Where to start with A$AP Rocky? Rakim Mayers, stage name A$AP Rocky, has made headlines these past few years for nearly everything outside of what he initially became famous for: his music. He’s leaned more into being a fashion designer, continued his acting career, and entered into a superstar celebrity relationship with Rihanna. After a long wait, the Harlem-born rapper released his fourth studio album, Don’t Be Dumb. It’s an album well worth the wait, with many great songs that explore different genres, all of which Rocky pulls off to great success.
Rocky announced his fourth album in 2021, but no announcement came until he released several singles throughout 2023 to 2025. Although most weren’t as good nor as interesting as anything on Don’t Be Dumb, but “Tailor Swif” is excellent, and he paired it with a constantly-changing music video which has been one of the best music videos of the past decade. He finally gave a release date in December and followed through by releasing the album on Jan. 18. Despite the long wait and speculation surrounding his own album, he still released an album before his partner Rihanna, who hasn’t released anything outside of a few soundtrack songs in a decade.
Don’t Be Dumb feels like a culmination of different genres that he’s explored, which he proved from the many singles that never made it to the album and the singles he released earlier this January that actually made it to the album. Those two singles, “Punk Rocky” and “Helicopter” showed off completely different styles from unique eras. “Punk Rocky” diverges from every other song on the album as a fast paced, catchy indie rock song. While he’s made rock songs before, he suits the role better than ever before with a rock beat that propels the song forward, alongside Wallows-esque, hypnotic guitar riffs. It’s unfortunate that Rocky didn’t explore this sound further, as his rock songs are among his most adventurous, allowing him to succeed in a genre that rappers rarely explore successfully.
That’s not to dismiss the rest of his album. Rocky is one of the most versatile artists alive, which he’s shown through his many ventures into fashion and acting. His versatility stretches into Don’t Be Dumb, which borrows from many different rap styles. He’s got rage beats with the irritating digital sounds of “Helicopter” and “Air Force,” his typical trap style on “Stole Ya Flow,” and jazzy instrumantal on “Robbery” as just a few examples of different styles. He translates his cosmopolitan nature into the album, and his ideas sound entirely fresh. On “Don’t Be Dumb / Trip Baby,” he has two incredible beats with a more mellow style that floats above the surface before dragging the listener underground with a jaw-dropping beat switch. The song reflects how his life has changed, slowing down to take care of his family. Even though he’s kept up and released good music, he reminds the world that Don’t Be Dumb might be his final album. Either the title track or “The End” would have terrifically ended the album, but it instead ends on “Fish N Steak (What It Is),” a collab with Tyler, the Creator. The song doesn’t really show off the capabilities of either artist, with a dull beat and chorus. Rocky had previously. The songs towards the end sound the most unlike anything else on the album, but despite exciting features such as Westside Gunn, Gorillaz, and the aforementioned Tyler, the Creator, they sound more thrown together to fill out time. The pacing ruins the flow of the album, and every song is taken better in its own context.
Despite the occasionally weak pacing, Don’t Be Dumb proves that Rocky still has great ideas that he’s translated to quality music. The beats stay exciting; his lyricism remains on point; and he’s continued innovating in his music. Don’t Be Dumb has ambition, and its quality proves that it was worth the wait for a great album.
