A$AP ROCKY & TIM BURTON PRESENT: DON’T BE DUMB
It has been about 8 years since we had a Rocky album. In those years, we have gone through a pandemic, had 2 World Cups, and GTA VI got delayed twice!! Thanos took out half the universe, and the Avengers brought it back, and so much more...
During this time, Rocky also took the time to start his family with superstar Rihanna and become a father of three. Also signed a deal with Puma where he produced shoes, clothes, and more. Became the creative director at Ray-Ban, realising his first wave of shades. Had multiple fashion shows. Went through a big trial that dealt with another A$AP member. And starred in 2 A24 films in the same year, one being directed by the legendary Spike Lee and co-starring alongside the legend Denzel Washington. All of these creative contributions and multiple leaks of the album’s tracks are what led the album to be delayed many times over the years. But now, after listening to the album throughout the weekend. I can finally say, Don’t Be Dumb is here to stay.
A$AP Rocky in an interview with Popcast he also revealed that he waited for the iconic mister Tim Burton to seek ideas of how to bring the world of Don’t Be Dumb to life, by combining german expressionism and the dark fantastical worlds that Tim has created to make one thing, ghetto expressionism. And for this albums break down, Rocky proposed 6 different Alter Ego’s on the cover created in collaboration with Tim Burton, so we will categorize them by each personality to see what vibe each character represents
GR1M:
A reptilian like creature that represents the “new skin” A$AP Rocky has put on to display his new sound. The most prominent alter-ego from the album.
GR1M:
On “ORDER OF PROTECTION,” Rocky comes in on a relaxed, hard-hitting beat, rapping about how others need protection from him, but mainly alludes to how Rocky needs to protect himself from making too many babies. Leading us into the 2nd track “HELICOPTER” which serves as the anthem of the year with the most addictive hook that will go crazy on tour, which Rocky has announced today. “Take my white tee off, spin it like a helicopter”. In its release, it was accompanied by the insane PS2-inspired visuals in a one-shot style music video. Many online believed the music video to be AI-generated in a world where it's hard to distinguish what was made by a human or not, and Rocky’s team revealed it was special 4D spatial technology built by EVERCOAST, which helped in making the music video generational! On “STOLE YA FLOW,” A$AP Rocky appears to throw shots at Drake for stealing his swag and flows, to which Rocky responds that he stole his girl. But the lyrics seem to be open enough to be directed at Travis Scott as well, as over the years, he appeared to be borrowing from A$AP Rocky’s style as well, and also at a period of time dated Rihanna. So maybe a double diss?. STAY HERE 4 LIFE comes in at track 5 with nearly 6 minutes of runtime. Featuring what I believe to be Rocky and Brent Faiyaz’s best collaboration with an amazing Hip-Hop/Rnb blend sampling full moon by ecentreal (also sampled in Ken Carson’s “mewtwo”), and ends with a dope slowed outro inspired by Houston’s legendary DJ Screw beats. A$AP Rocky then hops on a Cardo Got Wings beat on “PLAYA” delivering the smoothest track of the year, referencing basketball moves and basketball players, “Show them how to ball, show them how to play, Ima shoot my shot, hit em’ with the J!” Such a good hook. And Thundercat has great melodic vocals in the background. But the most unforgettable part of the song is its outro produced by loukman. On “NO TRESPASS”, Rocky makes a dance song that is for sure meant for the arenas this summer. This song, in my opinion, is Rocky’s attempt to make a song that can fit the album the same way “squabble up” or “hey now” from Kendrick Lamar’s GNX, classic dance songs that people will love.
RUGAHAND:
An aggressive in your face character, showing how A$AP Rocky is not afraid to throw shots.
RUGAHAND:
Rocky continues the disses on “STOP SNITCHING” featuring Sauca Walka, where he delivers the hardest verse from a feature of the album. And Bossman Dlow makes a 3-second appearance on the YouTube version. This track really feels like classic Rocky as he brings back old flows in a fun yet aggressive way to bring out the Rugahand character. “STFU” is Rocky’s first real Rock song in his catalog, really meant for the annoying fans who have demanded the album over the years, but also are the reason it has been delayed due to leaks. Featuring Slay Squad, where they help elevate the song to make it sound like a music video, which is A$AP Rocky’s specialty. “AIR FORCE (BLACK DEMARCO)” is probably the album’s most chaotic song as Rocky hops on a video game rage-inspired beat that transitions into heavenly melodic vocals delivered by Rocky, which many believed to be Frank Ocean’s return, but it's Rocky.
