After an eight-year hiatus since his last album, “TESTING,” Grammy-nominated artist, actor and fixture in the fashion world Rakim Mayers, better known as A$AP Rocky, has released his fourth studio album titled “Don’t Be Dumb.”
After rising from rap collective A$AP Mob as the clear standout artist, Rocky first reached the mainstream with his debut single “Peso” in 2011, encompassing cloud rap and Southern-infused hip-hop into his first mixtape, “LIVE.LOVE.A$AP.”
Rocky later completed his self-titled trilogy with “LONG.LIVE.A$AP” and “AT.LONG.LAST.A$AP,” both peaking at No.1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 200 and the former earning him his first Grammy nomination for its second single, “Fuckin’ Problems.” 2018’s “TESTING,” which continued the psychedelic vibe of his other releases, was met with mixed reviews.
The rollout to “Don’t Be Dumb” this year, however, alerted his fans that this album was going to be far different from his previous releases. The lead single, “PUNK ROCKY,” was advertised as it sounds: a rock song starting with a Blink-182 interpolation. One week later, “HELICOPTER” followed, a somewhat generic trap song full of the same braggadocious lyricism fans of Rocky are used to.
With the two singles being drastically different genre-wise, Rocky’s direction for the album was unclear. Although “PUNK ROCKY” ended up being the only rock track on the album, there was more variation than any previous A$AP Rocky project, from featured artists to lyricism.
In fact, features stole the show on “Don’t Be Dumb.” One example was “WHISKEY (RELEASE ME),” which featured Gorillaz frontman Damon Albarn and Buffalo rapper Westside Gunn, who only contributed ad-libs to the end of the track.
I enjoyed Albarn’s slow, melodic background vocals, and they reminded me of another feature I liked earlier in Rocky’s discography — Joe Fox on “Pharsyde.” The vocals of R&B artist Brent Faiyaz on “STAY HERE 4 LIFE” delivered one of my favorite moments of the album, a bright spot on a track otherwise easily forgettable.
Similarly, a shocking change of pace on “Don’t Be Dumb” came with a jazz track that transported me to a 1920s speakeasy: “ROBBERY.” Doechii, without a doubt, took the song to another level with two verses full of flair and a well-constructed flow, even when Rocky interrupted her verse with a short, unserious skit calling for “everybody on the left to get undressed.”
What put Rocky into conversations as one of the best rappers of the 2010s was his ability to create an atmospheric, ethereal feeling. On “Don’t Be Dumb,” there is little presence of that old Rocky. Instead, he pursues a modern trap album with some of my least favorite Rocky songs ever, like “NO TRESPASSING” and “ORDER OF PROTECTION.”
A highlight on this album was the beat of the first half of “DON’T BE DUMB / TRIP BABY,” before Rocky abandoned it in the second half for an uninspired experimental beat that ruined any momentum the track had. I also enjoyed the chorus of “AIR FORCE (BLACK DEMARCO),” a rare return to the atmospheric vibe fans were waiting for in the prior 10 tracks.
Rocky’s use of jazz and R&B were highlights of the album, a clear sign that his experimentation can be done well. However, the trap beat on every song made these moments of experimentation feel more rushed than calculated, regardless of its cohesiveness.
I was really hoping that over time, Rocky would mature his sound while maintaining his authentic, timeless feel. However, “Don’t Be Dumb” added no value to an already sturdy discography, with worse moments than “TESTING,” an album that at least had memorable moments lyrically.