As a result of the tragic accident, Rocky was inspired to devote more time to his music. Ricky, his older brother, was murdered by a rival heroin dealer when he was 13 years old.

But at a certain point we have to begin questioning whether we set the bar too high based off of a genre-defining moment with “Peso.” Can we truly expect him to eclipse that moment in time? Surely, we should be able to - but with Testing, we’re still waiting.His father died in 2012. Three albums and seven years later, we’re still waiting for A$AP Rocky to live up to his potential. Everything else is a spotty affair of hit and miss that ends up feeling much longer than the 52 minutes that are presented to our eardrums. “Purity” ends up being a damn good Frank Ocean song featuring A$AP Rocky more than the other way around. and Cudi do more to detract from the song than add to it and the moment ends up feeling completely overproduced and far too experimental. The T.I., Moby and Kid Cudi assisted “A$AP Forever” is on the verge of being one of those moments as the enchanting sample of “Porcelain,” coupled with Rocky’s cocky Southern charm wrapped in a Harlem package, sound like a match made in heaven. Perhaps one of the most alarming things about Testing is the fact that it truly is lacking that one shining moment that A$AP Rocky can call his own. Ocean’s rhymes ride beautifully over the tranquil production while the A$AP Mob head honcho laments about fame swallowing up his life and fervently trying to find room to breathe and enjoy his loved ones.ĥ Things We Learned After Our First Listen to A$AP Rocky's 'Testing' Album 2.0 album, Rocky is joined by Frank Ocean to deliver the most introspective song on the album. The same can be said for the album’s closer “Purity.” Flipping the sample to Lauryn Hill’s “I Gotta Find Peace Of Mind” from the MTV Unplugged No. Strangely enough, one of his finest moments on the album is also one of the least experimental. “Black Tux, White Collar” finds the 29-year-old reconnecting with producer Clams Casino and revisiting a sound that helped define him while giving a middle finger to the police.

Make no mistake, Rocky still has his moments.

Unfortunately, he’s still style over substance and his efforts at experimentation don’t always click like he wants them to.

Three years after AT.$AP comes Testing where Rocky is at his most experimental as he gives of 52 minutes of attempting to push the musical boundaries as far left as he possibly can.

Asap rocky testing review