On Don't Be Dumb, A$AP Rocky Reckons with His Own Dumb Past: Review

"Rocky prides himself on being undefinable; Don't Be Dumb is subsequently rambling and sprawling. Clocking in at an even hour, the album brims with an energy we've come to know and love. The confident "No Trespassing," with its whispery bass and reverberating backdrop, is a personalized course in Pretty Flacko 101. Even songs that sound like they were simultaneously overestimated and underthought (the album opener "Order of Protection") manage to feel attention-grabbing."

""Stay Here 4 Life" and "Playa" - Rocky's odes to his partner Rihanna - are among the most honest songs the rapper has ever offered. Both songs feature last-minute beat switches, which feel distracting initially, but ultimately boost the varied atmosphere of the album. "Air Force (Black DeMarco)" bounces between a frenzied hyper-rap soundscape to a dream-pop aural tapestry, further illustrating Rocky's desire to never be pinned down."

"A$AP Rocky has been relying on his own instincts to propel his career forward since 2018's , Rocky's first album to drop after his best friend and creative advisor, A$AP Yams, passed away. Perhaps as a result, that album failed to reach the same artistically-impressive heights as his previous projects. On his latest album, the highly-anticipated Don't Be Dumb, we've arrived at a point where Rocky's gut-led decisions are more chaotic, and as a result, more heartfelt."

A$AP Rocky has relied on his own instincts since 2018, after the death of his friend and creative advisor A$AP Yams, producing less artistically ambitious work then. Don't Be Dumb presents gut-led decisions that feel more chaotic and heartfelt, resulting in a rambling, sprawling album that still brims with familiar energy. Songs like "No Trespassing" exemplify confident Pretty Flacko swagger, while the opener "Order of Protection" feels simultaneously overestimated and underthought yet attention-grabbing. "Stay Here 4 Life" and "Playa" offer unusually honest odes to Rihanna, with last-minute beat switches that ultimately enhance variety. "Air Force (Black DeMarco)" shifts between hyper-rap and dream-pop textures.

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