After nearly 8 years since his last album, A$AP Rocky has released his newest album, “Don’t Be Dumb,” containing about an hour of various hip-hop beats.
A$AP Rocky has been in the rap industry for a decent amount of time, starting on platforms like Soundcloud where he released his first mixtape in 2011. Since then, he has released three albums in total, with his new project becoming his fourth album.
“Don’t Be Dumb” has been in the works for years, going back to 2022 where he announced the album was finished. Multiple delays happened, including a felony assault trial caused by his friend A$AP Relli, where he was found not guilty.
Last year, the hype for the album was at its peak, as A$AP Rocky promised the album would be released soon. Near the end of the year, marketing for the album began and the release date was revealed to be January 16, 2026.
Despite delays, he was heavily set on promoting the album and showing his musical capabilities. In an interview with the New York Times, he stated; “I consider myself a Renaissance man, so it starts with music.”
Before the album was released, he put out two singles from the album; “PUNK ROCKY,” a chill, laid back song with psychedelic rock influences and “HELICOPTER,” a more traditional rap song with a good beat and lyrics.
As the release date got closer, I decided to re-listen to his previous mixtape and studio albums to get an image of what was to come for his newest project.
A$AP Rocky’s music is experimental compared to traditional hip-hop, using slowed beats, chopped samples and other effects to make his songs feel dreamlike, making his catalog of music.
My first listen to “Don’t Be Dumb” was on the day it was released, where I listened to it throughout parts of my day. Despite being away from music for years, I think he did a great job on the album.
The feature list for the album is also important to note, containing popular artists such as Gorillaz, Doechii, Tyler, the Creator and more.
Looking through the track list, songs like “STAY HERE 4 LIFE” and “NO TRESPASSING” were some of my favorite songs, containing great hooks, good flows and beats that were fun to listen to.
There were more intense songs on the album as well. The song “STOLE YA FLOW” has a fast beat and more robotic sound. The song is also a not very subtle diss to Drake, with lyrics revolving around drama between the two that has lasted for years.
Like his previous albums, some songs are more experimental than others. The song “ROBBERY” is formatted to sound like a heist, with piano and jazz instruments playing while the song goes on.
Overall, I was a fan of “Don’t Be Dumb.” It isn’t a perfect album, but I don’t think that was the intention. It’s experimental, it’s fun and it was worth the wait as long as A$AP Rocky plans on releasing more material without multiple years of delay in-between albums.
