It’s been a long eight years since A$AP Rocky released an album. Given that 2018’s Testing was a slight critical and commercial misfire, the last time Rocky truly commanded the culture was just over a decade ago with At.Long.Last.A$AP. This is a lifetime ago to me.
Being fair, it feels that way because I was nine years old when that album came out. I wasn’t grown up enough to witness said cultural relevance. But I assume that for many young readers, Rocky is perceived less as the king of New York rap and more as an elusive fashion icon. Nowadays he’s primarily a press mainstay for his various exploits: his relationship with Rihanna, numerous court cases, a couple of acting roles, and his many fashion ventures.
Thanks to this shift, his popularity seems to have actually increased, resulting in this album becoming the most pre-saved rap album in streaming history. Still, as is often the case, the veneers and hype mean nothing if the music itself does not live up to expectations. You can look to Rocky’s romantic partner as someone who would rather play truant than face those expectations herself.
This album possesses a kind of bravery and composure that shows how he’s outgrown any need to satisfy people’s expectations. The songs are brash and fleet-footed, early hits like ‘Helicopter’ and ‘Stole Ya Flow’ move at a faster pace than you’d expect from the lethargic cloud rap he popularised earlier in his career.
Simultaneously, this album is all over the place in the way that many years-in-the-making albums are. When Don’t Be Dumb was first conceived, it may have been the cutting-edge project it aspired to be. However, eight years is a long time in hip-hop and many of the genre-bending experiments attempted on this album have already come and gone out of fashion. Some songs like ‘Playa’ feel phoned-in lyrically, and others like ‘Air Force’ feel overstuffed with production elements.
Even so, you can’t help but grin at the ambition in assembling a guest list featuring everyone from Hans Zimmer to Danny Elfman. Whether it’s Brent Faiyaz on ‘Stay Here 4 Life’ or Rocky’s endless charisma on the Thelonious Monk-sampling ‘Robbery’, the album radiates an effortless sense of fun. This album is not perfect, but there’s nothing for hungry fans to be upset about.
“ASAP Rocky 2013 (cropped)” by Chad Cooper is licensed under CC BY 2.0.