From the start, the members of the A$AP Mob have worn their influences and ambitions on their sleeves. They’ve name-dropped Dipset, No Limit, Ruff Ryders, and the Wu-Tang Clan, rap crews that managed to project unity while leveraging each member’s individual strengths. Initially, the A$AP Mob seemed poised to join those ranks, quickly establishing its two most charismatic members, A$AP Rocky and A$AP Ferg, as solo stars. However, they’ve since come up short during group outings, failing to expand their influence over rap culture at large. The first A$AP Mob mixtape, 2012’s Lord$ Never Worry, showed that most of its rappers were still unseasoned. By the release of Cozy Tapes Vol. 1: Friends in 2016, the Mob became far more compelling, leaning heavily on Rocky, Ferg, and a handful of guests, instead of shining a light on their lesser-known members.

Style remains a primary concern for the group. Like its predecessor, Vol. 2 opens with a fashion critique (this time by an Instagram meme guy). On the tracks that follow, the production is consistently on-trend, though much of it feels timid and generic compared that of earlier Mob releases. “Perry Aye” feels like a joyless retread of Rocky’s 2011 swag rap sound: a syrupy melody that evokes Future’s “March Madness” played at half speed, a pitched-down spoken-word chorus courtesy of Jaden Smith, unremarkable verses from A$AP Nast, Rocky, and Playboi Carti. On “Blowin’ Minds (Skateboard),” Pi’erre Bourne (the producer behind Carti’s breakout hit “Magnolia”) turns in a cookie-cutter flute-rap instrumental while Chief Keef sleepwalks his way through a marble-mouthed hook. The plunky, dismissive “Please Shut Up,” tries to clear space for the A$AP Mob. But what does Rocky have to tell us? “Living room full of way too many valuables.” At least Gucci Mane manages to get in a few punch lines (“Gucci Mane and A$AP Rocky, I got such a rocky wrist”), his newfound charm providing a bright spot during the tape’s dull first third.

Vol. 2 does fare a bit better as it progresses, with more interesting beats that coax stronger performances out of the Mob and their guests. “Bahamas” sounds like a spaceship struggling to lift off, a perfect match for Lil Yachty’s gleefully surreal lyrics (“I done count multiple commas/We brought in multiple llamas”). “Frat Rules” is as conceptually insufferable as it sounds, though it’s hard to deny Rocky and Big Sean’s chemistry as they trade conquest stories like two keg-pumping Casanovas. Rocky’s show-stopping staccato verse on “Get the Bag” is easily the tape's best and demonstrates that as a rapper, he still leads his pack. Enjoying a moment in the spotlight, A$AP Ant and A$AP Twelvyy do most of the heavy lifting on the crystalline “FYBR (First Year Being Rich),” while the latter gets to show off his breathless flow at length on the icy “Coziest.”

Also just like its predecessor, Vol. 2 closes with a star-studded posse cut. “RAF” drips with excess: Rocky appears alongside Quavo, Carti, Lil Uzi Vert, and not one but two Frank Ocean verses, while the video features the gang modeling runway clothes from Belgian designer Raf Simons’ archives. And yet, “RAF” never feels quite as dynamic as “What Happens,” a raunchy crew cut in the mold of Wu-Tang’s “Dog Shit.” Capturing the freewheeling energy of a cypher, “RAF” finds each rapper vying to bend the listener’s ear, by approaching the beat with a unique texture and flow. Notably, Rocky’s verse is among the least interesting here.

It’s hard not to wonder if the absence of Mob mastermind A$AP Yams, who died in 2015, has something to do with the lack of energy and focus on display throughout most of Cozy Tapes Vol. 2. Where A$AP Mob’s early releases were guided by a clear vision and unifying aesthetic, everyone here is content to follow rap’s reigning trends rather than lead them, a surprising capitulation from what was once New York’s most ambitious hip-hop crew. “I said, ‘I want all of y’all to get on this bus. And be passengers,” RZA told NPR in 2013, describing an early attempt to enlist his band members in Wu-Tang’s barnstorming of hip-hop radio. “And I’m the driver. And nobody can ask me where we going.” A$AP Mob’s bus has never had more passengers aboard: Mob members, magnetic guests, well-wishers and hangers on. And yet, the driver’s absence has never been more deeply felt.