After a transformative eight years, Pretty Flako returns with an album that reflects the totality of his tastes and experiences.
In the eight years that passed between A$AP Rocky releasing TESTING and his brand new LP, Don’t Be Dumb, it was easy to see what he was up to, though that didn’t make his decision to not release music any less perplexing. Rocky hadn’t gone all reclusive on us. He wasn’t hiding from the world or hunkering down in some misguided method acting impersonation of Brian Wilson making Pet Sounds. It didn’t seem as if he was working on an elusive masterpiece that wasn’t cohering the way he thought it should. Rather, he was just living, as all great artists do! He had kids; he’s partnered up with one of the baddest women on Earth; he’s starred in some movies and even started a creative agency—the surest sign that a rapper is phasing out of his music era and into something less concrete.
While he was doing all of this, though, it’s now become clear that he was waiting for inspiration to strike. He was toying with ideas, waiting to find something to fall in love with. Don’t Be Dumb is inspired, not just in the context of TESTING, which seemed to suggest that Rocky had run out of good ideas, but in general. Rocky has always been one of the best curators in rap, identifying popping sounds and styles and interpolating them into his own unique concoction of NYC meets H-Town, and that method is on full display here. He even expands his scope, reaching out in more directions than ever before.
The time off between records was a blessing for Rocky. In an interview with The New York Times’ “Popcast,” he spoke about the starts and stops, trials and tribulations (and actual trials) that led to the album’s continuous delay. “I thought I was ready in 2024. I thought the court case was going to be done, that kept getting pushed back. And it was just kind of hard to really focus, you know what I mean? Not only that, me being a parent played a big part,” he explains. “I want to be there. I want to be present. I want to be supportive. And all of these different instances is what gave me new material to talk about.”
This, I think, is the most impressive aspect of Don’t Be Dumb. Who else in music, let alone rap, has this sort of patience? He’s got a rabid fanbase, tons of media attention, a landscape begging for his return, and he just waits. He waits until the music feels right. It’s clear he’s learned from experience. TESTING, which he might not be willing to admit, is not very good. It feels forced and inorganic in all the ways that Don’t Be Dumb feels natural and free-flowing. It’s clear that Rocky was ready to make this album, and there aren’t really any concessions to outside forces.
He spoke about the charts and success in that Popcast interview, reflecting on how he’s put a premium on something else: “I don’t gotta do that. I did that right out the gate. We know the formula — everybody knows the formula: ‘Yo, get this artist, get that artist, get this producer, call it a day.’ It’s easy. You can tell when people are looking for hits by the choice of collaboration.” Even when Rocky does put himself in conversation with sounds popularized by other artists, he puts his own spin on it. “AIR FORCE (BLACK DEMARCO),” which was rumored to feature Frank Ocean verse but features nothing of the sort, features the technicolor chaos of a Playboi Carti or Yeat. It also features a smooth-as-hell B-section that gives the song a “Bound 2”-like part A and B.
Elsewhere, “STAY HERE 4 LIFE” features a Brent Faiyaz impression of The Weeknd that borders on saccharine before Rocky interrupts the smooth sunshine of the hook with a pitched-down homage to his 2011 self. It’s a delightful throwback. It’s a tribute to his girl, a celebration of the life he’s now living. It’s incredibly sweet and features some genuinely heartwarming moments from Rocky. He’s come a long way since he burst onto the scene. “My fairytale with a happy ending,” he raps, his grills shining a little brighter as he delivers the line. Perhaps a very successful rapper making a good album nearly 20 years into his career isn’t a fairytale by the strictest definition, but it’s something that doesn’t happen all that often. It’s something to celebrate. A$AP Rocky’s joy is our joy, and on Don’t Be Dumb, we’re all enjoying the ride.
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