ASAP Rocky Updates On ‘Don’t Be Dumb’ Delay

ASAP Rocky attending Gucci event

ASAP Rocky recently hinted at an update for his much-anticipated and frequently delayed album, Don’t Be Dumb, though the reveal was cryptic.

On Thursday (November 7), Rocky briefly appeared in New York City for his A$AP Puma Takeover event, where eager fans pressed him for a release date on his long-awaited album. Unfortunately, the Harlem rapper’s response was as elusive as ever: “ASAP, n—a,” he said, leaving followers guessing once again.

The vague update follows a series of delays and setbacksDon’t Be Dumb was initially slated for an August 30 release before being postponed to an unspecified fall date. Recently, fans noticed pre-orders for the vinyl edition were canceled, a possible sign of further delays.

ASAP Rocky announced the album’s summer release back in June during Paris Fashion Week, where he debuted his AWGE “American Sabotage” collection and performed before industry icons like Rihanna, Pharrell, and Pusha T. This album would mark his first since 2018’s Testing, an LP that received mixed reviews but established Rocky as an experimental force in rap.

Rocky explained that part of the delay is due to ongoing leaks that have plagued the project’s development. “They gotta stop leaking it! These dummies gotta stop leaking,” he told Complex last year.

Each leak, he said, sends him back to the drawing board. In an interview with Billboard in August, Rocky shared more frustrations over leaked content, noting,

“At this point, I’ve been working on music for six years. They leak my music, and I get over it. They leaked my ‘Taylor Swift’ video, and I was so pissed I never released it.”

Despite the setbacks, Don’t Be Dumb promises to be a standout. Rocky says the project has a darker, more contemplative edge than his previous work, a response to the chaotic world around him and his own maturation as an artist.

“One of the first songs I recorded is a grim, experimental track called ‘Shroom Cloud’ that deals with current affairs, world wars, and the world dying,” he revealed. Describing the album as “grim,” Rocky cites an unusual mix of “German expressionism” and “ghetto futurism” as core influences.

In his creative process, Rocky has sought the expertise of music and film icons. He even played the album for Tim Burton, hoping to enlist the director for the cover art. Although Burton ultimately declined, he was reportedly impressed by Rocky’s work.

“He was rocking his head and said, ‘Wow! I didn’t know you made that kind of music!’” said Rocky.

However, the rapper did manage to secure a collaboration with Burton’s longtime musical partner, Danny Elfman, who contributed to a track produced by The Alchemist.

The production lineup for Don’t Be Dumb reads like a who’s who of hip-hop and beyond, featuring contributions from Metro Boomin, Tyler, The Creator, Pharrell, Madlib, and Mike Dean. This blend of talents, paired with Rocky’s evolving vision, suggests that Don’t Be Dumb may just live up to its promise as his most introspective and ambitious project yet.

Fans can only hope the next update will come with a confirmed release date.


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