7/10
“I’m just mainly concerned with just reintroducing myself. The guy I am now is not the guy I came into this business as,” A$AP Rocky said in an interview about Don’t Be Dumb, his new album.
Despite the eight year break between Don’t Be Dumb and his last album, Testing, Rocky has remained in the public eye, whether that be through his relationship with popstar Rihanna, his adventures in the world of fashion, or his high-profile court case. Now finally returning to the music scene, Don’t Be Dumb captures Rocky’s musical evolution and artistic risk-taking. It’s his most experimental album yet. The project delves into varying soundscapes, taking influences from rock, jazz, R&B, and metal, and exploring themes of finding love, fatherhood, and no-snitch culture. Despite the new sound, Rocky stays true to his Harlem roots, maintaining the qualities that made us fans in the first place.
Past releases such as AT.LONG.LAST.A$AP and LIVE.LOVE.A$AP solidified Rocky as a highly ambitious and creative artist, building excitement and industry buzz for his new work, but the eight-year long lead up made it feel like Don’t Be Dumb couldn’t possibly succeed.
Instead of letting anticipation weigh him down, Rocky retains a bold, confident attitude throughout the album. It comes straight in the opening song, “ORDER OF PROTECTION.” Accompanied by a cinematic beat, Rocky melodically raps about how he’s still at the top of the music scene. Along with boasting, Rocky addresses his album leaks, his court case, and his fall-out with former friend A$AP Relli. “Don’t throw up A$AP / Can’t forget what you did,” he raps. The song also incorporates an epic beat drop that leaves listeners buzzing with energy.
“STOLE YA FLOW” opens with an intense, almost robotic beat that pulses beneath the track. Rocky carries strong momentum forward, channeling his energy into sharp aggression as he throws shots at notorious Canadian rapper Drake. “First you stole my flow, so I stole your b*tch,” he brags, alluding to Drake’s past relationship with Rihanna. The piercing synth embodies his confrontational, unapologetic attitude. “Word to Tyler, we see you bomb like Oppenheimer,” he arrogantly raps, a reference to Drake’s infamous Camp Flog Gnaw 2019 situation, when rapper Tyler, the Creator brought him out to perform, only for him to get brutally booed off the stage.
“STAY HERE 4 LIFE” shifts the album into a spacey and chill atmosphere, a sound familiar throughout Rocky’s albums. R&B artist Brent Faiyaz is a clear highlight on this track, delivering heavenly vocals over a smooth, laid-back instrumental. Rocky talks about wanting to settle down and savor the moment with his partner, creating a sweet, catchy track. “Boys don’t cry, but boy, that girl turns boys to men,” he admits, showing how his view toward love has matured.
While the first half of the album contains the signature tunes and flows Rocky is known for, the second half branches away from his “safe” sound, with songs like “ROBBERY” and “PUNK ROCKY” highlighting Rocky’s versatility. On “ROBBERY,” Rocky trades bars with rapper Doechii over a jazz-centered beat, featuring raunchy lyrics that fit the romantic-heist scene. “Let’s propose a toast, looks could kill the host / Princess cut diamonds on me, so cutthroat, mwah” Doechii speak-sings, embodying the luxurious attitude shown throughout the song. On the other hand, the album’s lead single “PUNK ROCKY” perfectly blends psychedelic rock with elements of hip-hop, encapsulating Rocky’s experience with heartbreak and substance abuse. “God the only one to judge / Now I’m confided in my cup,” Rocky raps.
In contrast, there are moments when Rocky’s genre-blending doesn’t work. “STFU” perfectly exemplifies this, as he attempts to create a catchy, metal-fused song, resulting in an awkward-sounding mess. Kielo Kei’s feature only makes the song worse: his gremlin-like voice sounding more comedic than gritty. “When are you are Rihanna – (Shut the f*ck up) / Like when’s the new album gonna – (Shut the f*ck up)” the chorus says, feeling like a forced and squeezed-in way to emphasize Rocky’s unapologetic attitude.
“WHISKEY (RELEASE ME)” is another one of the standout tracks. It contains an infectious flow and a beat drop that calls for head-bobbing. However, where the track really shines is in its impressive cast, featuring both Buffalo rapper Westside Gunn and the British rock group Gorillaz. During the outro, Westside Gunn delivers his signature adlibs over Damon Albarn’s lo-fi singing. While the outro is definitely unique, Westside Gunn is severely underutilized, and his contribution feels a bit redundant.
One of the album’s biggest weaknesses is its inconsistent lyricism. There are flashes of excellency, such as on “THE END,” where Rocky offers insight on institutionalization, racism, and the climate crisis, and on “DON’T BE DUMB / TRIP BABY,” where he expresses emotional vulnerability about love. “I don’t know if public schools servin’ real food to the students / Sh*t tastes like institution,” Rocky raps, metaphorically reflecting on how negligence toward school lunch parallels that toward his community.
However, there’s more than a fair share of bad bars and lazy verses dispersed throughout the project. Rocky’s verse on the album’s closing track “FISH N STEAK (WHAT IT IS)” sounds more like a freestyle than anything, and throughout the album, the stellar production often takes the spotlight. While not all music needs to be lyrically dense, given Rocky’s capabilities as a strong writer and the eight years of reflection since his last album, it’s a little disappointing to see him still not fully lean into his lyrical promise.
Nonetheless, the album’s highs overshadow its shortcomings. Don’t Be Dumb is unlike anything Rocky has released, and for the most part, it executes genre-blending exceptionally well. Was it worth the eight year wait? Probably not. But is it worth coming back to? Most definitely.
