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The Brilliance of TESTING: A thread
We open up on Track 1: Distorted Records. For nearly a minute we get static and distorted records as they pop, scratch, and warp. Rocky starts rapping: Coming in with energy, but maintaining his cool. Rapping tasteful bars about his dead homies, and his legacy in the.....
....Rap game. Why he deserves to by here. Why he is in the position he’s in. The track ends, as we move on the the next track: ASAP Forever....
Track 2: ASAP Forever
Sampling Moby’s ‘Porcelain’ as it is beautifully looped and Rocky has a much more rabid energy on this track. His quick little ‘whoo’s between bars add lots to the song, while he raps tastefully about never leaving his crew behind. That’s his family.
Sampling Moby’s ‘Porcelain’ as it is beautifully looped and Rocky has a much more rabid energy on this track. His quick little ‘whoo’s between bars add lots to the song, while he raps tastefully about never leaving his crew behind. That’s his family.
Track 3: Tony Tone
Tony Tone opens and it’s a clearly different vibe than the previous tracks. There’s no slow build on this track. We instantly are brought into Rocky’s mindset. He doesn’t give a fuck about a diss, or anything that doesn’t directly effect his success....
Tony Tone opens and it’s a clearly different vibe than the previous tracks. There’s no slow build on this track. We instantly are brought into Rocky’s mindset. He doesn’t give a fuck about a diss, or anything that doesn’t directly effect his success....
...He is only focused on him. No one else matters, except his success. Rocky has grew up only being able to fend for himself, so he apples that to his lifestyle now. Nothing’s changed except for his fame...
Track 4: Fuck Sleep
Rocky returns to his former theme of bragaedocously talking about his previous struggle, and the sacrifices he makes to get there. Fuck Sleep highlights Rocky’s want to be successful. He wants it more than sleep. It takes priority for him...
Rocky returns to his former theme of bragaedocously talking about his previous struggle, and the sacrifices he makes to get there. Fuck Sleep highlights Rocky’s want to be successful. He wants it more than sleep. It takes priority for him...
Track 5: Praise da Lord (Da Shine)
Rocky’s Harlem style is in clear form in this song. His short bars with space for the beat to breathe are very accessible to listen to, as TESTING is as a whole. TESTING is a easy way to get into Rocky’s catalogue. It serves as a bridge...
Rocky’s Harlem style is in clear form in this song. His short bars with space for the beat to breathe are very accessible to listen to, as TESTING is as a whole. TESTING is a easy way to get into Rocky’s catalogue. It serves as a bridge...
Track 6: CALLDROPS
Rocky takes a different approach to this song, having it almost serve as a interlude with its relaxed and laid back nature, with a feature from Kodak Black (recorded through a prison phone) which features some of his saddest and best bars to date...
Rocky takes a different approach to this song, having it almost serve as a interlude with its relaxed and laid back nature, with a feature from Kodak Black (recorded through a prison phone) which features some of his saddest and best bars to date...
Track 7: Buck Shots
Rocky specifically uses this track to describe and highlight his violent come up. Growing up in Harlem, a violent and very dangerous place where so many don’t live to see a prosperous and long life...
Rocky specifically uses this track to describe and highlight his violent come up. Growing up in Harlem, a violent and very dangerous place where so many don’t live to see a prosperous and long life...
....This song also works as a great example of the great sampling on TESTING.
Track 8: Gunz N Butter
This track piggybacks off the last, talking about Rocky’s crime filled comeup, except Rocky is the one holding the gun this time...He’s in control. He knows what he’s doing. He runs the game at this point...
This track piggybacks off the last, talking about Rocky’s crime filled comeup, except Rocky is the one holding the gun this time...He’s in control. He knows what he’s doing. He runs the game at this point...
Track 9: Brotha Man
Brotha Man serves as a love letter to Black Culture. Rocky uses the term for addressing those he loves as more than friends; Family. Frank Ocean, French Montana, and Snoop Dogg all appear on the track, being examples of those that have pulled themselves out...
Brotha Man serves as a love letter to Black Culture. Rocky uses the term for addressing those he loves as more than friends; Family. Frank Ocean, French Montana, and Snoop Dogg all appear on the track, being examples of those that have pulled themselves out...
...of poverty why their pure will. This all connects with another theme that Rocky makes apparent: Wealth through the grind. Rocky has worked hard for his position in life, and he deserves it.
Track 10: OG Beeper
OG Beeper refers to pagers, which are also called Beepers by many. Pagers became popular in the 80s, and Rocky says that while originally bought a pager to communicate with his significant other, he started to use them to communicate and coordinate...
OG Beeper refers to pagers, which are also called Beepers by many. Pagers became popular in the 80s, and Rocky says that while originally bought a pager to communicate with his significant other, he started to use them to communicate and coordinate...
...Drug deals. This connects to previous mentions of Rocky’s come up, and how he was able to pull himself up by his bootstraps through drug dealing and hustling...
Track 11: Kids Turned Out Fine
Kids Turned Out Fine is a song that is much slower than the previous. Rocky takes fast paced songs and then after they are done, plays much more slow and relaxed ones, as if to give us a break from the harsh and violent lyrics of the previous track.
Kids Turned Out Fine is a song that is much slower than the previous. Rocky takes fast paced songs and then after they are done, plays much more slow and relaxed ones, as if to give us a break from the harsh and violent lyrics of the previous track.
...Kids Turned Out Fine is a ballad directed at parents that are concerned with their children’s wellbeing. Rocky does his best to comfort worried parents about the things that youth in America grow up around, by reminding them that they did the same thing when they were young...
Track 12: Hun43rd
Hum43rd serves as Rocky’s final reference to his come up and grind. The title, Hun43rd, brilliantly represents the street Rocky grew up on: 143rd in Manhattan, a particularly violent area. Rocky also references his influence on the rap game...
Hum43rd serves as Rocky’s final reference to his come up and grind. The title, Hun43rd, brilliantly represents the street Rocky grew up on: 143rd in Manhattan, a particularly violent area. Rocky also references his influence on the rap game...
Track 13: Changes
Changes is Rocky’s final stretch of the album, the introduction (if you will) for the last 3 tracks: Changes, Black Tux, White Collar, and Purity. Changes addresses Rocky’s current personal state. He’s slightly depressed, which could be from his fame, but...
Changes is Rocky’s final stretch of the album, the introduction (if you will) for the last 3 tracks: Changes, Black Tux, White Collar, and Purity. Changes addresses Rocky’s current personal state. He’s slightly depressed, which could be from his fame, but...
...it’s left to be ambiguous. Changes serves as the relaxed track before Rocky begins to have much more focused and precise bars on the next track: Black Tux, White Collar.
Track 14: Black Tux, White Collar
Black Tux, White Collar specifically addresses Rocky’s views on police brutality and black violence in america. This explains the title as well. Black Tux, meaning Black people in America, & White Collar referring to white collar jobs of cops...
Black Tux, White Collar specifically addresses Rocky’s views on police brutality and black violence in america. This explains the title as well. Black Tux, meaning Black people in America, & White Collar referring to white collar jobs of cops...
Track 15: Purity serves as the album closer. The end of the experience. Rocky introspectively raps about how his busy mind is never at ease. He talks about how his career has left him without the ability to enjoy time with family and friends that he took for granted prior to fame
TESTING is a beautifully formed album with exceptional production, heartfelt bars, and defining songs for Rocky’s career. I highly recommend you give it a listen!
End of Thread! Thank you all so much for reading! Retweets and Follows would be greatly appreciated! Have an exceptional day!
