Music $ AP Rocky and the album that never arrives: What is happening with Don’t Be Dumb?

A $ AP ROCKYhas been causing the launch of the awaited Don’t be dumb For over two and a half years. During this period, he: he presented possible tracks of the album twice at the Rolling Loud festival, starred in two great repercussions, began to raise a child with Rihannathere was another baby and now awaits the arrival of the third. Oh, and still won a criminal case for aggression filed by a former friend and collaborator, an accusation that could have taken him to prison for up to 24 years. Considering all this, despite the impatience (and even irritation, like the Rocky acknowledged) caused by the delay, it seems like a miracle that Don’t be dumb Still have a chance to see the light of day.

After announcing several release dates that did not materialize and give interviews revealing details of the album, the concern of Rocky With the tiredness of the public in the face of so many updates can make sense. Your last album, Testingwas released in 2018. “I’m in the mixing and mastering phase, but, being very sincere, I think people are tired of listening to updates about this album,” he told GQin February, about Don’t be dumb. On July 3, Rocky launched “Pray4dagang” exclusively in Apple Music For 24 hours, apparently signaling a new phase. But soon on social networks it was noted that even during this exclusive debut, the track did not enter the platform’s top 200 (meanwhile, on the same weekend, its rival Drake launched “What Did I Miss?” and made a great fuss with the transmission Icemanattracting attention and placing the music among the most heard in the ranking).

Although Rocky and Drake have emerged together in the call “It was from the blogs “ And defined many aspects of rap culture, its ways have been quite different since: one bet on stardom with constant releases, while the other chose to live a wider and diverse life. Does Don’t be dumb Will this difference be scanned even more?

While the album is not enough, we have gathered everything that is known so far about Don’t be dumb.

April 2022

Asap Rocky is arrested for possession of firearms with criminal intention

The episode happens about eight months before Rocky reveal Don’t be dumb as the title of his next album, but the consequences of his arrest for allegedly shooting his former friend A $ AP RELLI accompany the entire trajectory of the project. In April 2022, Rocky He was arrested by police at Los Angeles International Airport, after landing from a private flight from Barbados, his partner’s homeland, Rihanna.

May 2022

Rocky clarifies that the album will not be called All Smiles

Despite having already given clues about a project called All Smiles, Rocky clarified in an interview with Dozed That this will not be the title of your next album. “One thing I can tell you is that the name won’t be All Smilesyou know, I never said publicly that my album was called All Smiles”He corrects.“ This is another conceptual project, it’s music and more than that. I’m finalizing the new album now; I have recorded a lot of visuals to him. I don’t want to sound cliché or a salesman, but I struggled my best in everything. Leaving that industrial and subversive sound of Testing And now coming to something more refined … I really like where he is now. ”

December 2, 2022

Metro Boomin enters the game

In another interview with GQ, Rocky reveals that Metro Boomin had a significant participation in his fourth album: “I’ll tell you like this: this next album should be called Flacko Boomindid you understand?”

December 8, 2022

The real name of the album is revealed

During your presentation in the show series Amazon Music Livefrom 2 Chainz, Rocky debut the melancholy “Same Problems?” while displaying portraits of various deceased rappers, such as 2pac, NOTORIOUS BIG, DMX, Nipsey Hussle, Mac Miller and Pop smoke. Title Don’t be dumb It appears in both visuals and references of the show, being officially revealed as the name of the album.

July 20, 2023

“Riot (Rowdy Pipe’n)” is confirmed as the album’s official single

In an interview with Complex, Rocky CALVA: Your latest track until then, “Riot (Rowdy Pipe’n)”is part of the disk Don’t be dumb. Although it criticizes the constant leaks as one of the reasons for the album’s delays, the song itself is an official version of a track that had already leaked years earlier with the name “Piper”. “These idiots need to stop leaking things,” he says Rocky. “Every time we have to go back to the zero stake, but now I think we can consolidate the project and really don’t have much to change.” A few days later, he would perform a new song, “Tailo Swif”at the Rolling Loud Miami festival. Still talking to Complex, Rocky reveals that, besides Metro Boominthe producers Hit-boy, Tyler, The Creator, Madlib, The Alchemist and Hitkidd They also worked on the album.

October 2023

Don’t be dumb It’s “Rocky’s best work so far”

In a new interview with Dozed, Rocky Raises expectations around the disc. “I’ve been experiencing a lot, as usual, and what I like this project is that it seems my best work so far,” he says. “I want to leave expectations open. I don’t want to say what to expect. I just want people to live this experience as naturally as possible.”

