, lending to the Mob’s relevance while making the songs utterly forgettable. “Telephone Calls” rounds out the album with Yung Gleesh, Playboi Carti, A$AP Rocky, and long-dormant Tyler, the Creator. Each of the rappers seem on the verge of losing themselves in the production, fighting their way just beyond becoming overwhelmed, all to fantastic effect. It comes together to create an extremely compelling song entirely worthy of Tyler’s return to music. His verse is typically inflammatory, saying “fuck the Gucci, fuck the Raf and fuck the swag and all that other shit they wearing.” The song is a reminder of Tyler, the Creator’s unique sound that was able to capture and define the rap game during Odd Future’s heyday. Along with Earl’s cautious return, OFWGKTA seems due for resurgence.
Overall, The Cozy Tapes Vol. 1: Friendship is a trap-flavored and enjoyable debut album for the A$AP Mob, featuring a wide array of voices which all come together behind a unified message. There are great tracks on the album that prove to be some of the group’s best, but also a few that underwhelm and bring little to the table. A$AP Rocky further solidifies himself as the group’s most talented member and new leader, while Ferg continues to be a unique and surprising player. The album signals a bright future for the A$AP Mob, even beyond the death of their beloved founder.
