Hello everyone, and welcome to In The Mix.
[Melissa]: I’m Melissa.
[Sophie]: And I’m Sophie.
If you love music, album breakdowns, and honest opinions, you’re in the right place.
Today we are going to be diving into the long-awaited album, Don’t Be Dumb, by A$AP Rocky.
Fans were waiting for years for this album, but was it really worth it?
I think so.
I think it was pretty good.
Yeah?
Yeah.
Honestly, okay, for being like kind of a mini fan, I didn’t wait for years to get this, but it was a really good album.
I agree.
And I think it was like, honestly, it had me half and half sometimes, because I’ve listened to older A$AP, but at the same time, this is definitely something new.
He definitely put up a lot of different things that we weren’t really expecting.
Yeah, but I feel like that’s a good thing within the music, because obviously you want to keep up to date with everyone else.
I know everyone’s like, ah, we want the old stuff back, but do you really?
Yeah, exactly.
And then it’s cool to see the artists grow and express themselves differently.
And bringing in new people to help them with their audience.
I feel like that’s cool.
I really like when artists do that.
Yeah.
Yeah.
But yeah, people waited eight years for this album.
You’re just crazy.
Like, I mean, I’d be able to for a favorite artist, I would, I would, I’m not gonna lie.
But yeah.
And then we can go into like his, well, you said you listened to his previous ones too.
It was a bit different.
I would say like the vibes, but I also feel like it’s because he incorporated a lot of types of music into this album.
I was gonna say.
It wasn’t just strictly one.
So many different things.
Yeah.
Yeah, definitely.
So his other albums, maybe they were sticking to one.
Exactly.
I feel like he definitely stuck to like, just specifically rap in like his past albums.
But I do think that in this one, he touched a whole bunch of different things.
Like very much more pop songs, like with the one with Brent Fiers or then like very jazzy with Dochi.
I loved that one so much.
One of my faves.
Underrated.
Literally.
So underrated.
It was so good.
I think they’re just Dochi haters.
Right?
I agree.
I thought it was so good.
Like, not even just like the sense of it, but the actual like instrumentals just made it look so like cozy and everything.
It felt classy too.
Yes.
And I loved it.
I wish I was like in a like jazz bar or something just listening to this.
And that’s exactly how it felt.
Yes.
That one and Whiskey.
Those two.
So good.
Back to back.
To die for.
He did something there.
He really did.
He knew his way.
But yeah, that’s why I think I like that he brought in new people to bring in those new like elements to his music.
Exactly.
Some people didn’t like that.
Yeah.
I heard.
A lot of the like collaborate.
Well, I mean, obviously there’s Dochi haters.
So people were like, Dochi, you know.
But I really feel like that was one of the best ones, like one of the best collaborations that he brought in as far as like new collaboration, because like with older collaborators that he’s done, like with Tyler or Brent or Jessica, too, I know that they’ve all done stuff together.
And those are just timelessly good no matter what.
Like anytime that he collaborates with Tyler, I feel like it’s just it’s off the back of the good, you know.
But I feel like in this case, Dochi really outshined like the Tyler collaboration that they did.
Definitely.
I think the numbers show it to a little bit.
Yeah.
I know there’s a lot of Tyler fans, but like that one was just I think it’s because it was different from like what everyone else is doing now.
Yeah.
I think that was what really like brought him out.
Definitely.
I loved Whiskey, but the collaborations on that one, the features, I know that it was West Side Gun and Gorillaz, Damon Albarn.
I wish we would have had more vocally from them because like West Side Gun is great.
And so is Damon Albarn, an icon, you know, but I didn’t feel in like the adlibs they did were enough.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Like they definitely added to the song because they like obviously the song wouldn’t be the same without him.
But still, it’s like just a little bit more exactly would have been like perfect.
Exactly.
Yeah.
And I well, I think that happens with like a lot of people with like they bring in features and you’re like, oh, you were like, I don’t know.
Yeah.
Exactly.
But I mean, yeah, it was a good song, though, for sure.
Definitely.
Yeah.
And then also like his album cover overall, if we’re talking about collaborations with Tim Burton, Tim Burton, that was really good.
Yeah.
I loved it.
So good.
Especially all like the I know.
Persona.
Yes.
I like how much detail he put into.
Oh, yeah.
Oh, yeah.
Like if it was like a bland one and we waited eight years for this, it better be good.
Like, hello.
