Review: A$AP Rocky — Don’t Be Dumb

A$AP Rocky
Don’t Be Dumb
A$AP Worldwide, RCA Records
Street: 01.16.2026
A$AP Rocky = JPEGMAFIA + KRS-One – Azealia Banks

To touch on the obvious, Rakim Mayers, also known as A$AP Rocky, has been in a long-standing legal battle during the making of this album for allegedly shooting a member of his original rap group, A$AP Relli. He was found not guilty in February 2025, as his legal team argued that he acted in self-defense and that the shot was made with a prop gun. Friendly fire with fake arms and the following drama that ensues is what sets the tone for this piece.

Mayers turned out to be the most successful of his Harlem-based collective A$AP Mob. Rap has a long-standing history of holding up artists that are affiliated with gang activity, from Eazy-E to Chief Keef. This tradition is born out of the white supremacy that is baked into the music industry and genre delineation. It holds Black artists in a box that they can only escape if their music is successful i.e. “making it out of the hood.” Mayers transcended that box and essentially created the sound of art-rap during the mid 2010s. The only issue is that since the height of Mayers’ notoriety, many other rappers have entered the scene and upped the ante. Danny Brown, Earl Sweatshirt, Mach-Hommy and many others have all opened up the genre to a multitude of techniques and aural experiences that listeners couldn’t have even imagined during the release of LIVE.LOVE.A$AP.

Initially, I thought this album was going to be much heavier on the punk references. The first single release, “PUNK ROCKY,” did the whole Cameron Winter Heavy Metal thing by naming it after a genre and then subverting your expectations with the actual track. The song that fulfills the album’s prophetic name is “STFU,”  featuring the metal group Slay Squad. I absolutely adore the rage it spews, encapsulating the feeling of wanting silence and demanding its presence by being loud. “AIR FORCE (BLACK DEMARCO)” is also a really beautiful blend of old and new sounds, although it does kind of sound like a rip off Death Grips. The title and the lyrics “Smokin’ boof pack like a pack of Newports / Judge want my ass, smoke a pack in court” are clever enough to satisfy me and my personal nicotine habit.

Another direct reference to Mayers’ experience of being held on trial that really flows is in “NO TRESPASSING,” when he says, “We ain’t lose in court yet, ‘member used to forge checks / No Nike Cortez, but I’m seein’ more checks / Movin on up like George Jefferson.” The whole run of lines before and after intoxicatingly glides into one another. I personally still love a reference to sneaker culture in hip-hop, and the touch on The Jeffersons feels just too good not to mention. “ROBBERY” is of course another pleasing delivery because I am so partial to the 1920s speakeasy jazz aura and the Doechii feature. I really appreciate the story it paints and the statement it makes about Black artists who reach material wealth and the stereotype of actions they take to get there. The final track that ties in all of our emotions about the current state of the world is “THE END (feat. will.i.am & Jessica Pratt).” Mayers has another song with Pratt, “HIGHJACK,” that I can’t get out of my head to this day, so I was highly anticipating this feature. Her eerie, ethereal voice repeats a premonition of what we all know is going on. Lyrics like “Not many Blacks hit a billion / but still we packin’ the prison / The Klan got too many members, this all the devil’s agenda,” are hard-hitting and reveal Mayers’ feelings about the systemic issues that affect his community.

Overall I feel like the project maintained a lot of aspects that drew in listeners initially, but it could have really benefited from a stronger concept. It’s a bit of a letdown to think that there could be more direction or precision that A$AP Rocky usually implements in his music. It makes sense to be loyal to a sound he is known for, but that’s a bit lost when multiple inspirations are implemented in an almost haphazard way. I can’t help but shake the feeling that there are newer artists contributing to further progress in political music that Mayers isn’t able to keep up with. However, there are so few artists left who are outspoken about their beliefs that it’s refreshing to see even one of the most financially successful artists comment on what we are all feeling. The personal truly is political, and Mayers knows this, which is why he has consistently proven himself to be an artist who graces our airwaves with takes about what he has experienced. Heed the advice of the title: Don’t Be Dumb – don’t resist your ability to learn and to speak out. –Marzia Thomas

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