For whatever reason, Jimmy Iovine let Kenrick and 'em make the album they wanted. I guess he believed in their vision and allowed them to carry it out with minimal interference (and please don't believe the story that Dre signed Kendrick - Jimmy walked him over to Dre).

A$AP doesn't have that. Hell, the label exec who signed him (Bryan Leech at Polo Grounds) is about to go to jail for two years. He got a shitload of $ to sign with those guys but it may not have been worth it.