"After an eight-year gap that followed the most divisive album of his career, A$AP Rocky's new album had to feel like a comeback. After all these years away from the spotlight, it needed to make the bold statement that Rocky is still a force to be reckoned with. And it only takes one listen to Don't Be Dumb to realize that's exactly what it does."
"By the time you hear Rocky talking his shit on "Stole Ya Flow" (which is being perceived as a Drake diss), you know he's out for blood. There are a lot of big, booming trap songs on this album, and because Rocky rarely settles for anything that sounds too regular, those songs push the boundaries of what you might expect "big, booming trap songs" to sound like."
Don't Be Dumb arrives after an eight-year gap following Testing, positioning A$AP Rocky as a commanding rap presence. The album's first half delivers earth-shaking, boundary-pushing trap tracks that reassert Rocky's confidence and aggression, including "Stole Ya Flow," perceived as a Drake diss. A soul/R&B-leaning collaboration with Brent Faiyaz, "Stay Here 4 Life," offers contrast. Later cuts shift into abrasive, speaker-busting electronic textures on songs like "STFU" and "Air Force (Black Demarco)," with "STFU" evoking The Prodigy's intensity. Production consistently refuses regularity, blending psychedelic and genre-defying elements with mainstream trap energy.
Read at BrooklynVegan
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