At.Long.Last.A$AP is One of Rocky’s Best Albums

A$AP Rocky teased new music while on the Cannes red carpet for the premiere of his film Highest 2 Lowest. In other news: 

• Song streams & revenue 💰️

• Kid Cudi testifies in Diddy’s trial 👀 

• At.Long.Last.A$AP hits the double digits 💐

• New Music Friday releases 💿️

• Industry Insights 📈

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Songs Streams & Revenue

It’s a new week and a new song revenue chart. As reported by Hits Daily Double, which tracks streaming revenue week over week, the above chart reflects the streaming period from May 9 to May 15.

The Weeknd and Playboi Carti’s “Timeless” is slowly rising back up the charts as “luther” from K. Dot and SZA continues to reign supreme. Following close behind the mega hit, Drake’s “NOKIA” is still fighting for the top spot. Better luck next week.

What Kid Cudi Said on the Stand About Diddy

Kid Cudi took the stand Thursday, May 22, in the second week of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ federal trial, offering the most explosive testimony of the day. Referred to in court as Scott Mescudi, the rapper detailed an alleged break-in at his home, an arson attack on his Porsche, and a confrontation with Combs that prosecutors argue speaks to a broader pattern of intimidation and violence.

Kid Cudi Recalls Home Break-In

Cudi testified that in late 2011, after Combs found out he was dating Cassie Ventura, the mood turned hostile.

Later that day, the two learned that Combs and an associate had entered Cudi’s home. When Cudi returned, his security cameras were repositioned, opened gifts were scattered around, and his dog was locked in the bathroom. He called the police and filed a report.

The Car Bomb and Soho House Showdown

A month later, in January 2012, Cudi’s dog sitter called to inform him that his Porsche was on fire in his driveway. In court, Cudi said it looked like “the top of the car was cut open and a Molotov cocktail was thrown in.”

Cudi testified that he later arranged a meeting with Combs at the Soho House in LA, believing Combs was behind the fire. When he got there, “Sean Combs was standing there, staring out the window with his hands behind his back, like a Marvel supervillain,” he said, prompting laughs from several jurors and courtroom spectators.

He asked about the Porsche and Combs allegedly replied, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Though Cudi said he believed Combs was lying, the two later crossed paths again in 2015—at the same Soho House—where Combs apologized. “I found peace after that,” Cudi testified.

Cudi Admits Cassie Played Him

Under cross-examination, Cudi acknowledged that DNA was collected from the car but never yielded results, and no charges were filed. When asked if Cassie “played him,” Cudi answered, “Yes.” He explained that the relationship ended because “the drama became too much” and that he feared for both their safety due to Combs’ violent behavior.

How Cudi’s Testimony Could Fit the Bigger Picture

While Cudi’s testimony did not directly prove Combs was responsible for the arson, prosecutors are likely to use it to support their argument that Combs ran a criminal enterprise fueled by intimidation, retaliation, and abuse. The defense, meanwhile, is expected to point to the lack of physical evidence and Cudi’s own admission of being “played” to undercut his credibility.

What the 10-Year Anniversary of 'At.Long.Last.A$AP' Says About Rocky Today

In 2015, A$AP Rocky was that guy. He wasn’t just rapping — he was moodboarding an entire aesthetic for a generation of cool kids who thought Tame Impala and Three 6 Mafia should absolutely be on the same playlist. May 26 marks the 10-year anniversary of At.Long.Last.A$AP and we’re here to give the album its flowers, its props, and its obligatory retrospective write-up because... it still bangs. 

A$AP Rocky in 2015: A Walking Tumblr Mood Board

Let’s rewind. 2015 was wild for Rocky — and not always in a good way. Just five months before A.L.L.A. dropped, Rocky lost his best friend, mentor, and A$AP Mob co-founder, A$AP Yams, to an accidental overdose. Yams’ spirit floats over the whole project like a purple-hued ghost of swag past. This was Rocky’s first album without him, and instead of playing it safe, he went off the creative deep end. Spoiler alert: the water was full of hallucinogens and genre-bending.