June 2024

Don’t be dumb wins its first release date

During the debut of your clothing brand American Sabotage at Paris Fashion Week, A $ AP ROCKY features songs from the album Don’t be dumb and transmits the live parade, straight from the elegant streets of the French capital. In the middle of Live, it announces the release date: August 30, and opens the album’s pre-sale. In an interview with GQhe explains the connection between the album and the clothing brand when asked about the origin of the name American Sabotage. “I was working on my album and thinking about rebellion and these things we usually can’t talk about,” he says. “It has nothing to do with betrayal, it is more about deciding to do things in a different way, choosing the most difficult way. And sometimes to challenge it may seem self -sabotage. Blowing deadlines, surpassing boundaries, this is to sabotage. So it is also about talking about your flaws and the struggles that molded you.”

July 2024

DJ Kast One says the album will put Rocky once and for all

During your participation in the program EBRO IN THE MORNINGfrom the Hot Radio 97 From New York, the DJ Kast One comments on your impressions of the songs of Don’t be dumb who heard: according to him, Rocky “It will enter the disaffected list of Drake after that. ”Involved behind the scenes of the bullshit Kendrick Lamar and Drake, Rocky would also have already released indirect for the Canadian rapper in tracks like “Wow” (with Kid Cudi), “Show of Hands” (of Future and Metro Boomin) and “Ruby Rosary”partnership with J. Cole.
About the album, Kast One Still adds: “I heard the Slick Rick in it. It was amazing. And I heard the A $ AP ROCKY addressing several of the main subjects that are rolling now. I just say one thing: this list just gets stronger. ”

August 2, 2024

Now “Highjack” is the first official single?

In the description of an interview with Zane Lowe to the Apple Musicmusic “Highjack” is pointed out as the first official single of Don’t be dumb. Rocky Comment with Lowe: “Most of the songs I usually play and everything, the mother’s children leak. And when it leans, it’s like, ‘No, this one no longer enters the project.'”

August 22, 2024

Don’t be dumb It is postponed to the fall of 2024

Once again, blaming leaks and problems with release of samples, Rocky resort to Twitter to explain the new obstacle. “Leaks and samples release are disrupting the album,” he wrote. “It’s been 6 years and I want to make the best album of all. Sorry for the delay.”
But not everything was bad news: in a cover story of the Billboard, Rocky He said his idol, the filmmaker Tim Burtonheard the album and approved. “I sat with him and touched the album. And he enjoyed it to C ******.”

December 2024

The fall passed, and the album was postponed again

Fans who bought the versions in box, vinyl and Don’t be dumb They received a reimbursement email with the new release forecast for early 2025. The warning was still coming with a coupon to redeem a gift as soon as the album was released.

February 2025

Incocated in the case of aggression against $ AP RELLI, Rocky is ready to move on

On February 18, Rocky was considered innocent of the accusation of shooting A $ AP RELLIat the end of a trial that lasted three weeks. Ten days later, in a new interview with GQThe rapper demonstrated tiredness with all the wait around the album. “The album is ready,” he said. “I just want to release soon. I don’t want to be saying what I’m going to do. I want to deliver what I have been promising for time for C ******.”

March 2025

Rocky performs at Rolling Loud California

As one of the headliners of the traditional rap festival, Rocky Starting his show coming aboard a helicopter with the name Don’t be dumb stamped on the side.

May 2025

Don’t be dumb can reveal a more sensitive side of Rocky

In an interview with Variety, Rocky He talked a little about the album content and revealed some insecurity: “This disk c ****** represents who I am now. I just hope it is digestible,” he said. In another passage, he commented: “It’s strange, because as I get older, I am more aware of how I see myself. Talking about my life sounds very exhibitionist, and I want to find a way to say things in a more humble, more relative, more sincere way, and not as if I were diminishing others or causing negative feelings on someone.”
Already in July, in conversation with Mehdi Maïzi to the Apple Music, Rocky It reinforced this change of stance: “If I stay here saying how beautiful I am, that is not to say anything. If I say that I ate your mine or that I can get her out of you, I’m not saying any fucking.”

July 3

“Pray4dagang” is released exclusively on Apple Music

“Pray4dagang” It had a seemingly troubled release in the public. Although it came out exclusively in the Apple Music On July 4 holiday, fans noticed that the track did not enter the list of the most ears of the platform. In addition, the music video was taken from Youtube shortly after being published.

This article was originally published by the Rolling Stone USA, by Mankaprr Conteh, on July 14, 2025, and can be checked here.

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