After many years of anticipation, A$AP Rocky has finally returned to the rap scene with “Don’t Be Dumb,” his first full-length album since “TESTING” released in 2018. Rocky’s comeback album is loud and experimental, but also disappointingly underwhelming.
Experimentation has been one of Rocky’s greatest strengths, but on this album it feels at times unfocused. “Don’t Be Dumb” blends genres and has its creative moments but not enough impact to justify the long wait.
On the album 12 artists were featured: BossMan Dlow, Brent Faiyaz, Danny Elfman, Doechii, Gorillaz, Jessica Pratt, Jon Batise, Slay Squad, Thundercat, Tyler, The Creator, Westside Gunn and ️will.i.am.
My favorite songs – excluding the two singles “HELICOPTER” and “PUNK ROCKY” – had some of the best features on the album. These songs are “STAY HERE 4 LIFE” featuring Brent Faiyaz and “ROBBERY” featuring Doechii.
Starting with “ROBBERY,” this track stands out due to it being one of the most uniquely conceptual songs off the album. Think Bonnie and Clyde, which are the roles Doechii and Rocky take on in this song while rapping over a jazzy instrumental. I found this song to be overall the most fun and enjoyable off the album.
“STAY HERE 4 LIFE” is one of the few songs I see myself revisiting many times over. This track absolutely delivered for me with its bouncy production. Faiyaz’s voice was beautiful and his vocals on the chorus complemented Rocky’s rapping perfectly.
On the other hand, the worst song on the album is “STFU” featuring Slay Squad. I can understand what this track tries to do with its grungy, angsty, aggressive heavy metal kind of vibe, but it does not work at all for me.
“STFU” does not live up to the album’s title because it’s just dumb. I tried to give it multiple chances, but the Slay Squad verses feel stupid and nonsensical.
When artists take such long breaks from music the question arises: Are they still able to put out music at the same level that made them great? If an artist takes a large amount of time away from making music it brings the expectation for an artist to deliver something greater from what they previously made.
As a fan of Rocky I did not just want a return album, I wanted a grand comeback that would shock the music scene. Sadly “Don’t Be Dumb” feels more like a standstill than a step forward.
While the album has a few stand out tracks, the anticipation that was built over the many years of delays and silence works against the album.
“Don’t be Dumb” is by no means a bad album, it is just not the comeback I hoped for.
Overall, I rate “Don’t Be Dumb” a 6/10. I think if it’s going to take an artist 8 years to release an album, I expect almost every song on it to be a certified hit containing very few misses.
Favorite Songs: “PLAYA,” “STAY HERE 4 LIFE,” ”HELICOPTER,” ”PUNK ROCKY,” ”ROBBERY”
Least Favorite songs: “STFU,” “AIR FORCE (BLACK DEMARCO),” “STOP SNITCHING,” “THE END”
