Nearly eight years after his previous album Testing, A$AP Rocky, formally known as Rakim Mayers, has released the highly anticipated album ‘Don’t Be Dumb.’ With this new release, Mayers dives into genre experimentation similar to Testing, but this time the album lacks the same vision that made him one of hip-hop’s most versatile artists. While being one of the more defining artists of the 2010’s, Mayer’s new music is a compilation of hills and valleys when it comes to the quality of each release.
Rollout
Following Testing’s drop in 2018, Mayers became a father to two children with his girlfriend Rihanna and focused primarily on parenting the two children. In music production, Mayers had been through multiple song rollouts, starting with 2019’s single Babushka Boi, and over the next seven years releasing singles such as Highjack, Tailor Swift and DMB.
That long gap and multiple different ‘eras’ is symbolized by the different characters illustrated on the album cover for Don’t Be Dumb, designed by acclaimed film director Tim Burton. The cover and the imagery used throughout the album is inspired from an artform known as Ghetto Futurism. Coined by Rocky, Ghetto Futurism is a creative and modern style that blends Afrofuturism with the raw, everyday realities of Black urban life and aims to reclaim marginalized spaces as sites of innovation.
This aesthetic is used throughout Don’t Be Dumb’s promotional materials such as his clothing brand American Sabotage and teasers of his songs at fashion shows to create a unique world separate from his previous records by reframing real life experiences through technological innovation. Unlike his previous albums, Don’t Be Dumb moves into a more colorful and bright lane in its aesthetic while previous records like Long. Live. A$AP which employed a more grimy and dark aesthetic, along with using test dummies in promotional materials to symbolize testing new genres on Testing.
At Its Best
On the musical side of Don’t Be Dumb, it’s clear Mayers has taken the exploration of different genres from Testing to a new level. Every song is an independent piece — from Metal to southern rap, this experimentation at the very least reels you in. The greatest hit lies in track 8, Stop Snitching. This record feels like Rocky’s best individual performance because he raps about his felony gun assault trial and his opinion on the rise of ‘snitching’ within the rap genre. His stellar lyricism is concluded with a standout verse by feature Sauce Walka.
The clearest experimentation is in WHISKEY (RELEASE ME), featuring Damon Albarn of Gorillaz, Blur and rapper Westside Gunn. Composed of psychedelic pop that musician Damon Albarn is known for, the best part about it is that the success of the execution is irrelevant. You can tell that Rocky is knowledgeable about the genre and puts in the effort, making it so anyone could respect the attempt.
The most popular song from the record so far is Stole Ya Flow, which is inspired by the southern rap style Mayers began his career on, using low pitched instrumentals and loud, distorted drum machines. Being his most braggadocious song on the record, it shows the confidence in his tone that makes Rocky such a charismatic voice within the rap genre.
The highs of the album continue with Stay Here 4 Life, a collaboration with singer Brent Faiyaz that takes inspiration from previous R&B and rapper collaborations like Mayer’s collaboration with legendary rock artist Rod Stewart on Everyday. The song pairs Mayer’s verses about finding love and wanting to enjoy it in the moment with a catchy chorus and interlude by Faiyaz.
The highs on the record are some of his best work but the same issue that popped up on Testing continues here — a lack of consistent high quality work. Despite Mayer’s usually delivering this, it seems to become more of an issue with every release.
At Its Worst
A good chunk of the record switches into different genres where it either ends up successful, or at worst just a respectable attempt. For instance, the metal and punk influences on STFU; Mayers’ versatility reaches a stopping point. The song is overloaded, which should stick with listeners, but the chaos fails to make a profound impact; by the end, it just becomes background noise. In a genre like metal, the brashness of it can take over and Mayers fails to find a balance in that intensity and the reflection that Mayer’s has shown on positive parts of the previous album or in songs.
AIR FORCE (BLACK DEMARCO) is another piece of low quality work. An attempt at the ‘rage’ sound that has influenced recent mainstream artists such as Playboi Carti, Ken Carson and more. Where they succeed, Mayers seems to not understand how the beat should control the song resulting in a similar problem to STFU — lacking a lasting impact on the listener. That lack of success communicates a prolonged problem throughout his career; he may be able to change genres, but he rarely excels in the new style.
Both songs are forgettable. On the bright side of the large gap between releases, Mayer’s is given time to hone in on the quality of the next record. The consequence of that time gap is that the rap world is moving so fast that even Mayers, who has been a consistent trendsetter in the industry, feels behind the times. In total, an album that is leaning more than ever into the experimentation Mayers is known for, but feels like it would’ve made a bigger impact three years ago.
