After eight years of radio silence, rapper, producer, model and fashion designer ASAP Rocky finally released his latest studio album “Don’t be Dumb.” According to Rocky in an interview for Popcast, this long hiatus was due to a multitude of reasons, from the regular postponement of his court case to his desire to spend time with his family and be present as a father. With this album, Rocky follows the groundwork he laid in “TESTING” by being very experimental with his sound, borrowing from genres like trap, punk, alternative and jazz. Additionally, “Don’t be Dumb” is also a conceptual project and perhaps his most narratively ambitious to date. After a couple of listens, the album certainly demonstrated its charm and charisma. While it wasn’t quite up to par with his earlier records, it’s still a great listen on its own.
“Don’t be Dumb” is heavily story driven, detailing different versions of Rocky throughout the last few years with his six main characters, represented on the album cover designed by Tim Burton. Burton was a massive inspiration for the rapper, and had a strong hand over the visual direction of the project. Rocky’s alter egos each offer insight into a moment of his life. Chronologically, the first character is Shithead, which actually explores Rocky’s experiences with his friends as a young adult in Harlem, New York circa 2013. The next persona is Dummie, the one representing the stylistic choices from “Testing” and Rocky’s willingness to explore his creativity. We then get into Babushka Boi, the character that embodies his love for fashion design and self expression, referencing his usage of the babushka scarf at the LACMA Art and Film Gala in late 2018. He also shortly released a song and music video with this aesthetic, both which previewed the sonic identity “Don’t be Dumb” would take on.
The next character is Rugahand, whose design takes direct inspiration from Rocky’s performance at the Rolling Loud Miami in 2023, during which the rapper sang a few songs that teased his new musical direction. Mr. Mayers is the father persona, representing a focus on raising his family above all else. The last and perhaps most crucial character to this era is Gr1m, who appears to be the main character considering how many times he is depicted in music videos. He is important because his name is a direct link to Rocky’s ghetto futurism and German expressionism ideals, both of which heavily inspire the album. With the former, the concept is blending retro styles with futuristic ones through the lens of ghetto. German expressionism associates itself with the album because of Rocky’s deep appreciation for the aesthetic, which is the reason why he reached out to Tim Burton in the first place.
All these characters and aesthetics like European fashion, ghetto futurism and German expressionism come together to create the story that is “Don’t be Dumb”. In the opening track “ORDER OF PROTECTION”, Rocky explains his absence from the music scene and what he’s been up to since “Testing”. It’s a decent opener, but it’s a little tame and boring. The sound and energy immediately pick up with the following track “HELICOPTER.” It’s a fast paced, hype trap song that excites the audience for the album going forward. After a quick skit about his creative vision, heavy synths lead us into “STOLE YA FLOW”, a subtle diss-track about Drake. The instrumental is dense and nasty, but that doesn’t take away from the enjoyment.
“STAY HERE 4 LIFE” is a smooth, lighter track about being in love. The following “PLAYA” is also more laid back production-wise. It has a similar sound to Kendrick Lamar’s “Silent Hill”, which could be attributed to producer Thundercat being featured on both albums. “NO TRESPASSING” has some interesting ad-libs and sound effects, while “STOP SNITCHING” features some of Rocky’s most solid rapping flows on the album. The project gets noticeably more experimental as it goes on, with the second half taking many creative liberties.
“STFU” is a snarky clap-back at his haters and nosey fans over a grimy, aggressive beat. The single “PUNK ROCKY” is inspired by indie rock and it sounds very nice. “AIR FORCE (BLACK DEMARCO)” has really cool electronic synths and a fast-paced instrumental alongside a sharp and focused flow. It contains an unexpected, ethereal beat change about a minute in to give the track some breathing room. Then, it’s right back to the chaos. “WHISKEY (RELEASE ME)” features Gorillaz and Westside Gunn, and introduces jazz rap into the album’s sonic identity and continues to be explored in the following track, “ROBBERY,” which is my personal favorite. This surprising song has a soundscape reminiscent of a 1920s dive bar, where Rocky and Doechii conduct a theatrical robbery while rapping almost seductively over piano and horns. Jazz rap is at its finest here, and Doechii was an immaculate choice for a feature.
“DON’T BE DUMB / TRIP BABY” is an interesting two-parter that unfortunately falls a little flat on the second half. The first disc concludes with a will.i.am and Jessica Pratt featuring on “THE END,” a somewhat weak, pessimistic closer with a flaccid instrumental. There are four bonus tracks on side two. Overall, the album is a very enjoyable listen and while not his best work, it’s a worthy addition to ASAP Rocky’s discography.
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