The album cover is so different than anything that he’s done before.
Like all of them.
I feel like they’ve been obviously this one has so much color.
You have so many different.
You have all the characters here and the different I know that he did different variants to like for vinyl presses and stuff.
I thought that was super cool.
Like he had a different character on each one.
That was awesome.
Yeah.
Especially because like you mentioned other ones.
It’s just kind of him.
It’s just it’s just this is definitely something very different, which I feel like brings us a price to his new front fans because they were like, oh, wait, what are we going to listen to?
Exactly.
What really is this?
Yeah.
So and then with all the promo he was doing with the helicopter.
It’s like, wait.
I feel like this album is going to be good.
You know, like, yeah, when like to his sets, he was literally coming in, like flying in on a helicopter.
Yeah, it was so cool.
It’s pretty cool.
His hairnets.
Oh, my God.
His head rollers or whatever.
So good.
Oh, my God.
Yeah.
I was just asking in class.
I was like, has anyone asked him why he did that?
I have no idea.
I have no idea.
But I love the fact that he incorporated it into his character.
Yeah.
And he’s selling it.
And like, I think it was like selling out.
I was like, wait, people are buying like this beanie because that’s what he called it.
Beanie.
I was like, OK. Yeah.
But it was so funny.
And I feel like.
Yeah.
It’s so random.
Definitely.
Like, yeah, I feel like that’s what attracted more of an audience.
Yes.
Yeah.
What is he doing?
His head rollers.
Yeah.
Yeah.
That’s what I feel like the promo always matters so much when it comes to like an album, because I know like with Tyler Crader when he released Don’t Tap the Glass, I was so sad because it was like no promo for that.
And I feel like it it like let down the album in a way.
The only promo it was like, oh, like I’m here.
And like he told people he was there like five minutes before.
Yeah.
It’s like, that’s what we’re gonna do.
Yeah.
He cannot go.
It’s so bad.
But I feel like A$AP has done so much more like before and after promo, because before obviously he was at Coachella, we were just talking about that, and that set was really good.
He played a couple of them off the new album before he even announced it.
Yeah.
It was like great to tease it, but then also afterwards, I know that he’s he performed at like Paris Fashion Week or something like that.
And he has his own fashion shows that he’s been doing.
Yes.
So I thought that was so cool.
I was just talking to someone about that.
I’m like, yeah, he has been into fashion, but I feel like he’s a little bit more right now too.
Yeah.
And I feel like he is getting a little more like audience within everywhere.
Yeah.
A bit more recognition.
Yes.
Yeah.
So that’s that’s cool.
Because I feel like his fashion isn’t bad either.
Exactly.
I feel like it’s pretty good.
It’s pretty cool.
Yeah.
It’s pretty cool.
I feel like he’s collaborating again with Ray-Ban.
Oh, my God.
I saw that.
It was so good.
Yeah.
They’re so they’re like so cool because they’re not like every other typical Ray-Ban.
Yeah.
Where it’s just like a black mask or whatever.
Exactly.
Yeah.
So I feel obviously I’m not there, but like I don’t know if he like actually goes and like puts thought into these things whenever he’s collaborating.
So yeah.
It gave like a very classic timeless look, which I feel like he kind of brought into the album a little bit because I know like during some of the like skits and stuff, he made it seem very like almost fancy in a way, but also still like punk, which I thought was a really good like mix of the two.
Definitely.
I agree.
And then I guess we can compare to like Howard because this album has been out for like two months.
Yeah, it’s been out.
I think it released like end of January.
Yeah.
So obviously it’s been a while.
So what we can do is like compare what was trending, actually, it was released January 21st.
So literally like a month ago.
Yeah.
A month marks.
So what was popular back then and now, because we were saying the Dochi one was so underrated.
That was so underrated.
Like the top one the first week, it was punk rock, obviously, because I think that was a single too.
Yeah.
That was a single.
And then Winona Ryder was there.
Oh my gosh.
The music videos for this whole album were so good.
Yeah.
Yes.
Yeah.
Even more people were listening.
Oh, Winona Ryder?
What is she doing?
And then she had just come off of Stranger Things too.
Yes.
So people were keeping up with her.
Exactly.
Yeah.
So that one, Helicopter.
Oh my gosh.
Yes.
I think that was another single too.
Yeah.
So all the singles were very, very popular during the release too.
Yeah.
