A$AP Mob’s newest mixtape, “Cozy Tapes: Vol. 1 Friends -” is one of the most boring and repetitive albums I’ve heard in a long time. I appreciate experimenting with style and demo-sounding tracks if it shows how far an artist has progressed in his craft, but this mixtape is a stagnation and possibly a degeneration of quality coming from A$AP Mob. There isn’t anything to make me listen to this album ever again, and it’s deafeningly frustrating.

Every single track has the same exact ambiance. All 12 songs have distant, boring and awful lyricism, coupled with triplet hi-tops and basic bass lines, leaving nothing to be desired. The two breakout stars of the group, A$AP Rocky and A$AP Ferg, are the only people in the group with any semblance of clear skill, while everyone else lags behind significantly. They all follow archetypal gangster rap cadences. The distant mixing of their performances paired with their deliverance held back the final product.

The only song that has any sort of unique sound is the final track and second single of the album, “Telephone Calls.” The song uses a phone’s ringtone to separate verses from the chorus, and provides an interesting format. However, A$AP Rocky’s first verse going back and forth with another A$AP Mob member dragged and blended in with the terrible beat in the back of the track. Additionally, Tyler, the Creator’s cameo on the second verse made the song sound cheesy and bland. His deep, angry voice was muffled by the dual-toned baseline jumping back and forth, which made the track feel like a rushed mix of unimpressive sounds.

“Telephone Calls” had potential, but the horrible mixing provided nothing to be salvaged. The major problem with this entire album is the obvious lack of inspiration. A$AP Rocky’s debut album was punchy, had real fire behind the lyrics and put the entire A$AP Mob on the map. Ever since the group’s debut success behind Rocky’s debut, every album released by any member, including Rocky himself, has been below par and uninspired. The group has obviously given up on being experimental, which was what made them so exciting to listen to in the first place.

A$AP stands for “Always Strive and Prosper,” and the group has obviously forgotten the meaning behind their motto. Before this release, A$AP Ferg’s debut release, “ALWAYS STRIVE AND PROSPER” was a collection of boring and unenthused hip hop. It was absolutely forgettable and lacked any luster. A$AP Rocky’s last release, “AT.LONG.LAST.A$AP,” had a few punchy tracks like “L$D” and “Everyday,” but the overall collection left me starving for his previous caliber.

The drop in quality could be due to the passing of A$AP Yams in 2015, who assisted in crafting A$AP Rocky’s debut album “LONG.LIVE.A$AP,” or it could be due to the group being cozy in their current limelight. Nonetheless, either reason doesn’t excuse their poor lyricism and tiresome sound. Don’t bother listening to this mixtape.