“Don’t Be Dumb” was released Jan. 16.
A few months after I saw A$AP Rocky in concert, conveniently, he decided to release a new album for the first time in eight long years.
The promotion for this album was a collaboration with Tim Burton, with the album cover populated with different characters drawn in Burton’s typical gothic, sketchbook-like style. What initially caught me was the icon Winona Ryder in the “PUNK ROCKY” music video. The punk-esque and rap style promotion album flooded my Instagram.
“Don’t Be Dumb” is a refreshing but interesting twist on A$AP Rocky’s traditional cloud rap style — a style of hip-hop focused on dreamy atmospheric beats and laid-back flows. I found some songs jumbled and average compared to his previous music — which may have been the style Rocky was going for — while others were catchy and refreshing.
For example, “ROBBERY,” featuring Doechii, was different from anything I've heard before, in a good way. The song opens with a piano melody and eventually a saxophone, which I wouldn’t have expected on his album given his standard hazy style.
A$AP’s verses mixed with Doechii’s angelic and feminine lines created a sensation that I had never heard before in a song. Although this song isn’t necessarily addictive, I admire A$AP for mixing jazz with his traditional, dream-like style of rap.
Another song that I’ve been seeing get a lot of attention on TikTok is “DON’T BE DUMB/TRIP BABY.” — rightfully so. The beginning of the song is slow and reverbed, similar to my favorite album from A$AP, “LIVE.LOVE.A$AP.” due to the aforementioned “cloud rap” style.
In “DONT BE DUMB/TRIP BABY,” A$AP mixes singing and rap with dreamy background vocals that drew me into the song more than the other ones on the album. This track is definitely something I would listen to while driving around with my friends or getting ready for the day.
While songs like "STOLE YA FLOW" and "PLAYA" surprised me due to the fresh style and creativity, other songs like "NO TRESSPASSING" just sounded like a garbled sentence without actual rhythm. My brain couldn’t even process the song because the beats were so unorganized.
Although I love music that goes out-of-the-box, having no real flow in the song is an instant no for me because it makes the track unmemorable.
For example, “STFU” starts off with a really chaotic techno beat, and A$AP just repeats “Shut the f*** up” over and over. I found the repetition annoying, and there’s a right and wrong way to create a song that repeats profanity over and over.
Similarly, "AIR FORCE" was just one more song that didn't impress me due to its lack of unity. It started off with an electronic beat that sounded nothing like the traditional, bass-heavy music with trippy beats that he makes. While the first part was a turn-off for me, the second half of the song had a swift switch to a slower melody, which I totally loved. It charmed me and sounded much better, but the first energetic part didn’t synthesize with the slower second half.
Even though a few of the songs were mediocre and disappointing, the others made up for their shortcomings. Especially songs featuring other artists like Tyler, The Creator, Brent Faiyaz and Doechii — other artists that I love.
Overall, I have mixed feelings about the album. A$AP Rocky's older albums will always be a treasured classic for me, so almost anything after would be a disappointment.
After all, A$AP said in an interview, “I make music that’s like an acquired taste.”
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