It’s been a while since we’ve been blessed with music from A$AP Rocky. To be exact, it has been 8 years since he last released a full-length album. It is with no surprise that most fans, including me, had very high expectations for Don’t Be Dumb.
But before I get into it, here’s a list of things that Rocky accomplished between the release of his 2018 album Testing and his latest release, which arrived on January 16th: got married to Rihanna, had three children, starred in two movies, became Puma’s creative director for Formula 1, released 15 singles, and designed a glasses line for Ray-Ban.
Now, in relation to his newest release, if it wasn’t made obvious by the cover, Tim Burton designed the cover and directed the visuals. According to Rocky, he is a fan of German expressionism and really wanted to collaborate with Burton due to his style’s resemblance to that art movement. So after “basically stalking and harassing him for years,” Burton invited him over to his Malibu home, where he played an early rendition of the album.
The album is described as “ghetto expressionism,” touching themes of crude reality and intense feelings, which Burton’s dark theme definitely captures. Danny Elfman was also involved in the production. He is Tim Burton’s composer for practically all of his movies.
The first half of the album sounds nostalgic, but not recycled. The tracks are very reminiscent of Rocky’s signature sound, with East-coast and Cloud rap influence. HELICOPER, STOLE YA FLOW, STAY HERE 4 LIFE, and PLAYA are especially familiar.
But after the lead single “PUNK ROCKY,” a shift happens. Songs begin to fuse with different genres, and it all becomes more experimental while keeping it authentic. It’s for those of us who missed Rocky but also wanted music that felt new; the duality of the album is what sells it for me.
Another aspect that works well in the project, is how well the guest features blend with Rocky’s sound. Everyone adapted to Rocky’s unique sound and lyrical themes while still maintaining their own authentic style: Thundercat, Brent Faiyaz, BossMan Dlow, Sauce Walka, Slay Squad, Gorillaz, Westside Gunn, Doechii, Will.i.am, Jessica Pratt, Tyler, The Creator, Jozzy, and Tokischa.
Here are my favorite songs:
“STOLE YA FLOW”: This song is an absolute rager. In the online discourse it is speculated it to be a Drake diss track, because of the connection between the lyrics and their personal problems. In 2009, Drake took Rihanna on a date and for most of the 2010’s tried to get with her with no official relationship. The song explains that while Drake (allegedly) may have stolen his flow, A$AP stole his girl. It’s also important for me to mention one of the song’s best lyrics: “Getting BBL’s, lucky we don’t body shame.”
“PUNK ROCKY”: This is the lead single of the album, and a clear switch of sound. The song opens with a guitar riff that feels taken out of a James Bond score, but is then followed by instrumentals that create a psychedelic environment. Rocky paints a common experience in society’s dating pool: a desire for true love and connection in a society full of materialistic and lustful mentalities. The energetic and chaotic instrumentals accompany a heart-break story.
“AIR FORCE (BLACK DEMARCO)”: This is my favorite song by far, because of how reminiscent it is to Kanye’s iconic “Yeezus” sound: harsh and industrial, but with comforting breaks. The distorted synths and raw sounds are broken by soft, indie 808’s, and lyrics describing how pleasant it is to see your lover. This sound and the title of the track allude to artist Mac DeMarco. Rocky explains that he wrote songs with him, but ultimately never made it on the album because of early leaks. Only dragging inspiration of his sound for this track. Between many things, this makes it a really fun track; drawing inspiration from great projects, but still being authentic to Rocky’s style.
Whether you are an A$AP Rocky fan or not, I think this is an entertaining project that showcases many interactions between artists and sounds that would otherwise feel unconventional, and yet work cohesively in this record. The aesthetics make me buy into the bizarreness, and not question anything.
