Getty A$AP Rocky released his newest album Testing today, featuring many well-known artists.
After months of anticipation and hype, A$AP Rocky’s long-anticipated third album, Testing, has arrived, and the rapper features appearances from a variety of famous names, with Frank Ocean, Playboi Carti, Lauryn Hill, Kid Cudi and Kodak Black, just to name a few.
After the 2015 release of A$AP Rocky’s last album At.Long.Last.A$AP, the rapper laid low for the last few years, aside from a few side projects and one-off singles, but now he’s back in full force. Earlier this week, the rapper locked himself in a translucent cage for a performance art piece to announce his newest album.
Rocky took to Twitter shortly after midnight to unveil the album’s influential production and feature credits. The album is executive produced by A$AP Rocky and co-executive produced by Hector Delgado, Juicy J, Chace Johnson, and AWGE. Puff Daddy, Snoop Dogg, Juicy J, and BlocBoy JB are all credited as having contributed vocals on various songs on the album. MGMT’s Andrew VanWyngarden is listed as composer, lyricist, and keyboardist on the FKA twigs-featuring “Fukk Sleep.”
According to Pitchfork, Rocky spoke about Testing with Zane Lowe on his show “Beats 1” shortly before the album dropped. Rocky revealed that he had been collaborating with other artists that didn’t make the album, including Lana Del Rey.
“I was working a lot with Lana Del Rey for the past two years,” Rocky told Lowe. “I worked a lot with Tame Impala and MGMT, so it was just like, the people I finally wanted to work with … these are the people I great up with, these are the people I admire.” You can check out the full clip here.
Here’s a look at some of the artists featured on Testing:
Frank Ocean
GettyLONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 20: Frank Ocean receives the award for International Male Solo Artist on stage during the Brit Awards 2013 at the 02 Arena on February 20, 2013 in London, England. (Photo by Matt Kent/Getty Images)
Frank Ocean is a singer-songwriter and member of the hip-hop collective Odd Future, according to his biography. He’s known for his debut mixtape, ‘nostalgia, ULTRA,’ and the subsequent albums ‘channel ORANGE’ and ‘Blonde.’
Christopher Francis Ocean was born in Long Beach, California, on October 28, 1987. He grew up in New Orleans, but moved to Los Angeles in his late teens to pursue a career in music. Ocean started out ghostwriting tracks for such pop stars as Justin Bieber and Beyoncé but found his big break after releasing a mixtape of his own music: nostalgia, ULTRA.
Ocean found his breakout success after releasing nostalgia, ULTRA. He released the recordings via a free download on his Tumblr site. Ocean self-released mixtape featured a mixture of his own, original music and samples of tracks from artists such as the Eagles, Coldplay and MGMT. The album was widely successful, receiving enthusiastic reviews from NPR, Rolling Stone and the BBC, among many others. His album also caught the eye of superstars Jay-Z and Kanye West, who Beyoncé had urged invite Ocean to contribute vocals for two tracks on their 2011 album Watch the Throne.
Ocean features in the song “Purity” and “Brotha Man” on Rocky’s newest album Testing. Ocean has featured in other singles with Rocky, including Rocky’s single “RAF.” Rocky also features in a variety of Ocean’s songs, including “Chanel” and “Fashion Killa,” among others.
Playboi Carti
LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 29: Playboi Carti performs on the Flog Stage during day 2 of Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival 2017 at Exposition Park on October 29, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Playboi Carti, another close associate and featured artist on Rocky’s newest album, is a longtime friend to Rocky and attributes the moment that Rocky brought Carti to New York Fasion Week and introduced him to Raf Simons.
“I met Raf! Not even like some streetwear designer, but Raf!” Carti told WMagazine.
According to WMagainze, the moment he met Raf Simons was a crowning moment that capped off everything good that’s befallen Carti over the last few years, from signing with A$AP Worldwide (with co-signs from Drake and Kanye) to emerging as Atlanta’s next big thing to, sitting on the 24th floor of One World Trade Center.
At just 21-years-old, Playboi Carti, born Jordan Carter, has never released a full-length album or project, according to WMagazine. He started rapping while in high school a little over three years ago and has already been featured on tracks with Gucci Mane, Lil Uzi Vert, and his A$AP Mob family. Carti’s musical output has been incredibly scant compared to many other artists his age, and yet he still has half a million followers on Instagram and an obsessive fan base.
According to DJBooth, Rocky and Carti began performing together two years after his breakout single, “Carti” was published. He eventually signed a deal with Interscope and became the newest member of A$AP Mob. The deal with A$AP dates back to October of 2015, when he admitted to being signed in an interview with HotNewHipHop. Carti is featured in “Buckshots” on Rocky’s newest album.
Kid Cudi
GettyLOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 17: Kid Cudi performs onstage at adidas Creates 747 Warehouse St. – an event in basketball culture on February 17, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for adidas)
Another featured artist on Testing is Kid Cudi, a talented rapper that doesn’t just rap, he sings, plays guitar, produces and acts, having appeared on One Tree Hill, The Cleveland show and more, according to Hot New Hip Hop.
Most recently, he parted ways with Kanye West’s GOOD Music label and has appeared on select episodes of the new comedy series Brooklyn Nine-Nine and announced a prelude EP titled “Satellite Flight: The Journey To The Mother Moon,” as well as an upcoming collaboration with Justin Bieber. Also, he’s currently working on his new album “Man On The Moon III”, as well as continuing to development his Wicked Awesome Records imprint, which is home to King Chip.
On meeting Kid Cudi, Rocky told Highsnobiety, “He got on the camera and was like, ‘Yo what up? That song with you and ScHoolboy, ‘Hands On The Wheel,’ that’s tight.’ I was like, ‘Oh shit. Tight.’”
Kid Cudi features on “A$AP Forever” on Rocky’s newest album Testing.
Lauryn Hill
CLEVELAND, OH – APRIL 14: Recording artist Lauryn Hill pays tribute to Nina Simone during the 33rd Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at Public Auditorium on April 14, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Kevin Kane/Getty Images For The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame)
According to her biography, “singer, songwriter and actress Lauryn Hill soared onto the music scene as part of the 1990s hip-hop trio the Fugees before launching her solo career with the Grammy Award-winning album the ‘Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.'”
Regarded as one of the most exciting and original talents of her generation. She rose to fame with the Fugees in the 90’s and is considered one of music’s lost talents, as she has been avoiding the limelight and recording studio for years to to raise her five children with Rohan Marley, son of reggae legend Bob.
Hill collaborates with Rocky and Ocean on the single “Purity.”