Always Strive and Prosper

Always Strive and Prosper
Studio album by ASAP Ferg
Released	April 22, 2016
Recorded	2015–16
Genre	Hip hop
Length	47:28
Label	A$AP Worldwide Polo Grounds RCA
Producer	ASAP Ferg Burd & Keyz Cashmere Cat Clams Casino Danny Wolf DJ Khalil DJ Mustard Foreign Teck Hagler Honorable C.N.O.T.E. Jordan Lewis Lido Lex Luger No I.D. Skrillex Soldado StarGate Stelios Phili TM88 Todd Bee VERYRVRE
ASAP Ferg chronology
Ferg Forever (2014) Always Strive and Prosper (2016) Still Striving (2017)
Singles from Always Strive And Prosper
"New Level" Released: December 18, 2015 "Back Hurt" Released: June 28, 2016

Always Strive and Prosper is the second studio album by American rapper ASAP Ferg. It was released on April 22, 2016, by A$AP Worldwide, Polo Grounds Music and RCA Records.[1][2] The album was supported by two singles: "New Level" featuring Future, and "Back Hurt" featuring Migos. Other appearances include Missy Elliot, A$AP Mob, Chris Brown, Ty Dolla $ign, Rick Ross and Schoolboy Q, among others.

Singles

On December 18, 2015, ASAP Ferg released the album's first single, titled "New Level". The song features a guest appearance from Southern hip hop recording artist Future, with the production that was handled by Honorable C.N.O.T.E.[3] On January 19, 2016, the music video was released for "New Level" featuring Future.[4]

On June 28, 2016, the bonus track "Back Hurt" featuring Migos, was sent to urban radio as the album's second single.^[citation needed] The following day, the music video was released.[5]

Promotional singles

"Let It Bang" featuring Schoolboy Q, was released as the album's promotional single on March 24, 2016.[6] The following day, the music video premiered for "Let It Bang" featuring Schoolboy Q.[7] "World Is Mine" featuring Big Sean was released as the album's second promotional single on April 1, 2016.[8] The official video for the song was released on June 26, 2016.[9] The audio for "Hungry Ham" featuring Skrillex and Crystal Caines, was released as the album's third promotional single on April 7, 2016.[10] The audio for "Strive" featuring Missy Elliott, was released as the album's fourth promotional single on April 14, 2016.[11]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	74/100[12]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[13]
The A.V. Club	B+[14]
Consequence of Sound	C[15]
Exclaim	8/10[16]
The Guardian	[17]
NME	3/5[18]
Pitchfork Media	7.3/10[19]
Rolling Stone	[20]
Spin	5/10[21]
XXL	(XL)[22]

Always Strive And Prosper has received generally positive reviews. At Metacritic which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received a score of 74 based on 15 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".[12]

Commercial performance

In the United States, the album debuted at number 8 on the Billboard 200, selling 35,000 units in its first week.[23]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Rebirth"	Darold Brown Sam Barsh Khalil Abdul-Rahman Michael Volpe Daniel Tannenbaum Daniel Seeff	DJ Khalil Clams Casino	2:15
2.	"Hungry Ham" (featuring Skrillex and Crystal Caines)	Brown Sonny Moore Crystal Caines	Skrillex	3:35
3.	"Strive" (featuring Missy Elliott)	Brown Dijon McFarlane Stelios Phili Melissa Elliott Kevin McCord	DJ Mustard Phili	2:50
4.	"Meet My Crazy Uncle (Skit)"	Brown	Todd Bee	0:22
5.	"Psycho"	Brown Barsh Abdul-Rahman Volpe Tannenbaum Seeff	DJ Khalil Clams Casino	2:58
6.	"Let It Bang" (featuring Schoolboy Q)	Brown Lexus Lewis Quincey Hanley	Lex Luger	2:31
7.	"New Level" (featuring Future)	Brown Carlton Mays, Jr. Nayvadius Wilburn	Honorable C.N.O.T.E.	4:24
8.	"Yammy Gang" (featuring ASAP Mob and Tatianna Paulino)	Brown Magnus Høiberg Peder Losnegård Rakim Mayers Jamal Phillips Tariq Devega Tatianna Paulino	Cashmere Cat Lido	2:33
9.	"Swipe Life" (featuring Rick Ross)	Brown Jeff Washington Tashfiqur Patwary Chris Basham William Roberts II	VERYRVRE	3:13
10.	"Uzi Gang" (featuring Lil Uzi Vert and Marty Baller)	Brown Bryan Simmons Symere Woods Milton Martin III	TM88	3:32
11.	"Beautiful People" (featuring Chuck D and Mama Ferg)	Brown Barsh Abdul-Rahman Volpe Carlton Ridenhour Marvin Gay Jr. James Nyx	DJ Khalil Clams Casino	3:15
12.	"Damn Not Again (Skit)"	Brown	Todd Bee	0:21
13.	"Let You Go"	Brown Mikkel Eriksen Tor Hermansen	StarGate	3:16
14.	"World Is Mine" (featuring Big Sean)	Brown Ernest Wilson Sean Anderson	No I.D.	3:45
15.	"Phone Call With Breezy (Skit)"	Brown	Todd Bee	0:41
16.	"I Love You" (featuring Chris Brown and Ty Dolla Sign)	Brown Marvin Thomas Jordan Lewis Christopher Brown Tyrone Griffin, Jr.	Hagler Jordan Lewis	3:47
17.	"Grandma (Skit)"	Brown	Todd Bee	0:20
18.	"Grandma"	Brown Barsh Abdul-Rahman Sid Sriram	DJ Khalil	3:50
Total length:				47:28

