Music Review: Testing by A$AP Rocky

A$AP Rocky Tests His Status on New Album

When you think about A$AP Rocky, does Top 10 of current rappers come to mind? No, probably not. You might think Fashion, the A$AP Mob, Harlem, etc. but if you are like me he is not a go to answer for Top 10 of current rappers. That was until I listened to his newest offering “Testing”, Rocky’s Third Solo album. Now I’m not saying his first albums weren’t quality, they were and I like them both but something about Rocky and his music just never connected with me to say he’s a go to listen for me unlike his fellow A$AP Mob member Ferg.

While listening to the album I got the vibe that Rocky was claiming his spot as one of the best in the game. He yearns to be appreciated and if he has not to get it, he is going to take it. Only someone of Rocky’s status and unique place in Hip-Hop can gather the ranging sounds of MGMT, Blood Orange, Skepta, FKA Twigs, Juicy J and Frank Ocean to name a few and make a cohesive album. He starts the album off with the remix to his street single “A$AP Forever”, this time adding T.I. for some words of wisdom and the hypnotizing harmonies of Kid Cudi. My favorite stand out tracks include “Tony Tone”, “Fukk Sleep”, “Gunz N Butter”, “Praise the Lord”, and “Black Tux, White Collar”. “Tony Tone” is a Harlem, New York track through and through from the feeling to the Diddy Ad-Libs. “Gunz N Butter” samples Project Pat’s “Still Ridin’ Clean” and features 3-6 Mafia Member and Pat’s brother Juicy J while “Praise the Lord (Da Shine)” features a dope verse from English Grime artist Skepta. “Fukk Sleep” is a tale of Rocky’s come up in the game while as he says others were “buying surfboards trying to ride the wave/I was cooking up another fucking tidal wave” while on “Black Tux, White Collar”, Rocky speaks on the negativity and lack of support in his life “Fuck fake people, I'ma go ahead and address it (fuck 'em)/Fuck you too just because you never said it”

While “Testing” does its job to help solidify A$AP Rocky’s place in the hip-hop game, the only is on the track like “Kids Turned out Fine”. Other than that, Rocky is definitely tested & passed the test as a top-notch rapper in the game and it does not look like he he will be failing any classes soon.