What Made A.L.L.A. Important to the Culture

This album wasn’t chasing trends—it was straight-up weird (in the best way). While everyone else was trying to land a Metro Boomin beat and call it a day, Rocky linked with Danger Mouse and got real psychedelic. “L$D” sounded like Prince was on psychedelics while watching Eternal Sunshine.

The production pulled from blues, rock, G-Funk, Wu-Tang, and whatever was playing during his last acid trip. It was chaotic in theory, cohesive in execution—a cocktail of highbrow taste and downtown grime.

More importantly, the album felt like a eulogy and a rebirth at the same time. Yams’ fingerprints are everywhere, with the project serving as one “last relic of he and his best friend’s collaborative vision.”

The album was Rocky’s most experimental yet, with the rapper declaring to GQ that “people are scared to test new sounds, so they go with what's current 'cause it's the easy thing to do. The top 100 songs sound a certain way. People cater more to that because it's a bigger demographic behind that, or it's a guaranteed demographic behind that. I prefer to experiment and have my crowd grow with me and to reach new crowds. I don't just rap—I actually make music. That's why it takes time. These sonics represent me.”

A.L.L.A is A Chart-Topper and a Cult Classic

Despite all the left turns, A.L.L.A. debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. Yes, an album with Miguel moaning into a psychedelic soup of guitars and ghostly ad-libs went platinum with the rap crowd. It didn’t just soundtrack rooftop parties and weed smoke in college dorms — it changed the sound of rap. Think about it: today’s rap is flooded with acid-rap aesthetics, lo-fi melancholia, and moodboard-core. Rocky was ahead of that curve, wearing Raf Simons while the rest of rap was still figuring out what “Margiela” meant.

Rocky’s still around. Sort of. He’s more fashion week than mixtape these days, more Vogue than Verzuz. The long-teased Don’t Be Dumb album has become a meme in itself, with delays that rival Carti’s MUSIC. However, Rocky insists it’s coming—and that it’s fire.

“I’ve been really experimenting as usual, and what I like about this is it feels like my best work yet,” he told DAZED in October. Sure, Flacko. We’ve heard that before. 

At the end of the day, At.Long.Last.A$AP is a classic—whether people admit it or not. It holds up against the Hall of Fame era that 2015/2016 was for rap music. It's moody, stylish, sad, druggy, and unpredictable. 

The question now is: Can he do it again? Cult classics are cool and all — but we’re not just trying to rewatch the movie. We’re ready for the sequel. So Flacko, if you’re listening: the aux is yours. Don’t be dumb.

New Music Friday

Here’s all the music you can listen to now—categorized by 💿️ for albums and 🎶 for singles:

• 💿️ Let Me Fly by Rob49

• 💿️ Be (20th Anniversary) by Common

• 💿️ WHERE IS MY HEAD? by Rich Brian

• 💿️ Magnolia Lefore by Boldy James, Your Boy Posca

• 💿️ Helium by G-Eazy

• 💿️ Dlow Curry (Deluxe) by BossMan Dlow

• 🎶 “Some Morem / Alive” by Playboi Carti

• 🎶 “ICHIBAN” by Denzel Curry

• 🎶 “Alive” by Ye

• 🎶 “TaTaTa” by Burna Boy, Travis Scott (out now)

• 🎶 “Finest” by NBA Youngboy

• 🎶 “GoROUND” by Logic

• 🎶 “cliché.” by mgk

• 🎶 “Hollywood” by YG

• 🎶 “Turn Back Time/Katrina” by Tory Lanez

• 🎶 “My Thoughts 5” by Babyface Ray

• 🎶 “Blue Stripes (Remix)” by Jessie Murph, Sexyy Red

• Tyler, the Creator and Converse are linking up again. They are teaming up to launch the 1908 program, where Tyler is putting his own spin on the brand’s archived designs. 

• Rod Wave is facing legal issues.  He was booked into Fulton County jail on May 20 for charges including evidence tampering, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm. 

• Chris Brown has had a small legal win. He has been released on a $6.7 million bail after his arrest in Manchester, England on May 15.

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