Key Takeaways
- Don’t Be Dumb marks A$AP Rocky’s return after nearly a decade, with fans praising the project’s sound and energy.
- Doechii’s appearance on “ROBBERY” is earning acclaim, shifting early skepticism into standout status.
- A NYC pop-up and listening party helped build momentum, making the release a full-circle cultural moment.
A$AP Rocky is officially back in album mode, and fans are making it known loud and clear. After nearly eight years away from full-length releases, the rapper finally dropped his fourth album, Don’t Be Dumb, on Friday (Jan. 16) — and the timeline has been sounding like one big victory lap ever since.
The project arrives stacked with features from Tyler, the Creator, Doechii, BossMan Dlow, Brent Faiyaz, Gorillaz, Jon Batiste, Thundercat, Westside Gunn, will.i.am, and more — giving Rocky plenty of room to experiment. It also includes previously released singles “Punk Rocky” and “Helicopter.”
Some listeners were ready to hand Rocky the crown the second they pressed play. “A$AP ROCKY, ALBUM OF THE YEAR. SERIOUSLY SO EASY JUST OFF THIS 4 TRACK RUN,” @sourskittlewx wrote on X. Others kept it short and sweet, like @hakoswago, who simply said, “A$AP Rocky’s album [is] so good, bro,” and @WillGOAT08 adding, “Great album. Thank [you] A$AP Rocky.”
For longtime supporters, it felt like a moment they’ve been waiting on for years. “A$AP ROCKY, SIR YOU DONE DID IT. Took you 8 f**king years. But I love it. No more 8 years bulls**t though, plz. Thanks,” @hestilljustalex tweeted, capturing both the joy and the frustration that come with a long wait. Even the so-called “hate listeners” couldn’t deny it. “I threw on that A$AP Rocky album dedicated to hate on it, and let’s just say the hate listen was unsuccessful this s**t hard asf,” @TheRealestOfAll admitted.
One standout moment fans keep circling back to is Doechii’s appearance on the track “ROBBERY,” a jazz-infused cut that’s flipped early skepticism into praise. “Mfs were hating on the Doechii feature before the album came out, only for it to be the best song on the album. Put some respect on her name, please,” @kxreeda tweeted. @copiipasta echoed the hype with, “That Doechii feature was fire.”
A$AP Rocky keeps the ‘Don’t Be Dumb’ energy going in NYC
The Harlem native is also celebrating the release in real life. AWGE is hosting a Don’t Be Dumb pop-up shop at The Drop House in New York City, running from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on the album release day with limited merch for fans. The rollout has already been heating up all week, too, thanks to a star-studded NYC listening party on Thursday (Jan. 15) night that brought out Rihanna, Max B, Fivio Foreign, Ice Spice, Bktherula, and more.
Judging by the fan reactions so far, Rocky didn’t just drop an album — he reminded people exactly why the wait was all worth it in the end. Listen to the album below.