Album Review - “Don’t Be Dumb” by A$AP Rocky

A$AP Rocky has always been a class all of his own. Not lyrical enough to keep up with the J.Cole's of the world, but too creative for the Big Sean's of the genre. Yet somehow, an untouchable superstar who finds himself at the hip-hop forefront, battle-tested despite never having an official battle, and with his latest album, "Don't Be Dumb," can say with certainty that he's left the world of rap with multiple stand-out albums that set the world ablaze.

As a rapper who dedicates his craft to style more than his rap acumen, Rocky's greatest asset on this project is his ability to make moments feel cool, sleek, and impactful. A trait that you could argue would be impossible for other rappers to pull off if given the exact resources. One of the strongest examples of this is "Playa," an easygoing song that teaches life lessons to slick-talk-deficient, silver-tongued wannabes. However, for a majority of rappers, rookies or veterans alike, this song would simply fall short because they lack what comes naturally to Rocky, an innate ability to make the world his by his mere presence.

Through the project's 19-song runtime, Rocky reestablishes himself as a proud representative of rap, Full of driving, downtown-ready beats and lyrics that are neither too complicated to follow nor too simplistic to find lacking in depth. A perfect balance that mixes true down-to-earth talk and the natural swagger that would and should come with dating Rihanna.

You can listen to the album here.