A$AP Rocky has been relying on his own instincts to propel his career forward since 2018’s TESTING, Rocky’s first album to drop after his best friend and creative advisor, A$AP Yams, passed away. Perhaps as a result, that album failed to reach the same artistically-impressive heights as his previous projects. On his latest album, the highly-anticipated Don’t Be Dumb, we’ve arrived at a point where Rocky’s gut-led decisions are more chaotic, and as a result, more heartfelt.
Rocky prides himself on being undefinable; Don’t Be Dumb is subsequently rambling and sprawling. Clocking in at an even hour, the album brims with an energy we’ve come to know and love. The confident “No Trespassing,” with its whispery bass and reverberating backdrop, is a personalized course in Pretty Flacko 101. Even songs that sound like they were simultaneously overestimated and underthought (the album opener “Order of Protection”) manage to feel attention-grabbing.
“Stay Here 4 Life” and “Playa” — Rocky’s odes to his partner Rihanna — are among the most honest songs the rapper has ever offered. Both songs feature last-minute beat switches, which feel distracting initially, but ultimately boost the varied atmosphere of the album. “Air Force (Black DeMarco)” bounces between a frenzied hyper-rap soundscape to a dream-pop aural tapestry, further illustrating Rocky’s desire to never be pinned down.
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Besides, strict definitions might not always be kind. A$AP Rocky has been a polarizing figure in hip-hop since the moment he uttered the phrase “Purple Swag.” As a Harlem MC, he exploded in popularity thanks to a bubbling underground song of the same name, which significantly lifted its elements, verbiage, and overall style from Houston’s regional output. From that moment, Rocky’s authenticity has been viewed with a slight side-eye. With Don’t Be Dumb, A$AP Rocky is repenting for his sticky-fingered ways and attempting to underscore his status as an established rapper who deserves respect.
Instead of sampling and pilfering from Houston hip-hop, Rocky is directly collaborating with artists from the city, including the charismatic, gravelly-voiced local legend Sauce Walka (“Stop Snitching”), and the true-to-form DJ Screw successor DJ Slim K (“Fish N Steak [What It Is]”). By tapping in with contemporary bastions of Houston culture, Rocky is harking back to his early days, and engaging with the city in a genuine way this time around.
Don’t Be Dumb is Rocky’s opportunity to further absolve himself of past transgressions. On the dense and disorderly “STFU,” Rocky raps, “Is there heaven for a pig?/ Might spray paint that on my van,” expressing more of a stance on police brutality than he has in the past. In 2015, Rocky made questionable comments to Time Out, saying that nobody could bully him into being a political activist.
“Why would I feel compelled to rap about Ferguson?” he said, referencing the 2014 police killing of Michael Brown. “I’m not about to say that I was down there throwing rocks at motherfuckers, getting pepper-sprayed. I’d be lying. Is it because I’m Black? What the fuck, am I Al Sharpton now? I’m A$AP Rocky. I did not sign up to be no political activist.”
“I wanna talk about my motherfuckin’ lean, my best friend dying, girls, my jiggy fashion, and my inspirations in drugs,” he continued. “I live in fucking Soho and Beverly Hills. I can’t relate. I go back to Harlem, it’s not the same. It’s a sad story. I gotta tell you the truth. I’m in the studio, I’m in fashion houses, I’m in these bitches’ drawers. I’m not doing anything outside of that. That’s my life. These people need to leave me the fuck alone.”