On Thursday, Jan. 15, A$AP Rocky’s highly anticipated album DON’T BE DUMB dropped, marking the end of A$AP Rocky’s hiatus since his 2018 album, Testing. Recently, A$AP Rocky has remained in the spotlight, dating pop star Rihanna and facing two felony counts of assault with a firearm in 2021, which were dropped in February of 2025.
DON’T BE DUMB is a genre-fluid album, containing hints of indie, jazz, metal, and R&B. The album features a star-studded roster of artists, including Brent Faiyaz, Doechii, Gorillaz, Thundercat, Tyler, the Creator, Westside Gunn, and will.i.am.
The 17-track album offers experimental sounds unlike any of A$AP Rocky’s earlier projects. At one moment, you’re bobbing your head, listening to track two, “Helicopter,” an aggressive, rhythmic rap song, then you jump into your 1934 Ford 40B, where you listen to track 13, “Robbery,” a velvety 1930s jazz song perfect for Bonnie and Clyde. The album’s unusual genre selection aligns well with the creative album cover, designed by Emmy and Golden Globe-winning director Tim Burton, which showcases his acclaimed Burtonesque design style and adds another layer to the album’s dark, eerie overarching theme.
Another distinctive choice A$AP Rocky made was creating 360-degree virtual reality visualizers for each song on his YouTube channel. Typically, visualizers loop a single graphic or animation and don’t allow viewer interaction. A$AP Rocky’s visualizers, however, enable viewers to rotate the camera view within the video, showing different characters and elements when you pan.
The first track of the album, “Order of Protection,” sounds as if Future and A$AP Rocky had a baby; this beat would be the culmination of their work. The song feels dark and hazy, driven by heavy, futuristic 808s. A$AP Rocky’s flow is laid-back, yet the lyrics ooze confidence as A$AP Rocky raps, “It’s been a lil’ while since I been in the league. A couple lil’ trials, a couple of leaks. Still in the field like I’m runnin’ in cleats. Last time I checked, we still in the lead.”
A$AP Rocky is admitting his absence from releasing an album and references that his legal troubles have acted as roadblocks, not career-derailing events. He also emphasizes that he’s still a top artist regardless of his hiatus, asserting that his status is cemented in the rap scene.
As the album progresses, Rocky’s genre lens widens, encompassing R&B in his song “Stay Here 4 Life,” alongside Grammy-nominated artist Brent Fayaiz. He then shifts to punk rock midway through the album with track 10. “Punk Rocky,” released Jan. 5, served as a lead single for the album. “Punk Rocky” also had its own music video following its release, featuring a few of Burton’s favorite actors, including actress Winona Ryder and film composer Danny Elfman. Surrounded by chaotic visuals and abstract symbolism, this set the stage for what was to come of the album.
The album concluded with track 17, “Fish N Steak (What It Is)” featuring renowned hip-hop artist Tyler, the Creator. This was a curveball, much like the entire album, as the song was playful, without any reflective or grand tone. It didn’t summarize anything about the album, but the album isn’t summarizable; it’s intentionally darting in every direction. This ending perfectly closes the album: A$AP Rocky didn’t chase expectations; he closes in style, like himself.
The album was exploratory, eclectic, and risky. However, some songs feel drastically out of place and not fully thought out. For example, track nine, “STFU,” featuring the metal band Slay Squad, is a defiant tirade towards critics and negativity, and feels like a far distant concept from the album. Additionally, track 11, “Air Force” (Black DeMarco), was a mashup of beats that, while conceptually interesting, didn’t click with many listeners as Rocky struggled to keep the song afloat.
Although this album may seem enticing, fans should temper their expectations. DON’T BE DUMB isn’t going to be the best album of 2026 or anywhere close to it, but listening to it with the acknowledgment of that, the album becomes more enjoyable. One can’t view it as the product of eight years, but rather the production of a year and the events of eight relentless years compressed into an hour-long album. DON’T BE DUMB earns three out of five feathers. Ultimately, A$AP Rocky visibly enjoyed the creation process of this album, but got carried away with genre experimentation.
