Review Summary: Not a home run, but after eight years, a double will do.
Eight years is a long time ago, man. That’s true in general, but in terms of an artist, it’s a lifetime. When it comes to the life of A$AP Rocky, it feels like two. It’s been so long, in fact, that his last fully released project in 2018 predates his assault case in Sweden. The incident was so bizarre and high-profile that Donald Trump, during his first term as president, publicly called for Rocky’s release. To put it in perspective, Trump lost a reelection bid and then won a second term, all before Rocky released another album. It’s hard to comprehend an artist who was peaking commercially bringing that momentum to a complete halt. Yet in the years since, Rocky has become bigger than ever, cementing himself as a larger-than-life cultural icon. He’s a fashion mogul, a model and an actor with roles in prominent films. And oh yeah, partnered with one of the biggest pop stars on the planet in Rihanna, with whom he shares three children. It’s safe to say his star hasn’t lost any luster.
Eight years though, man. The release of Rocky’s follow-up to
Testing began to feel like a mythical, unobtainable item. Time and time again there were rumors, teases, even the occasional single, but nothing ever fully materialized. I slowly began to check out, and my doubts began to creep in. He had become infinitely bigger than his music. Did he even still have that same hunger in him? After all,
Testing was Rocky’s first true dud, an uninspired mess that felt like a burnt out artist running on creative fumes. It sounded like someone running out of ideas and opting instead to chase the trends of the moment, shedding most of what once made him
him. Artists have misfires, it happens to the best of them, but fans had eight years for that sour taste to linger on their palate. Would his next project even be worth a damn, or had he completely lost his juice?
Don’t Be Dumb isn’t quite the reinvention or rejuvenation that many had built up their heads. In fact, it shares a lot of DNA with
Testing in the way they play with different subgenres, with trap taking the front seat for the majority of each album. However, while
Testing felt scattershot and unstructured like a pile of loose singles,
Don’t Be Dumb actually feels like a fully realized album in the way it is constructed. Don’t be worried with that comparison though, it’s an improvement in almost every facet. That starts with the aforementioned structure which groups in the hard hitting bangers in the first half, with the second half being where Rocky flexes his creative and experimental side that we have sorely missed. Rocky has always been a guy who has had impeccable production,
Don’t Be Dumb is no different. Those who yearn for his cloud rap days will be disappointed as that sound has taken a back seat, but the creative decisions here remain interesting. In the first half, the material isn’t far off from mainstream trap but is elevated by his beat selection and oddities thrown into the mix.
“Helicopter” is a great example of that point. It’s fairly simple and straightforward, but executed at a high level, driven by an ominous, thumping bass accentuated by blaring sirens. Rocky has never been the most technically impressive emcee, but his flow has always carried an effortless amount of cool and swagger. On the more aggressive cuts in this first half, that approach feels more natural than it ever has. “Stole Ya Flow” is the clear highlight in that regard, featuring an absolutely rim-rattling, industrial-sounding beat that’s mixed so loud it feels like your speakers might give out. The lyrical content is, sadly, another government-mandated diss aimed at Drake, but at least it’s delivered in a tongue-in-cheek, entertaining way that still manages to bite. Rocky’s first verse closes with a memorable rapid-fire stacking of black luxury items that perfectly fits the track’s menacing tone.
“No Trespassing” and “Stop Snitching” are two more standouts, played back to back and flowing naturally into each other. Both lean into dark, grimy beats, accented by blaring synths and horns that thicken the atmosphere, with the pairing capped off by an aggressive feature from Sauce Walker. Rocky rides these beats well, but one of his greatest strengths has always been his ability to act as a point-guard-like facilitator, curating features that have produced some all-timers to contrast his more laid back style. It desperately feels like this run of tracks is missing a verse from longtime collaborator ScHoolboy Q, who would have absolutely murdered this selection of beats.
The second half of
Don’t Be Dumb is what the real Rocky-heads are interested in and have been clamoring for. He has always been an experimental boundary-pusher at heart, from taking cloud rap to new heights on his first few releases to the psychedelic and soulful
At.Long.Last.A$AP. He’s back to taking some of those big swings in the back half, playing with completely different genres that most rappers wouldn’t dare attempt. Not all work, but it’s certainly worth a level of admiration. “Punk Rocky” has proven to be quite the divisive tune but I can’t help but be charmed by the dreamy, reverb-soaked atmosphere and Rocky’s rough-around-the-edges singing.
“Whiskey (Release Me)” starts off with a smooth, ethereal intro that gradually builds to a hard trap beat that features a crass verse with some fun wordplay that would fit right on his early material and maybe my favorite on the album (Make her holla "Yes, yes, yes," no Tourette's). It gradually fades out to the fascinating combination of Damon Albarn providing backing vocals and Westside Gunn ad-libs pitted against a hazy, floating beat. This eyebrow-raising section is a nice conclusion but you can’t help but feel there was a missed opportunity to do something really out there. The boldest experiment here is absolutely the smooth jazz song “Robbery” with Rocky and Doechii sharing an uncomfortable amount of sexual chemistry for a married man. They trade bars in a Bonnie and Clyde like fashion that makes for a true showstopper right out of a movie which is fitting given the Tim Burton collaboration. It might not be my favorite song on the album, but pulling off such a strange concept this convincingly is an achievement in itself.
“Don’t Be Dumb/Trip Baby” has the most immaculate sounding production on the album with an otherworldly, cloudy beat that sounds exactly like something Rocky and Clams Casino would make back in the day and is up there with some of his strongest material. This one's for the old-heads. There is a longing nostalgia there for a time that has long passed and makes you want to stay suspended in it forever. Unfortunately, about halfway through, a glitchy, futuristic beat switch cuts that feeling short. You are smacked in the face with reality, the old Rocky is in there but it seems his interests lie elsewhere. It isn’t bad, but interrupting something this beautiful feels almost criminal.
After eight years could anything really live up to the hype? I don’t blame anyone for building up the album in their head and having it fall short of expectations. It’s hard to fully separate those feelings, especially for a rapper so many hold close to their hearts, myself included. I never expected him to make
Live.Love.A$AP. again, and while that leaves me a little sad, it feels like an unfair standard.
Don’t Be Dumb is honestly what I expected. It’s half Rocky’s spin on modern rap trends and half tinkering, trying to find his abstract footing again. There are plenty of solid, more than listenable songs on this album, most just lack the distinct pop his best albums had. At least we now know, the old Rocky isn’t completely lost and
Testing now feels like an aberration of a man distracted by his growing fame. It does leave you wanting so much more and shows he’s still got it in him. A return to form? Not quite. A welcome return? Absolutely.
