A$AP Rocky’s fourth studio album, Don’t Be Dumb, has finally been released after having been in the making for years. The Harlem rapper is renowned for his curated atmospheric soundscape and drug-fuelled hazy beats, with this album leaning into a variety of genre sounds. Rocky balances the album through masterful samples, beat switches and an array of guest features including Brent Faiyaz, Doechii and will.i.am.
Eight years have passed since the release of his last album, TESTING, meaning anticipation for the album has been high amongst fans. The story of Don’t Be Dumb is partly addressed in the album art, designed by the visionary Tim Burton. Sketched characters represent different versions of Rocky, from his iconic 2019 ‘Babushka Boy’ look to the figure of ‘Mr Mayers’, representing the father Rocky has become. Key to the album’s style and meaning is the notion of GRIM, or ‘ghetto expressionism’, which is a cultural aesthetic that celebrates innovation and challenges stereotypes.
In the opening song, ‘ORDER OF PROTECTION’, Rocky acknowledges that it has been “a lil’ while” since he has released music, but that he is still very much relevant, something which echoes throughout the first quarter of the album. Tracks such as ‘HELICOPTER’ and ‘STOLE YA FLOW’ establish that Rocky is better than ever, and he flexes his positive relationship with his wife Rihanna as he taunts his former friend Drake (“With all due disrespect / I hope you take offense”).
The album takes on a more melodic state with Faiyaz’s feature on ‘STAY HERE 4 LIFE’, in which Rocky basks in his love for Rihanna, wishing he could “stay here for life”. He contrasts this with his past in ‘PLAYA’, before moving towards a song that explores the politics of street violence and cutting deals with the police force, in the ominous ‘STOP SNITCHING’. Texas rapper Sauce Walka delivers an enthralling verse that makes reference to the recent lawsuit against Rocky by his former associate A$AP Relli, over claims of Rocky allegedly shooting him in 2021 (“How could you snitch on your brother”).
The lead single for the album, ‘PUNK ROCKY’, brings an indie sound new to Rocky, although fails to sufficiently push boundaries, whilst the futuristic-sounding ‘AIR FORCE (BLACK DEMARCO)’ brings an intriguing balance to the tracklist, as he paints the madness of his life and his escapism through the use of psychedelics (“Alarms are ringing the bells again”). The following two songs move from the dark ballad of ‘WHISKEY (RELEASE ME)’ – supplemented with vocals from Damon Albarn and Westside Gunn’s infamous adlibs – to the theatrically atmospheric ‘ROBBERY’, in which Doechii and Rocky display some serious rapping chemistry. Rocky slides onto a jazz instrumental claiming he is a “Superstar, jazz man, no guitar, rockstar”, as the album enters a sultry groove.
My favourite track is ‘DON’T BE DUMB / TRIP BABY’, with its Clams Casino production (a hallmark of early A$AP Rocky works), on which Rocky reflects on his character development, as he cherishes what he has accomplished in his life, and the love he has found (“Changin’ all my ways”, as he’d “do anything just to see your face”). The beat switch into the second part of the song introduces a neat sample flip of Clairo’s ‘Sinking’, and Rocky reaffirms his love for his wife. This leads into the final track ‘THE END’, with a haunting intro pulled from T. S. Eliot’s poem ‘The Hollow Men’, alongside the determined words of will.i.am, knocking out a nihilistic message about the present state of the world. The song explores themes of police brutality, blasphemy and global warming, with Jessica Pratt even mentioning that “we’re all stuck to screens”. The album ends as the beat fizzles out, leaving the listener left to ponder in silence.
Don’t Be Dumb certainly did not disappoint, and gets better with every listen, as you come to appreciate its scattered sounds within a seemingly incohesive structure that nonetheless wraps up well in the final quarter of the album. Most importantly, the album establishes that A$AP Rocky is back and very much still in his prime: his Don’t Be Dumb Tour has been announced for later this year, taking him across North America and Europe. It’s clear that Rocky isn’t leaving the rapidly changing music industry anytime soon.
