Not dropping anything can create tons of hype for a new project. Artists like Frank Ocean, Playboi Carti, and especially A$AP Rocky embody this perfectly. Hype for their music is at an all time high, with Carti’s I AM MUSIC last year, and the continued hype for a new Frank Ocean album. And now, for A$AP Rocky fans, all that hype has come to a peak with the release of Rocky’s long awaited fourth studio album Don’t Be Dumb. All eyes are on him with the new release, since many see this as a make-or-break point in the rapper’s career, and some are questioning if he still has it in him to release another great album.
It’s been eight long years since Rocky’s last studio album, Testing, and four years since Don’t Be Dumb was first officially announced in 2022. Information about the album had been slowly released across the timespan since it had been announced, but so much more has been released within the last few months, including the album cover art, featuring designs from filmmaker Tim Burton, and two singles titled “Punk Rocky” and “Helicopter.” Both singles feature art inspired by old Playstation game cartridges, notably Parappa The Rapper and GTA. The title itself is also clearly a call out to both Rocky’s fans and the industry itself, making his stance on others’ opinions of him clear with a simple phrase: “don’t be dumb.”
Many students at MV are big fans of Rocky, but the long anticipation for the album has clouded some people’s opinions on the quality.
“I thought it was alright,” said junior Jeremy Nubla, “I just don’t know if it was worth the eight year wait for it to come out.”
However, despite debates on if it was worth the wait, in terms of quality, the album will surely end up being hailed as another one of A$AP’s classics. The album explores not only Rocky’s relationship with the music industry, but with his fans as well. In the song “PLAYA,” Rocky talks about the pushback from some fans from when he decided to settle down, and the people who view him as more of a player. Moreover, in the song “STOLE YA FLOW,” Rocky targets fellow rapper Drake, and the beef between them, throughout using his classic experimental and trap vibes, while bringing in new sounds to please his fans. The album also features a wide range of surprise features from artists like Tyler The Creator, Doechii, and Gorillaz, all bringing their own unique voice and lyricism to their respective songs.
Overall, this is another great Rocky album, on a similar level to some of his earlier beloved releases. Don’t be Dumb was mostly worth the wait, and if you are a fan of Rocky or rap in general, this is a great listen. The release shows that he can still create a good album all these years later, and again cements him in the music industry as a great artist.
