A$AP Rocky has dropped his long-awaited, fourth studio album and it is experimental to say the least.
This is A$AP’s first release in nearly a decade, with his last release being Testing, a well received album.
As a result of Rocky’s drought, the anticipation for this release was very high and he successfully met his expectations.
Don’t Be Dumb starts off with a lyrically filled hook with ORDER OF PROTECTION, this song is an explanation of why Rocky has been gone for so long on top of a somber beat that gets the momentum going for the rest of the album. Though this song could be on a quicker beat to get the flow we all love from Rocky, it is still a great start.
It is followed by Helicopter, which he dropped as a single days before the release, which only strengthens the album’s momentum. It delivers smooth, slick bars, flow and charisma which appears on his previous albums such as LONG.LIVE.A$AP.
STOLE YA FLOW jumps into A$AP’s personal beef with Drake. Where he calls out Drake over his plastic surgeries, being an absent father and his obsession with his wife Rihanna. This song is one of the most solid songs, if not the best on the album.
Continuing on the album takes a slow lightened mood, with STAY HERE 4 LIFE. This song shows A$AP’s inspiration from Southern hip-hop such as OutKast. The track is about love and Rocky hits those feelings and emotions very hard on top of vocals from none other than Brent Faiyaz. I love this song for the emotions it conveys and it represents the Rocky I fell in love with.
On top of that is another lovely song PLAYA. Another one of my favorites that just makes the album continue to flow. It is very peaceful and catchy, showing that A$AP is meeting the high bar that was set.
The mood shifts dark once again with NO TRESSPASSING which is a very great song. It has a very aggressive hard hitting trap beat showcasing Rocky’s confidence and style once more.
STOP SNITCHING is like many others, a spectacular song. Instrumentally the song carries very well where it works as an aggressive trap beat with a layered atmosphere that feels menacing and stylish.
Track STFU is no question the worst track so far and on the entire album. It is very messy with hard, raw, industrial metal sound. At least it is experimental but is just a miss so far on this wonderful album.
AIR FORCE (BLACK DEMARCO) is yet another experimental track where the light texture contrasts sharply with the deep, hard hitting bass. Rocky’s delivery is still smooth and charismatic throughout it, containing an indie feel as well as an agro rap feel.
With the track WHISKEY (RELEASE ME), Rocky becomes the curator that he is known for. Westside Gunn and Damon Albarn’s vocals on this track help move it along, but it just mostly provides noise for the background. The experimental work on this song leaves it different from the rest, yet it just ends up being another mediocre song in this album. It is very cool to see him try something new, at the very least.
Last, but not least, ROBBERY finishes up this masterpiece with a feature from Doechii. It has a jazz piano feel on top of once again Rocky’s swagger and flow that just brings it together.
DON’T BE DUMB is an exceptional experimental album. Whether it was worth the wait all those years is debatable, but it still hits the mark with wonderful tracks. The tracks contained new stylistic elements while staying close to his roots which makes his style so unique. I would give this album a solid 8.6 out of 10. Rocky’s previous work has been better but that should not take away from how wonderful this album is. A$AP forever.
