A$AP Rocky finally released his fourth studio album, “Don’t be Dumb” on Jan. 16, marking his first full album since “Testing,”which was released way back in 2018 and ends a long break that left a lot of his fans wondering if he would ever release another album. With this new album, he comes back to the music world with a lot of changes from the music styles, beats and more.
Throughout the new album, Rocky blends new types of music beats with classic hip-hop influences. This album does not heavily rely on the latest styles of beats or viral hooks. For example, aggressive beats are used, especially in the song “Stole
Ya Flow”. A little bit of Hip Hop of music was also used especially in the song “Whiskey” and this was really different from Rocky’s previous albums like “Testing ” in 2018. The new album focuses on good production. A lot of the audio tracks have bass that is distorted in some way and has a lot of unexpected transitions. On this album, Rocky steps out of his kind of music, which was more catchy, and more towards rap.
Lyrically, Rocky appears more mature and much better than in his past work. The lyrics reflect on fatherhood since Rocky is the father of three children, as well as public pressure and his rise in the music industry. A song that really stood out especially in the context of fatherhood was the song “Stay Here 4 Life.” While his previous albums focused more on his flashy, posh lifestyle, “Don’t be Dumb” moves toward self-analysis.The song “Stole Ya Flow” talks about Rocky’s aggressive and competitive side, also showing the audience that he is a fighter and not a quitter.
The making of the album stands out as one of its most powerful elements. Each and every song feels unique and has different music styles to fit. Rather than overwhelming listeners, the production allows Rocky’s voice and message to be the main star of the show. This helps the album feel very emotional even though each sound is different from each other. Some have low beats and the others have high ones. Each song has a different meaning, the song “Stay Here 4 Life” is about him trying to start a family, not leaving his loved ones and not caring about what other people do. The song “INTERROGATION” is about there to directly address media narratives and any rumors or conversations surrounding his personal life.
Rocky also features a few famous artists like will.i.am, Jessica Pratt, Slay Squad, Tyler the Creator and others on the album. The title “Don’t be Dumb” showcases the album’s tone. Rocky talks about self-awareness, and isn’t scared to face any new challenges. Rather than trying to appeal to everyone, he creates music that feels authentic to who he has become now. This surprised a lot of people, including me, who expected a radio-friendly album after a good break.
