The Harlem rapper has always been about pushing the boundaries of hip hop with his unique style that is willing to try just about anything. These are all cool nuggets that listeners may not anticipate, and Rocky keeps you on your toes regardless of what you read on the track listing. Meanwhile, Kodak Black’s call from jail is spotlighted on “Calldrops” and BlocBoy JB’s appearance on “OG Beeper” is nothing more than ad-libs, as opposed to a verse. A keen ear will notice Puff Daddy ad-libs on “Tony Tone” and Snoop Dogg provides a drive-by guest spot on “Brutha Man.” Both go uncredited.
Rather than the tried and true approach of having his guests provide either hooks or 16 bars, A$AP Rocky experiments with how to place them on the album. Just know that you’re not really sure what’s coming from A$AP Rocky until you hear it. The way the production is approached, for better or worse, is much different than what has been released in hip-hop recently. Whether that be how he utilizes guests like Moby (“A$AP Forever”), tries new things with his voice (“Gunz N Butter”) or opts to go the spoken word poetry route (“Changes”), everything is about changing the texture of his music. His confidence and fearlessness has always been his calling card, and Testing is more of him bravely stepping out of the box to try something new. It’s no secret that A$AP Rocky’s charisma and style has taken precedence over the content of his music. The title that A$AP Rocky chose for his third studio album is fitting, considering that he spends much of the album Testing out new approaches to music. But he’s looking to change that with his third album Testing.ĭoes he succeed? Time will only tell, but here are five things that jumped out at us upon having a first listen of his third studio album. In between albums, Rocky has been dabbling as an actor in films like Dope and the forthcoming Monster, while maintaing a presence in the world of fashion. In order to keep a listener’s ear, you have to deliver something truly special. Three years feels like an eternity in rap music today, with such a vicious cycle of albums being ran through before it’s on to the next. A$AP Rocky Talks Creating New Album 'Testing' With Kanye West