The Harlem rapper A$AP Rocky (aka Rakim Mayers) is determined to change the hip hop game. His latest album, TESTING, has been launched as #PeakArtRap with innovative sonics and both a curated guest list and samples. But does it live up to the hype?
Mayers stealth-released TESTING the same day Pusha T dropped his oft-vaunted DAYTONA (with production solely from Kanye West). Undeterred by Meek Mill's experience, Pusha dissed Drake on his joint Infrared, alluding to the Canadian's alleged reliance on ghostwriters. Impressively, Drizzy fired back with Duppy Freestyle. However, while Twitter exploded, not even an epic hip hop feud could wholly eclipse TESTING. And, according to his Complex cover story, Mayers welcomes competition – and its distractions. "I'm starting to get inspired again," he states. "Everybody's making music and shit. I don't wanna put out shit when everybody's all quiet. Nah. Now, the champions are coming back out and making real music. It's like friendly sparring. It's time."
Hip hoppers have waited ages for TESTING. Mayers' third album was originally anticipated last year. Still, he remained visible with quality cameos. Awesomely, Mayers blessed Lana Del Rey's Lust For Life twice – on Summer Bummer (alongside his Atlantan protege Playboi Carti) and Groupie Love. He also featured on G-Eazy's posse-cut No Limit (with Cardi B). Less credibly, dude contributed to Thirty Seconds To Mars' One Track Mind. Plus Mayers participated in mixtapes from A$AP Mob – the crew established by the late A$AP Yams (Steven Rodriguez). Regardless, he took his pains with TESTING – recording as far afield as London and Berlin. Early in the year, Mayers began sharing (non-album) tracks via SoundCloud. In April, he issued the official lead single, A$AP Forever, which borrows generously from Moby's Porcelain, off 1999's mega-selling album Play.
In fact, with TESTING, Mayers is aiming to initiate a fresh aesthetic movement in urban culture. (Mind, Justin Timberlake probably had a similar idea with Man Of The Woods.) Reiterating Mayers' recent interviews, the label blurb heralds the project as "a new era for Rocky, testing new sounds and ideas in an unparalleled musical landscape where he continues to break the mainstream mindset with sonics rarely heard in hip hop." Nonetheless, art-rap has always been a part of hip hop, with many a conceptual rap album. (Among the most slept-on? Organised Konfusion's literary The Equinox.) But Yeezy amplified the importance of imagination over skills. As such, today's rappers have embraced the very notion of 'art', and challenged the perceived boundaries of hip hop, like none before.
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Deemed A$AP Mob's potential superstar, Mayers broke out with his mixtape LIVE. LOVE. A$AP in 2011. As a New Yorker, he'd prompt discussion about his emulating the traditionally maligned Southern hip hop. From the outset, Mayers stressed his individualism. Branding himself a "pretty motherfucker", he revelled in fashion and art in addition to music. Mayers cited both Nirvana and OutKast's Andre 3000 as influences. On his 2013 debut, LONG. LIVE. A$AP, he worked with Skrillex, Santigold and Florence Welch. Next, he went psych on AT. LONG. LAST. A$AP. It contained Everyday – which looped Rod Stewart's forgotten '70s hit In A Broken Dream with the Aussie band Python Lee Jackson. (Stewart amenably appeared in the video with Miguel and Mark Ronson). Along the way, Mayers would surely inspire experimental Southern trappers like Future and Travis Scott. This boldness brushed off on his A$AP Mob cohort A$AP Ferg, who presented Always Strive & Prosper.
With TESTING, Mayers is more ambitious again. For one, he leaves behind trap. Instead Mayers goes fullwonk, leaning towards an abstract, cloud rap take on grunge and shoegaze. Then there are the album's OMG guests – including FKA twigs, Skepta and Frank Ocean. Production input comes from the implausible Boys Noize, the German electro-type, and Dev Hynes (responsible for the very street Hun43rd, which samples 2Pac's group Thug Life).
As an intro, Distorted Records is basically a sonic manifesto for TESTING – with Mayers largely flossing. It's trailed by an alternate version of A$AP Forever – now somewhat crowded with KiD CuDi and TI. The first arresting track is the subliminal Fukk Sleep, which finds an Auto-Tuned Mayers accompanied by an operatic FKA twigs. Here, Drizzy associate Boi-1da produces with MGMT's Andrew VanWyngarden on keys.
The problem is that, occasionally, Mayers' innovation amounts to little more than (trippy) posturing – which could never be said of Yeezy. Mayers has actually cut some of his most outre songs with others – like Del Rey or even the UK beatmaker Mura Masa (remember the calypso house banger Love$ick?). Vince Staples' Big Fish Theory is more avant – and properly realised.
As a lyricist, too, Mayers can be perfunctory. He rarely shows much depth, rather falling back on those familiar themes of braggadocio and his hustling days. Mayers does get political – with missives directed at Trump (Yeezy, please note). He tackles gun violence in Gunz N Butter (with Juicy J) and police brutality in Black Tux, White Collar – the latter overseen by his old ally Clams Casino. There are also a few personal numbers. Mayers reveals his interior life in Changes. But more moving is the finale, Purity, in which Mayers ruminates on the isolation of fame. Though this song, which features Ocean, resurrects Ms Lauryn Hill's I Gotta Find Peace Of Mind (from her now-cult MTV Unplugged No. 2.0), it ends up echoing early James Blake.
Mayers can be contradictory – and blase. Critics have praised him for liaising with Moby. Yet the electronic producer is a polarising figure in the dance music underground. Moby was accused of co-option when he raided old gospel and blues field recordings for Play. And, because Moby is hailed as a figurehead for US dance music, Detroit's black techno community generally views him with ambivalence. But, more controversially, Mayers has Kodak Black – who's facing charges of criminal sexual misconduct – mope on CALLDROPS, the Floridian rapper taped on the phone from jail where he's serving time on other matters. The interlude concludes with a "Free Kodak" protest spoken in a robotic female voice. Lastly, a philosophical Mayers is maybe too cavalier on the psy-rock Kids Turned Out Fine.
Mayers has old connections to Australia. He once dated Iggy Azalea. The MC first toured Down Under in late 2013, returning in 2016. Now, auspiciously, he'll headline September's Listen Out together with old allies Skrillex and Skepta. Bring on the art?
