Don’t Be Dumb: A$AP Rocky’s Return After Almost A Decade
Two thousand, seven hundred ninety-three days. That’s how long A$AP Rocky fans have had to wait in between “TESTING” and the release of his fourth studio album, “Don’t Be Dumb.” Previously announced in December of 2022 during an Amazon Music Live concert, A$AP Rocky has kept people anticipating his album through many announcements and postponements, all of which add to the question: Was it worth the wait?
A$AP Rocky has been able to make it clear that his music career is not something he relies on. Beyond his music, Rocky is a fashion icon, actor, an influence to many of the rap artists we listen to today, such as Travis Scott or Playboi Carti, and a father to three. Even so, Rocky had made his new album as expressive and unique as possible, with a Tim Burton collaboration for the cover and a future film.
On an episode of The Ebro Show, Rocky said that his album was a mix of ghetto futurism and German expressionism, leading him to reach out to who he called the German expressionism king, Tim Burton. With kudos to Tim Burton and his own unique art style, Rocky also managed his sound based on current music trends.
“I was just really waiting for the art to catch up, we were kind of doing a case study, testing the waters, and it allowed me to go back and make revisions,” Rocky also said. This was also what contributed to the modern creativity that can be heard in songs that would otherwise be heavily critiqued in previous years.
PUNK ROCKY for example incorporates a psychedelic pop sound, and ROBBERY takes a historical nod to jazz and musicians such as Duke Ellington, with his song Caravan being used as a sample. Though, creativity does not always lead to positivity.
“I honestly did not like ROBBERY that much, it’s not really my style of music or something I would listen to much. I didn’t mess with the jazz, it didn’t match the flow or the lyrics in my opinion,” says sophomore Michael Patrick “[the song STAY HERE 4 LIFE however] had a better flow, and it’s something I would listen to more than just once, but I like Brent’s part more than A$AP’s.”
Though, STAY HERE 4 LIFE is as much of an A$AP Rocky song as it is a remix, originally being Brent Faiyaz’s song. This is why people may like it more compared to a song like STFU, which takes a stab at rap metal with Slay Squad.
“It was terrible. Rocky didn’t try on that, he just did whatever,” shares sophomore Branger Palacios. “It wasn’t anything crazy. It wasn’t worth the wait. It was just like a normal album, like anybody could drop that.”
It’s easy to miss the other features that make the album what it is. While uncredited, it’s hard to unhear Thundercat’s bass that adds an eerie feeling towards the end of STAY HERE 4 LIFE, or whose vocals on PLAYA play just as much of a role as Gorillaz’s on WHISKEY (RELEASE ME).
Don’t Be Dumb also shares its personal matters throughout some of the songs, STOP SNITCHING being an example. 2022 through early 2025 saw Rocky in legal issues following a potential assault case following a member of his A$AP collective and would inspire the track with lyrics such as,”How could you snitch on a brother when that was the person that’s keepin’ your rent paid.”
If it wasn’t clear by the three years it took to release Don’t Be Dumb, Rocky shares his opinions on the public in songs such as STFU, being used as a response to people asking about the album releasing or his relationship with Rihanna. In the only skit, INTERROGATION, Rocky also responded to potential changes in his sound, where he says, “I ain’t gon’ put out no crystal clear garbage, I’ll put out staticky good stuff,”.
It’s clear that while you might hate some songs and love others, it’s exactly what Rocky intended for an album he could be sonically satisfied with. “I don’t want no uncertainty. I need you to hate this. I need you to love this, with a passion. I just want to evoke emotion, I just want you to feel a strong way about this, no middle ground,”.
