Rakim Mayers, known professionally as A$AP Rocky, is one of the rap game’s most interesting characters. Making his debut 15 years ago with his 2011 mixtape “LIVE.LOVE.A$AP”, Mayers was a prominent figure in shaping not only the rap landscape of the 2010s, but the fashion landscape too. Songs like “Everyday” with Rod Stewart, Mark Ronson and Miguel, “Sundress”, and “Praise The Lord (Da Shine)” with Skepta have cemented Mayers as a major hitmaker. However, after the release of his 2018 album “TESTING”, Mayers took a long break from releasing projects. Between 2018 and 2026, Mayers released 11 singles, a few remixes, and a handful of snippets from a rumoured album, known by fans as either “ALL $MILES” or “THE GR1M”. His AWGE brand kept their fashion exploits moving, with multiple runway shows over the past few years, but in between that, and raising his three children with his wife Rihanna, it seemed like music took a massive step back on his priority list.
At the very end of 2025, Mayers announced his comeback album, titled “DON’T BE DUMB,” would finally be releasing on Jan. 16, 2026, after over two years of delays, fake-out release dates, and cancelled album rollouts. The cover, designed by world-renowned artist and director Tim Burton, was revealed alongside the release date on Mayers’ Instagram and featured multiple crudely drawn mascots for the album, all inspired by real life images of Mayers in different outfits. Shortly after this, Mayers released the indie-inspired lead single “PUNK ROCKY” on Jan. 5th, as well as the trap banger “HELICOPTER” on Jan 12th.
The album itself, while at its base only consisting of 18 tracks (excluding the decade old remix “I Smoked Away My Brain”), features one of the most diverse soundscapes I’ve heard from an artist in a long time. While Mayers’ sound has always been classified as trap, he dips his toes into everything he could in this project. The song “STFU” with Slay Squad perfectly encapsulates the sound of the album; harsh and genre-bending. Throbbing, EDM-inspired bass, harsh, metal drums, and raw, vulgar rapping all culminate in a fresh, engaging listen in a mainstream landscape of repetitive, four-bar loops. Mayers doesn’t shy away from this kind of experimentation; we see it on songs like the lead single “PUNK ROCKY”, which takes inspiration from indie rock, or the Doechii-assisted highlight “ROBBERY”, which revolves around a sample of Thelonious Monk’s rendition of the jazz standard “Caravan”. While a lot of rappers could suffer from having too many different sounds on their album, Mayers thrives in it. He effortlessly adapts to any type of song he decides to create, and displays a proficiency that a lot of artists lack in the mainstream.
The album has a fair amount of sounds Mayers’ has played around with more in the past as well, while still mixing in subject matter from his recent experiences. The song “STOP SNITCHING”, with BossMan Dlow and Sauce Walka comes to mind. The trunk-rattling bass, Southern trap drums, and ominous sample create an eerie atmosphere that would be right at home on one of Mayers’ earlier projects. However, where the track differentiates itself from a 2015-era Rocky banger is the lyrics. Mayers calls out his former peers in the rap game, recalling his experience in court during his early 2025 gun charge case, a trial riddled with betrayal from close collaborators. Another song that feels like a classic mixed with something new is the Brent Faiyaz-assisted “STAY HERE 4 LIFE”. This RnB-influenced cut, sprinkled with Memphis-rap samples and classic Rocky bars, features a lot of more modern elements too, such as the track consisting mainly of a sample of Ken Carson’s 2024 rage song “mewtwo”.
Mayers has demonstrated an impressive array of new, experimental sounds, while also staying true to the roots that cemented him as a mainstay hitmaker of the rap scene for the past 15 years. There are plenty of songs that remain extremely accessible for new fans, while also including some exciting, bordering on weird cuts that older fans will be excited to hear from an artist they expect innovation from. I’d give this album an eight and a half out of 10.