BABUSHKABOI:
This character shows how A$AP Rocky Embraces the weird side.
BABUSHKABOI:
“PUNK ROCKY” defines itself, really mimicking the psychedelic vibes of the iconic 2018 track “Sundress.” The music video features the great Winona Ryder, who is now famously known for her role in Stranger Things as Joyce Byers, which came to an end this New Year's, and also her roles in Tim Burton films such as Edward Scissorhands and Beetlejuice. Danny Elfman also makes an appearance in the video as a drummer who helped compose a majority of the album, and also composed Tim Burton films like The Nightmare Before Christmas. But the cameos don’t stop there as Tim Burton himself shows up in the “AIR FORCE (BLACK DEMARCO)” music video.
MR. MAYERS:
The lead character, showing how A$AP Rocky has stepped up to be a mature husband and father, while also having introspective views.
MR. MAYERS:
“WHISKEY (RELEASE ME)” uses its psychedelic vibe to blend jazz and rap to deliver one of A$AP Rocky’s best performances yet, soundy dozey and rapping about his stage now in life over a glass of whiskey and over Gorillaz production with Westside Gunn closing out the track with this iconic ad-libs “BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM”. “ROBBERY” is the Jazz record all the blogs were talking about, as it is something completely different from A$AP Rocky’s catalog and seems like Rocky’s attempt to recreate the music he likes. Featuring Doechii, where she delivers a back-and-forth Bonnie and Clyde performance with him, and literally commits a robbery in the middle of the song. “DON’T BE DUMB/TRIP BABY” is A$AP Rocky’s love letter to Rihanna. In the first half of the song, he is singing over a Clams Casino and Harry Fraud beat, bringing Rocky back to that sound that makes him so good, and different from the other mainstream rappers. The second half transitions to a beat produced by loukman where Rocky really gets to extend his thoughts about being a father. “THE END” features post-apocalyptic-like lyrics from WILL.I.AM and Rocky, delivering the album’s most interesting verse, where they flesh out their current views on the world. And the album ends with haunting lyrics and vocals by Jessica Pratt, “look at the way the world ends....”
DUMMY BOY: Honorable Mention
Pre-existing character from A$AP Rocky’s previous album TESTING
Represents Rocky’s experimental sound breach
Was repeatedly beaten up during the music videos (maybe to signify his expansion of the character)
SHIRTHEAD: Honorable Mention
Represents the crowd and their ability to hype up Rocky
Also are the little voices that harmonize throughout the album in the background
This album, and everything A$AP Rocky has been through, and what the music shaped out to be... I can say it was definitely worth the wait. Rocky has shown that he is not afraid to expand his craft, and numbers aren’t his priority. His family, the music he wants to create, and being a fan of it himself, are what make the album feel more appreciative, if you understand the context behind the making of this album ( that’s what we are here for lol). Chasing talent like Tim Burton and Danny Elfman to make this album that feels like a movie was a perfect idea that only Rocky would try to execute for his taste in music. And the music videos are insane, definitely worth checking out.
The bonus songs on the album are also pretty great, but it is understandable why they are on a separate disc, as they don’t really have a place in the main tracklist. “SWAT TEAM” seems like an obvious throwaway that Rocky had high intentions of making work on the album, but found it best to leave it on the second disk. “FISH N STEAK (WHAT IT IS) marks the 4th collaboration between A$AP Rocky and Tyler, The Creator, where they rap over a Houston-inspired beat, leaving the album open to what is recently being teased as a deluxe to come for Don’t Be Dumb. And fans can finally get other teased songs such as “Mushroom Clouds”, “American Sabotage”, “Your Honor”, and more. So Don’t Be Dumb and check out the album below, with also a timeline of the highlights A$AP Rocky has done in the process of releasing Don’t Be Dumb.