TESTING
A$AP Rocky has always lived in an elaborate world of his own creation. His dedication to avant-garde fashion would tell you that his world is bigger than his native Harlem, but on *Testing*, it\'s frequently even bigger than hip-hop itself. The project is his most experimental to date, with extended bouts of singing (“Calldrops,” “Kids Turned Out Fine”) and spoken word (“Brotha Man”), and Rocky utilizing guests in new ways, including a BlocBoy JB feature consisting solely of ad libs and an artfully placed Kodak Black phone call. Vintage Rocky touchstones are still present—the charming sense of invincibility, the dark and plodding production (including a reunion with key early collaborator Clams Casino), and the extended tours of his closet—but *Testing* is proof positive that the rapper fits in no box.
On his third studio album, Rocky is more experimental and personal. But for music that relies on the New York rapper’s artful intuitions, it’s unfortunate his intuitions are often very basic.
Father John Misty reaches the apex of hopelessness on God’s Favorite Customer, while Laura Marling and Mike Lindsay (Tunng) embrace the surreal on LUMP, and New York no-wavers The Dreebs take pleasure in the claustrophobic on Forest Of A Crew. These, plus catching up with A$AP Rocky’s recent Testing in this week’s…
While his endless charisma and effortlessly confident delivery were the hallmarks of Harlem rapper A$AP Rocky's chart-topping songs, there were hints of budding experimentation even in his earliest tracks.
It's not in his character to blindly follow trends; A$AP Rocky has always been a tastemaker with an eclectic palette, and with his third stu...
The rapper’s aversion to the mainstream takes his third album to some glorious heights, with the help of Skepta and Frank Ocean. But is his swaggering decadence wearing thin?