It is fair to say that for most listeners, young and impatient, A$AP Rocky’s latest album, ‘Don’t Be Dumb’, is defined mainly by the 8 year gap since his previous album. To put his album break into context, when his previous release ‘Testing’ came out, I was in my second year of high school and all I did was play Fortnite and listen to music. On the advent of his latest album, 2026’s ‘Don’t Be Dumb’, I sit here in my final year of university. Although I still do mainly play Fortnite and listen to music, the world has changed a lot since then, especially the rap world. Rappers have had entire careers since he last dropped an album, many of the big faces in the scene today were still using their bedrooms for studios in 2018.
It must be said the man has been far from stagnant during this break, going from strength to strength both in and out of music. In 2025 alone he starred in two major motion pictures, the fever-dream thriller ‘If I Had Legs I'd Kick You’ and Spike Lee’s ‘Highest 2 Lowest’ both of which got positive reviews from critics and audiences. He also launched his own brand of whiskey and collaborated with many high-end brands including Gucci, Puma and Ray-Ban - where he became their first ever creative director. During all of this, Rocky dropped singles such as ‘Babushka Boi’, ‘Potato Salad’ and ‘Same Problems?’ with major features from the likes of Tyler, the Creator, Pharrell, and J. Cole, teasing fans with rap of all subgenres and over-whetting the appetite for a full length project.
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He doesn’t shy away from the break on Don’t Be Dumb, in fact the first lyric on the opening track ‘ORDER OF PROTECTION’ is “It's been a lil' while since I been in the league”. This is not even nearly stated as an apology and followed by “Last time I checked, we still in the lead” this is Rocky reminding you that despite the years of waiting, you are still listening to every song, every lyric. Setting the tone here, he retains it through the entire album and moves straight through to ‘HELICOPTER’. His flow slides on the beat so smoothly, not as hazy as his previous albums but more commanding and urgent. The production is simple but married to his confident delivery, it locks you in immediately.
His most infectious flow comes after a surprisingly rattled rant from the usually nonchalant Harlem rapper, on a song called ‘STOLE YA FLOW’. This is the strongest song on the album, with Rocky laser-focused and rapping at his highest level with a tight flow and dynamic delivery. The song is quite unsubtle in its disses, with many lines aimed towards rap titan Drake, probably following on from ‘Family Matters’ where Drake himself sent a few at Rocky while mainly dissing Kendrick. Within the first 30 seconds, Rocky jabs at many of Drake’s most sensitive issues: his lack of authenticity in identity and lyrics, his reportedly awful parenting skills, his sensitivity to disses, and his infamous ‘BBL’ referencing his multiple body enhancements. The crux of the song is the fact A$AP Rocky is now in a long-term, parental relationship with Rihanna, one of Drake’s most complex and public fumbles. The lyrics are tongue-in-cheek, which following the success of Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’ seems like the best way to insult Drake. With his effortless delivery and dense production, the song does also do well to stand separate from the beef and taking the drama out of it would still hold musical merit.
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The album diverts down different paths here, first taking a turn for the soulful and yearning. Two unashamed love songs, ‘STAY HERE 4 LIFE’ with Brent Faiyaz and ‘PLAYA’, outline his happiness with monogamy and bright future with Rihanna and their three kids. These are instant classics for those in loving relationships and Brent Faiyaz is a cheat code for these, as proven by their 2023 collaboration ‘Outside All Night’. Following this, the album flickers from dark and industrial to indie and bright, the best of these being the single ‘PUNK ROCKY’, which already feels like it could dominate summer 2026. Unfortunately, this genre-hopping does not come across as deliberate or cohesive as it has in previous albums, making ‘Don’t Be Dumb’ feel cluttered and unfocussed. The run from ‘NO TRESSPASSING’ to ‘WHISKY (RELEASE ME)’ loses momentum in the album, and the switches in pace feel jarring rather than creative choices. There are standout songs here and there, but he spreads himself thin across genres rather than achieving in each.
The most eccentric attempt comes in the form of ‘ROBBERY’, a collaboration with recent star Doechii. The track is based heavily on Caravan, a jazz standard by Duke Ellington first recorded all the way back in 1936. This switchup from his usual production creates a totally fresh atmosphere, almost cinematic with the anxious piano and dramatic performances from both artists. It is one of the only moments on the album where he takes a real risk and it very much pays off, it is a genuinely interesting and novel song. Because of how deliberate every part of his musical environment is, I don’t feel I am overanalysing this song by suggesting its link to the 2014 movie ‘Whiplash’ in which ‘Caravan’ is famously central to the plot. The film depicts the struggles of an artist in achieving perfection, showing the time, dedication and sacrifice it takes to even get close. I can’t help but tie that to A$AP Rocky’s own attitude, shown by the time it has taken him to craft this album and him seeing that struggle as key to the process.
Rocky’s judicious choice of features are esoteric as usual but do feel under-utilised. With other genius creatives such as Damon Albarn and rappers at the top of their game like Westside Gunn, their appearances feel half-baked and never core to the tracks they feature on, with Westside Gunn only providing adlibs. It would be so exciting to hear these three truly intertwine their styles, it is a great choice of collaboration but never quite seems more than the sum of its parts. This aspect means ‘Don’t Be Dumb’ loses the shine of a product of an eight-year wait and while it does feel carefully curated over time, it feels like a great idea never realised.
Despite the album having a song named ‘THE END’, one of its weakest and most dragging, there are actually two more after that serving as a pre-emptive deluxe. This seems an odd move, but given all of the delays and complications in the album’s release it feels almost inevitable. With the electric and hard-hitting start to this album, I was very hopeful the feature from Tyler, The Creator would keep this energy and have that explosive sound, coming like Tyler’s ‘CORSO’ or something from his recent ‘Don’t Tap the Glass’ project focussed on body movement and taking no prisoners. Instead, ‘FISH N STEAK (WHAT IT IS)’ is far more laid-back, cruising around its verses and closing the album with smooth but still unapologetic performances from both rappers.
The album overall does serve as an explicit reminder of A$AP Rocky’s place in the music scene, updating his position for 2026 as creative, ambitious and still demanding hype. With such an anticipated release, I do wish he had taken more risk and pushed the envelope slightly more, making every single song a moment for something new and exciting. Instead, it is a strong body of tracks, most of which feel worthy of a playlist. He is still at his coolest when he is at his most experimental and the tracks which showcase this side of him are the strongest. This would have justified more the long wait between albums, which for now feels more like a welcomed return rather than pushing him further into rap heritage.
All image credits Elisa Hill, @flashedbyelisa
