It’s been nearly eight years since New York rapper A$AP Rocky released his 2018 album “TESTING”- an album met with mixed reviews from fans and critics for poor execution of its experimental concepts. In 2023, Rocky premiered the first single for his next project, “DON’T BE DUMB.” In the following three years, he repeatedly said the album was nearly complete, dropping numerous singles (none of which made it onto 

the album) and snippets, but the only news about its release was repeat delays. “DON’T BE DUMB” quickly became one of the most enigmatic projects in the hip-hop space, until Dec. 16, 2025, when Rocky revealed the cover alongside a Jan. 16 release date.

Rakim Mayers, better known as A$AP Rocky, is a foundational artist in the modern rap scene. He almost immediately rose to stardom after his first singles in 2011. His debut mixtape “Live. Love. A$AP,” first two albums “Long. Live. A$AP” and “At. Long. Last. A$AP,” and his other work with the A$AP Mob hip-hop group were hugely influential in the modern experimental and cloud rap subgenres for their use of alternative and psychedelic sounds. He’s often credited with having paved the way for artists like Travis Scott. Additionally, his entrance into the fashion sphere in 2013, around the same time as rappers like Ye, led to a rise in fashion influence in hip-hop aesthetics.

“DON’T BE DUMB” opens right off with a bang and a strong tone setter, with the opening track “ORDER OF PROTECTION.” Rocky recaps the events of the last 8 years, from album leaks to legal troubles. The beat opens with spacey synths, which are quickly overtaken by a grand trap beat filled with choirs and cinematic drums. It’s a short-but-sweet intro that quickly gets the album going. 

The first half of “DON’T BE DUMB” is marked by heavy, experimental synths and lots of trap influence. “STOLE YA FLOW” is an obvious diss towards Drake, but that’s not really the highlight of the track. Produced by Kelvin Krash, ICYTWAT & Danny Elfman, “STOLE YA FLOW”’s beat is one of the best on the album. The gritty, raging synths permeate the entire song and never let up. Even with the rapid disses from Rocky, the beat takes center stage. The track ends on a choir, similar to the intro. It gives a feeling of grandiosity and importance to it all. The following track, “STAY HERE 4 LIFE,” is a significant tonal let-up compared to the previous track, but it’s no less of a hit. Brent Faiyaz’s catchy hook is the star of the song. He – and Rocky’s smooth flow and more romantic lyrics – work great in tandem with the Houston-style, looped chopped-and-screwed lofi beat.

“DON’T BE DUMB”’s second half is where the album really gets experimental. The track “STFU” is the weirdest song on the album by a mile, but it’s not bad weird. It’s loud and abrasive, Rocky’s voice is distorted at first, the feature from Slay Squad is ear-shatteringly aggressive, and the beat is a mishmash of… everything, really. It’s a track best experienced firsthand. Following the album’s first single, “PUNK ROCKY,” is “AIR FORCE (BLACK DEMARCO),” a track made up of a hard-to-explain digital synth beat, but most notably, a humming chorus that randomly cuts in and out from Rocky’s rapping. 

“Robbery,” featuring Doechii, is one of the album’s most unique songs. Doechii and Rocky slide on a smooth jazzy beat and eventually go into a bar trade in a track that sounds sort of like something off Kendrick Lamar’s “To Pimp A Butterfly.”

The final two tracks “DON’T BE DUMB / TRIP BABY” and “THE END” (besides the bonus tracks) are slower and more somber, but make for a gorgeous ending. “DON’T BE DUMB / TRIP BABY” is a dual track with a notable Clairo sample in the first half, as well as Rocky’s melodic flow and more heartfelt lyrics. 

“THE END” opens to an almost creepy, childlike singing of “this is the way the world ends” over and over before Rocky gets both briefly conscious and personal. He and rapper/singer Will.i.am briefly rap about the prison system and mass incarceration, war, and the lack of care for education before the track returns to the haunting hook, now in a higher key. It’s an excellent, melancholic ending to the album. The conscious rapping is a bit surface level, but it’s a nice shift at the end from the rest of the album’s stunting and rapping about Rihanna.

Two bonus tracks follow the “THE END:” “SWAT TEAM;” and, more importantly, “FISH ‘N STEAK” featuring longtime collaborator of Rocky’s: Tyler, The Creator.

The album cover, drawn by artist and filmmaker Tim Burton, feels emblematic of the project. “DON’T BE DUMB,” written in the center, is crossed out, and character drawings from Tim Burton fill the cover. It’s messy and chaotic, but beautifully artistic in its own way. Burton’s influence is felt even in the music, especially in the grander cinematic tracks like “ORDER OF PROTECTION.” This album isn’t particularly cohesive and Rocky’s lyrics aren’t great. The lyrics aren’t awful, they’re servicable, but he doesn’t really have much to say with them and they mostly serve to reinforce the vibes. There’s something artistically genius about the sonic incoherence, though. This project is intentionally messy; the beats are speaking for Rocky, and that’s why it’s so sharp. Rocky has rarely been up there with the lyrical greats, but his beat and stylistic choices have been so excellent that it rarely matters.

Even when “DON’T BE DUMB” occasionally falters, it doesn’t truly bring the project down much. The album’s concepts, the experimental beats, and general vibes are so well-crafted. A$AP Rocky’s grand, eight-year return in “DON’T BE DUMB.” is a strong 8.5/10.