Skepta! Eh, I was hoping for something more. I’ve liked portions of every song, but each one has come with just as many gripes. Rocky is sounding like a rapper who cares again and I’m happy. What wind instrument is that? I’m not sure but I’m rocking. Twigs sounds like an Egyptian queen casting an enchantment. His natural cool is slowly becoming too cool. Someone give Rocky a jump! Everything is so alive but his voice! Wake UP. He reminds me of a car that needs a jump. I don’t think Rocky knows he sounds like he sleepwalked into the booth. Feels like the Swamp Thing exiting the swamp to terrorize the world. Everything is ear-grabbing but the lyrics. I wish he had more to say because I would be more engaged if the rhymes were as grabbing as all these little nuances. Just when he was about to lose me the vocals switched up. The way he confronts criticism with boasts on boasts. Verse two reminds me of something Kanye would rap in 2017. There’s a lot of subtle layers being added to these songs to give them character. That horn! Now, this is the energy, Rocky! He’s hopscotching across this beat. What sample is that? This sounds supernatural. It goes on for 30 seconds too long, but I like. Is that Moby? The second half is very majestic. Wishing Rocky had more energy but I’m still pulled in. He sounds so much older than the Moon Man the world was introduced to 10 years ago. Without being the best rapper he always had raps pleasant to the ear. Cudi hums! I forgot how much I enjoy Cudder’s voice. There’s a lot of floating background vocals. I hope Rocky’s dynamic taste for production is heard throughout the project. I’ve always had a soft spot for this song.

I'm slipping back to when he narrated Travis Scott’s Rodeo. Not a huge fan of the rhymes, but I can get behind the beat and vibe. I love how the production surrounds him like it was tailored for this verse. Having his Gucci “All My Children” moment. A bar about all the lil rappers being his offspring. Rocky! He came in underneath heavy distortion.

I like the feeling of not knowing what’s coming. Each song will receive my gut reaction from start to finish. In usual 1-Listen fashion, the rules here are the same: no skipping, no fast-forwarding, no rewinding, and no stopping. On a smaller scale, TESTING is Rocky’s opportunity to deliver art that’s as interesting as the way he describes it to be. As Hershal, fellow DJBooth scribe, wrote yesterday: TESTING is A$AP Rocky's chance to finally prove he is a defining artist of his generation.

Asap rocky testing review