After rapper A$AP Rocky released “TESTING” in 2018, he left fans waiting eight years for a new album. In the meantime, Rocky was busy modelling for luxury fashion houses, acting in a feature film and raising three children with his partner, global superstar and entrepreneur Rihanna.
Now, Rocky is back with “Don’t Be Dumb,” a gift for the fans who stuck around through all of his sidequests.
In the fourth studio album, Rocky delivers a medley of musical styles, some old and others new. The first three songs deliver gritty, in-your-face trap beats layered with boastful lyrics.
Tracks like “WHISKEY (RELEASE ME)”, “DON’T BE DUMB / TRIP BABY”and “THE END” are more dreamy and melodic, potentially influenced by the rapper’s love for indie rock and psych pop genres.
The project’s most memorable moments occur when Rocky combines these two vastly different sounds – hard-hitting trap beats and psych-infused melodies – into one song. Sometimes, he does this by fusing elements of both into one beat, like on “PLAYA,” where dreamlike pad synths (alongside bass and backing vocals by Thundercat himself) play on top of automated trap drums.
On other tracks, Rocky accomplishes this combination not through fusion, but through sudden back-and-forth beat switches. “AIR FORCE (BLACK DEMARCO)” alternates between a chaotic opium-style beat and a beautiful, melodic dream-pop ballad.
Admittedly, it’s a bit chaotic. However, the song may have been better off with just one beat switch to avoid the whiplash of two vastly different sounds.
Rocky goes in a completely new musical direction in certain tracks, which works surprisingly well. On “ROBBERY,” Rocky and Grammy award-winning rapper Doechii take turns rapping over a swing jazz instrumental.
The result: a track that’s mischievous, showy and even seductive. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen a mainstream rapper rhyme over a jazz instrumental, and this is the best I’ve heard since Tyler, The Creator’s “HOT WIND BLOWS” or Kendrick Lamar’s “For Free?”
In “STAY HERE 4 LIFE,” Rocky teams up with alternative R&B singer Brent Faiyaz to deliver a bouncy, soulful and memorable R&B track that might just be the peak of the album. With a groovy bassline, a catchy hook and silky smooth vocals from Faiyaz, there’s little not to like about this track.
Rocky’s artistic inspiration extends beyond just musical influences. The album cover was designed by American filmmaker Tim Burton, and Rocky makes creative nods to the eerie, fantastical style of Burton’s films throughout the album.
The haunting, orchestral outro instrumental on “STOLE YA FLOW” sounds straight out of “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” fittingly so, as Danny Elfman — composer for many of Burton’s films — contributed to the album.
Similarly, “THE END” starts with an uncanny childlike vocal sample singing “this is the way the world ends” as rapper will.i.am and Rocky address the current gloomy state of our world, painting a Burton-esque picture of humanity’s future.
“Don’t Be Dumb” isn’t a perfect album. Regardless, the project is a creative comeback for Rocky. He ventured into new musical territory and brought together an eccentric group of collaborators to bring his gritty yet beautiful creative vision to life. What more could you ask for?
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