Best Buy deluxe edition (bonus tracks)[24]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
19.	"Don't Mind" (featuring French Montana and Fabolous)	Brown Michael Hernandez Andrew Liburd Karim Kharbouch John Jackson	Foreign Teck Burd & Keyz	3:00
20.	"Back Hurt" (featuring Migos)	Brown Miguel Cortidor Danyal Ahmed Quavious Marshall Kirsnick Ball Pierre Thomas	Danny Wolf Soldado	3:34
Total length:				54:02

Notes

• "Rebirth" and "Psycho" features background vocals from Nikki Grier.
• "Beautiful People" features background vocal from Nikki Grier and Lauren Pardini.
• "Grandma" features background vocals from Sid Sriram, Ajanee Hambrick and Malik Spence.

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2016) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA)[25] 16 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[26] 102 Canadian Albums (Billboard)[27] 11 French Albums (SNEP)[28] 142 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[29] 77 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[30] 35 Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[31] 34 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[32] 38 UK Albums (OCC)[33] 67 US Billboard 200[34] 8 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[35] 2

Year-end charts Chart (2016) Position US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[36] 70

References

1. "Always Strive and Prosper by A$AP Ferg on iTunes". Itunes.apple.com. 2016-04-14. Retrieved 2016-04-14.
2. Platon, Adelle (2016-03-22). "A$AP Ferg Announces 'Always Strive And Prosper'". Billboard. Retrieved 2016-04-14.
3. "New Music: A$AP Ferg feat. Future – 'New Level'". Rap-Up. 2015-12-17. Retrieved 2016-04-14.
4. "Video: A$AP Ferg feat. Future – 'New Level'". Rap-Up. 2016-01-19. Retrieved 2016-04-14.
5. "A$AP Ferg - Back Hurt ft. Migos". YouTube. 2016-06-29. Retrieved 2019-12-26.
6. "New Music: A$AP Ferg feat. ScHoolboy Q – 'Let It Bang'". Rap-Up. March 24, 2016. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
7. "A$AP Ferg & ScHoolboy Q Bring A$AP Mob & TDE Together for 'Let It Bang' Video". Billboard. March 25, 2016. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
8. "A$AP Ferg Teams With Big Sean for New Song "World Is Mine:" Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 30, 2018.
9. "A$AP Ferg & Big Sean Load Up on Ambition in 'World Is Mine' Video". Billboard. Retrieved September 30, 2018.
10. "A$AP Ferg - Hungry Ham (Audio) ft. Skrillex, Crystal Caines". YouTube. 2016-04-07. Retrieved 2016-05-03.
11. "A$AP Ferg - Strive (Audio) ft. Missy Elliott". YouTube. 2016-04-14. Retrieved 2016-05-03.
12. "Reviews for Always Strive And Prosper by A$AP Ferg". Metacritic. 2016-04-27. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
13. Jeffries, David (2016-04-22). "Always Strive And Prosper - A$AP Ferg | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
14. Rytlewski, Evan (2016-04-22). "Always Strive And Prosper · A$AP Ferg · Music Review A$AP Ferg raps from the heart on Always Strive And Prosper". Avclub.com. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
15. Madden, Michael (2016-04-22). "ASAP Ferg – Always Strive and Prosper". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
16. "ASAP Ferg: Always Strive And Prosper". Exclaim. 2016-04-22. Retrieved 2016-04-22.
17. Petridis, Alexis. "A$AP Ferg: Always Strive And Prosper review – more than just Rocky's supporting man". The Guardian. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
18. "NME Reviews - A$AP Ferg - 'Always Strive And Prosper' Review". Nme.Com. 2016-04-27. Retrieved 2016-05-01.
19. Iandoli, Kathy (2016-04-26). "A$AP Ferg: Always Strive And Prosper Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
20. Spanos, Brittany (2016-04-22). "ASAP Ferg's New Album: Always Strive And Prosper". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
21. "Review: A$AP Ferg, 'Always Strive And Prosper'". SPIN. 2016-04-22. Retrieved 2016-05-01.
22. "ASAP Ferg Rises to New Levels on 'Always Strive and Prosper'". Xxlmag.com. 2016-04-28. Retrieved 2016-05-01.
23. Caulfield, Keith (2016-01-05). "Beyonce Earns Sixth No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart With 'Lemonade'". Billboard. Retrieved 2016-05-03.
24. "A$AP Ferg - Always Strive and Prosper [PA] (Only @ Best Buy) - CD". Best Buy. 2016-04-25. Retrieved 2016-04-25.
25. "Australiancharts.com – A$AP Ferg – Always Strive and Prosper". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
26. "Ultratop.be – A$AP Ferg – Always Strive and Prosper" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
27. "A$AP Ferg Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
28. "Lescharts.com – A$AP Ferg – Always Strive and Prosper". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
29. "Offiziellecharts.de – A$AP Ferg – Always Strive and Prosper" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
30. "Charts.nz – A$AP Ferg – Always Strive and Prosper". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
31. "Norwegiancharts.com – A$AP Ferg – Always Strive and Prosper". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
32. "Swisscharts.com – A$AP Ferg – Always Strive and Prosper". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
33. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
34. "A$AP Ferg Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
35. "A$AP Ferg Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
36. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2016". Billboard. Retrieved July 2, 2020.