After a nearly eight-year hiatus, A$AP Rocky’s LP “Don’t Be Dumb” dropped Jan. 16 at midnight. The fourth studio record by the American rapper, producer and fashion designer was highly anticipated, setting pre-save records for a hip-hop album with over 1 million saves on Spotify. Unexpected brand deals, talks of Brent Fayiaz and Gorillaz features and an album cover designed by cinema legend Tim Burton set expectations high for the rapper’s return.
In an unexpected bridge between film and music, “Edward Scissorhands” and “Beetlejuice” director Tim Burton collaborated with Rocky to design the album artwork for “Don’t Be Dumb.” The album cover features six stylized figures that appear to reference different Rocky looks in the years since his last release. The art plays into the album's general Burton-esque aesthetic, wholeheartedly embracing Rocky’s affinity for high fashion and the otherworldly. This style bleeds into the music video for the single “PUNK ROCKY”, which stars actress Winona Ryder and bassist Thundercat in a fantastical gothic neighborhood setting.
Rocky incorporated Burton, one of his childhood heroes and current inspirations, into the musical aspect of the record as well by bringing in Danny Elfman — the esteemed composer of Burton’s iconic soundtracks — to score “Don’t Be Dumb.” In addition to the unique involvement of Elfman, musical collaborators spanned genres from jazz to alternative rock to fellow rap artists, with a lineup including the Gorillaz, Doechii, Jon Batiste and others. The publicity generated around the project set expectations high, and it did its best to deliver from the very first track.
The album starts off strong with “ORDER OF PROTECTION,” which opens with the line “it's been a lil' while since I been in the league,” addressing the gap between projects. Rocky then goes on to reassert his dominance in the game with the line “last time I checked, we still in the lead.” An exciting opener, “ORDER OF PROTECTION” features a gradually swelling beat and synth-driven instrumentals that build anticipation and incorporate the surreal stylization of the album’s concept into the sonic production.
The record continues with single “HELICOPTER,” a fun but lyrically underwhelming track somewhat redeemed by an adventurous animated music video. “STOLE YA FLOW” is a charismatic track reminiscent of Rocky’s earlier music, but also undeniably a diss track. Lyrics that reference a friend turned to an “opp” and a “BBL” appear to target Canadian rapper Drake, although Rocky stated in an interview Friday morning that the track is not a direct Drake diss.
There are certainly spots in “Don’t Be Dumb” where Rocky seems to venture too far into the avant-garde, as seen in “STFU,” a track featuring contributions from metal artist Slay Squad and a verse from Chance the Rapper. The distorted, intense production and vaguely political lyrics differentiate the track from the others on the album.
The strongest section comes towards the end, beginning with “PUNK ROCKY,” the first single and 10th track on the record. The track is reminiscent of his 2018 Tame Impala collaboration “Sundress,” leaning into Rocky’s penchant for genre-bending by coupling hip-hop bars with a psychedelic rock instrumental. “AIR FORCE (BLACK DEMARCO)” switches back and forth between Rocky rapping over a glitchy beat and singing over a chilled-out acid-rock groove, subverting listeners’ expectations in what could be a rebuttal of fan criticism on the experimentation on his previous album, “Testing”.
“WHISKEY (RELEASE ME)” continues in the same vein, and stands out as one of the best on the record with its unique, relaxed beat and rare Gorillaz collaboration. A feature from the ultra-futuristic virtual band is a highly sought commodity — with less than five in existence — but mere backing vocals from frontman Damon Albarn in place of an actual verse were underwhelming.
The LP flows into its 13th track, “ROBBERY,” with a slinky, jazz inspired drum and piano beat reminiscent of a grand art heist or a Pink Panther cartoon. Rapidly rising hip-hop star Doechii complements Rocky’s flow, intertwining verses to tell the story of success and conquest through the narrative of a robbery. Produced by jazz legend Duke Ellington, the distinct beat of “ROBBERY” stands out from the style of the other tracks, but remains in line with Rocky’s signature playful style and propensity for keeping listeners on their toes.
Unlike other songs on the otherwise boisterous, bombastic project, the final two tracks of the album are more personal. “DON’T BE DUMB / TRIP BABY” expresses his steadfast love and commitment to his romantic partner, Rihanna, through the tumult of his public and private life. “THE END” features the unlikely duo of freak folk artist Jessica Pratt and Black Eyed Peas rock rapper Will.i.am, as well as a sample of T.S. Eliot’s 1925 poem “The Hollow Men” taken from a 1988 Nancy Priddy song. The song repeats the phrase “this is the way the world ends” throughout the chorus, while addressing topics such as police brutality, climate change and school shootings in the United States.
“Don’t Be Dumb” also features two bonus tracks. “SWAT TEAM” is much more traditional in style and content and puts the album back on a high, and “FISH N STEAK (IT IS WHAT IT IS)” closes it out with a laid-back Tyler, the Creator collaboration.
Rocky embraces full-fledged creativity in every aspect of “Don’t Be Dumb,” from its artistic conception to its sonic production, and doesn’t shy away from experimentation. His unpredictability and willingness to work with a variety of genres and artists makes his work much stronger, as does his overarching vision when it comes to intertwining his music with art, cinema, high fashion and personal details.
As Rocky’s first release in over seven years, “Don’t Be Dumb” had a large amount of hype to live up to. While some of the collaborations and more experimental moves might not satisfy fans in the way they had long hoped, “Don’t Be Dumb” is overall a genre-bending powerhouse of an album that testifies to Rocky’s creative vision when it comes to rap and hip-hop.
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