A$AP Rocky - 'Testing' Review

Three years removed from his last album—AtLongLast A$AP—Asap Rocky has finally returned for his highly anticipated Testing album. The 15 track project features production from long time collaborator, Clams Casino, Skepta, and even Rocky himself. Guest appearances come from French Montana, Frank Ocean, T.I., Juicy J, and more.

Between this album and his previous, Rocky hasn’t been completely absent. Lorde Flacko Jodye took Playboi Carti and Smooky Margiela under his wing in the A$AP Mob, and he’s been blazing his own trail in the fashion world. Add the CozyTapes and some features, and we’ve got signs of a more formiddable Mc.

And in many ways, Rocky’s artistry has grown. “Distorted Records” sets the tone early on for this record with Rocky rejecting “your top 5” and reminding everyone of his skill set. Rocky’s delivery is aggressive and arrogant over edgy and eerie production.

“Asap Forever” remix is one of Rocky’s brighter moments as well. This production sounds like it was made for Kid Cudi though; he steals the show at the end with his flow. Rocky and Cudi need to collaborate more.

“Fukk Sleep” sounds like a vibe for the nightlife. It’s lo-fi production and the catchy brevity of Rocky’s hook gives this track lots of replay value. Rocky and Skepta lay down a braggadocious hit on “Praise the Lord” as well.

There are moments when Rocky’s rhymes are incredibly revealing too. “OG Beeper” finds him exploring his relationship with Hip-Hop, and how his “whole life” he just wanted “to be a rapper,” He alludes to being in jail next to Casanova, but “never really mentioned it because it didn’t matter.” Strangely, disclosing things about his life before fame is new territory for Rocky. He never rapped about his parents or how he got from rags to riches.

Despite these worthwhile moments, Rocky’s experiment quickly loses its flare and intrigue though. At times he seems without conviction. Tracks like “Changes” feel lazy and underdeveloped. “Calldrops” is forgettable and the Kodak Black call on there is an unnecessary filler.

He tries his hand at concepts that are very surface-level deep. “Kids Turned Out Fine” is how Rocky sums up the vices children inherit from their parents. But it’s all good because “the kids turned out fine right?” It sounds shallow, not to mention underwritten.

Skip.

“Black Tux White Collar” is uninteresting, and I can’t understand why he lets Frank Ocean dominate “purity” either. It sounds like a cut from Blonde. Look, Frank’s a creative genius—we get it. But this is Rocky’s album and he barely raps for a minute on his own outro.

This album lacks direction and cohesion. Separately, some of these cuts are golden. but as a body of work- from start to finish, Rocky struggles to carry this album.

Essential Tracks

• "Distorted Records"
• "A$AP Forever Remix" ft. T.I., Moby, Kid Cudi
• "Tony Tone" ft. Diddy
• "Fuk Sleep" ft. A$AP Rocky, FKA twigs
• "Praise The Lord(Da Shine)" ft. Skepta
• "Gunz N Butter" ft. Juicy J
• "Brotha Man" ft. French Montana, Frank Ocean
• "Hun43rd"

The Verdict

On his third album, Rocky's "experimenting" falls flat. He's more transparent than he's ever been in his career, and his technical ability as a rapper is slicker than ever. Yet he leaves a lot to be desired.

For an artist of Rocky’s caliber and considering the hype surrounding this project, I expected more. This project lacks cohesion, and a creative identity. It’s all over the place, and Rocky lacks the conviction to see his undertaking through to the end.

Testing is a C-.

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