IT’S IN THE NAME! How A$AP Rocky’s Don’t Be Dumb Reflects the Mature Leisure Route to Life. 

Design by Diego Gonzalez

By Salem Ross

What do you call a broadening sense of inspiration?

 Some say high-stress is what gets them where they need to be. That without pressure, there would be no progress. In a sense, I believe that. To be enamored, you first need the fire lit under you.

 But what comes after? 

There needs to be confidence in your art. Being critical of yourself is a part of the process, and feeling like you will never finish tweaking a project is a sign of passion. But those moments of total composure against all else fuel the fire of something great. Don’t Be Dumb (2026) takes this high-stress, celebrity-obsessed, modern age feeling of being caught behind the line of new age fame and brings it up to a one-way mirror. 

Rocky’s previous album came out in 2018, while I was a freshman in high school. A time when the #1 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 Year-End song was Drake’s “God’s Plan.” To reflect that, TESTING came with the idea of a new sound. Fifteen tracks akin to the tune of looking into oneself and revealing the path to a new identity. In an interview with GQ, he commented on the state of music at the time of its release, “My new album is really about testing new sounds. People are scared to test new sounds, so they go with what’s current ’cause it’s the easy thing to do. The top 100 songs sound a certain way. People cater more to that because it’s a larger demographic, or a guaranteed one. I prefer to experiment and have my crowd grow with me, and to reach new crowds. I don’t just rap—I actually make music. That’s why it takes time. These sonics represent me.”

With eight years in between his previous album andDon’t Be Dumb, some can argue that, rather thanTESTING, this is Rocky’s greatest experimental feat, even down to its visuals. The album was delayed, for one, because of the sharp Tim Burton original graffiti cover that has come to be known. Other reasons lie in frustrations with samples and leaks. In an interview with Billboard, Rocky states, “At this point I’ve been working on music for six years, but they leak my music, and I get over it and say, ‘F–k it. ‘ They leak a lot of the music, and it ruins it. Like my ‘Taylor Swift’ video. I was pissed off about it, so I never released it.” Album pushbacks are frustrating, especially with such an eager fanbase. Don’t Be Dumb is a message about avoiding outward frustration, ironic when the initial release date for the album was August 30, 2024.  

240p graphics characterize the album’s visualizers. Helicopters with ladders hanging off the side have half-naked girls dancing below them. Reminding even the most seasoned of listeners of a pre-loading screen content warning for GTA Vice City. Nostalgia sells. In the beginning, I thought of the promotion of DBB to the likes of old PS2 ads. I questioned how much of an inspiration a director like Tim Burton could be to the visuals of the piece. Easing into this lawless realm of pixilated glitches, I was met with a reminder of the PlayStation’s motto: Play has no limits. Rap is a genre where experimentation is encouraged, but rarely rewarded until recent years. It’s been proven by household names such as Outkast, Death Grips, Dochii, etc. But in a modern soundscape that is constantly evolving, creating a new sound takes risks. 

My overall favorite of the album’s tracklist is its fourth song, “STOLE YA FLOW.” To be fair, diss tracks against Drake tend to chart. The choir, nearing the end of its three minutes, comparable to Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, is playful, with an impending sense of doom, making it a strong suit so early on in listening.

 “STAY HERE 4 LIFE (feat. Brent Faiyaz)” and “PLAYA,” the fifth and sixth tracks, appear way too early on the album and would be better situated between the 13th and 14th tracks for a constant flow, but are enjoyable within the full package. 

“AIR FORCE (BLACK DEMARCO)” is a spectacle of production with its switched-up stop-and-go pace, bringing a high-tempo earnestness to the project, which brings its visuals to life. It’s pinning down the feelings of punching up. Needing to prove yourself in areas where everyone else is spoken for. 

Collaborators are seen intensifying this idea across the album with the single “FLACKITO JODYE” featuring Dominican rapper Tokischa. The music video, coming out a couple of days after the album’s initial January 21 release, broadens those PS2 visuals found throughout this era. Although appearing on Disc 2, it’s a reminder to never forget to flip the record once side A is over, that there is always more beneath the surface. 

2018’s TESTING had an initially positive release. With features from FKA Twigs to French Montana and Frank Ocean, it was set to chart and be well-received. It’s always an artist’s controversial work that has kids who wear Birkenstock Boston’s to the bar arguing for its place in the hall of fame. Don’t Be Dumb is a subject of these conversations. The album is inverting in on itself, track to track. It is a warning for those who take themselves too seriously to loosen up, and a reminder to pay close attention.  A lot has changed between album releases for Lord Pretty Flacko Jodye. He became the father of three kids. Became a partner to long-time collaborator, Rihanna. Was the face of many campaigns from Ray-Ban to Dior. Safe to say he has secured himself even more so from where we left off in his Discography. Don’t Be Dumb has its lesson in the name; it’s up to its listeners to take it into account.