What to expect from A$AP Rocky’s new album, ‘Don’t Be Dumb’
A$AP Rocky is finally set to return with a new album this month. Don’t Be Dumb is scheduled to arrive on January 16th, and hip-hop has changed a lot since the release of his last album, Testing, eight years ago.
It’s been an eventful period between now and his last album. In terms of legal issues, he was arrested for assault in Sweden and also faced a gun assault trial against his former friend. On the flip side, he’s had three kids with Rihanna and kick-started a fruitful acting career with roles in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You and Highest 2 Lowest.
Don’t Be Dumb has long been delayed to the point where it almost seemed like an album wouldn’t be coming at all. However, a release date was set last month, with the project set to include 17 tracks from the Harlem rapper.
“People are tired of hearing about updates about the album,” he told GQ last year. “They’re just ready to get this shit, you know what I’m saying? I don’t think anybody wants to hear where I’m at with it, how far is it along and all that. They just want to hear some shit just to see where I’m at, and I promise I got some new shit in store. I’m challenging myself. It’s like anything, I approach it with a different tactic, degree, or finesse.”
Rocky released many songs in 2025, including ‘Highjack’, ‘Tailor Swif’, ‘Ruby Rosary’, and ‘Pray4DaGang’, but none of them are set to appear on the album. He released the first single, ‘Punk Rocky‘, on January 5th, teaming up with producers Ging, Zach Fogarty, and Cristoforo Donadi. The music video, directed by Rocky, stars Winona Ryder, Thundercat, and producer Danny Elfman.
Not only does Elfman star in the visual, but he’s also worked extensively on the album. Speaking to Glen Powell, LaKeith Stanfield, and Callum Turner for Vanity Fair, Rocky said, “Fun fact… Danny Elfman, he just did my album with me that I’m putting out this year. He scored a bunch of the songs. We had [The Nightmare Before Christmas] on mute and were just making music to all of the old films – Pee-wee’s Playhouse and The Simpsons and all that.”
Elfman is best known as a member of Oingo Boingo and has scored Tim Burton films such as Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, and The Nightmare Before Christmas. He praised Rocky on Instagram, saying, “Working with @asaprocky was a great experience. Just hanging out and listening to his new tracks… He’s an amazingly creative artist and I was really impressed with how diverse his influences and inspirations were. He’s truly a one-of-a-kind.”
Burton is also a key collaborator on Don’t Be Dumb, with the iconic filmmaker designing six covers for the album that depict different Rocky personas. Rocky previously told Billboard, “I sat and I played the album for Tim Burton, and he was fucking with it heavy, he was rocking his head, and he’s like, ‘Wow! I didn’t know you made that kind of music!’”
The video for ‘Punk Rocky’ is clearly influenced by Burton, which could be the reason why Ryder is involved. The 54-year-old actress, who just finished up the final season of Stranger Things, collaborated with Burton on movies like Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, and Frankenweenie.
A description for Don’t Be Dumb said the project “moves through genres the way you’d move through a city – jazz, hip-hop, metal, indie, R&B – each track capturing a different block, mood, or moment. It’s Rocky in full range.” If that’s the case, fans should be in for a thrilling ride.