And I think it’s because people were like, okay, bring out the album now though.
Exactly.
We’ll keep re-watching these, but bring it out, bring it out.
Yes.
Yeah.
And then Stay Here For Life with Brent.
With Brent.
That was so good.
So good.
That was so good.
Yeah.
I mean, anything with Brent is just really awesome.
Yes.
Okay.
And at first, I didn’t want to be like, oh, that’s my favorite, because I was like, everyone was listening.
Yeah.
Yes.
It’s so mainstream.
So I was like, let me go find another one.
But every time I listen to it, it’s like, yeah.
It’s just so good.
I can’t get it.
You can’t get it out of your head.
Yeah.
I can’t.
And then with his new album, and I heard that little snippet, I was like, wait.
It was fantastic.
I’ve heard this before, but yeah.
Yes.
Yeah.
So I definitely see the hype with those three songs.
Oh yeah.
Definitely.
It’s mainstream now, but I think they deserve it.
Yes.
Mainstream for a good reason now.
Exactly.
Yes.
And then now, some of the most lifestream ones, Jay, pull that up right now.
Number one’s Helicopter, and that was number three on the billboard.
And Stay Here For Life is the number two one, that was number six.
Order of Protections, the third one, number seven, Stole Your Flows, number eight, and then Playa, that’s number 14.
And this is, he has three albums that are number one on billboards, so the third album, Long Live A$AP, 2013, and At Long Last, A$AP, 2015.
Yeah.
I did hear that.
Yeah.
I do want to Stole Your Flow.
I was going to say, I didn’t realize that that one was so high up on charts, especially because I think that that was a Drake diss.
Yes!
I heard that too.
And like, it’s crazy that it’s trending now, because my friend was just telling me that Drake’s going up again, but like his old music, and I was like, really?
She’s like, yeah, everyone’s having up Drake again.
I was like, what?
I didn’t know I heard that.
And Drake, and A$AP, like hello, whatever.
But yeah, I really like that one actually, and Playa, I will say, because I was re-hearing this album like kind of this week, so I was like, okay, let me see, which ones am I feeling now?
And those, but I didn’t know those were, damn it, I can’t you see the ones that I most listen to.
They’re so good though.
It’s like, how can you not?
How can you not like them?
I think my favorites, when I first listened to it, were definitely Robbery, off the bat.
I loved it.
I thought it was so good.
And then Punk Rocky, obviously, that was my favorite out of the singles that he released.
I thought it was, obviously, it was just so good.
It felt very punk, in a way, because I like listening to different types of genres and everything.
And that one definitely leaned in a little more towards like an alternative flow.
I really messed with that a lot.
And then Whiskey.
Whiskey has stayed one of my favorites.
It’s so good.
It’s, yeah.
Because I really did still, even though I wanted more from Damon Albarn, I still really liked the ad-libs that they both did, him and Wes Edgun.
I thought they made the song so good.
And I think my favorites now, I can’t stop listening to the title track, Don’t Be Dumb.
Yes.
Oh my gosh.
After I learned that there was a Claro feature on that, oh my gosh.
I love hearing those little snippets, yes.
Yes, the Claro sample was amazing.
It made my day when I heard that.
And my second favorite now is definitely Whiskey.
It stayed in my rotation and everything.
But my third one that kind of came up was No Trespassing.
I really like that one a lot.
That one is really good.
I know.
I know you guys were listening to it when I was coming in.
Yes.
And I was like, yeah, that one is really good.
It’s so good.
So I was like, I’m sneaky.
I was like, which song is that called?
And I was like, oh my god, that one is really good.
Oh, I did want to mention though, because while I was listening to it, I was like, wait, he has Takeshi on here.
I felt like that was such a different thing and I was like, wait, this song is actually pretty cool.
It’s pretty good.
I feel like I didn’t pay attention to it when I first heard it and now I’m like, wait, that’s so catchy.
It is.
I really like it.
It’s so good.
But if we’re talking about which ones were mainstream and stuff like that, people were kind of like, why did he put that song if it was put out a long time ago with I Smoked Away My Brain?
Oh my gosh.
I saw that too, recently.
Such a good song.
I love it, right?
Always will be a classic.
Always will be a classic.
So good.
But yeah, he put it in this album.
I was wondering the same thing.
And then when I listened to it, I was like, this doesn’t sound any different than the normal ones.
I was just like, okay.
Maybe it fit in his other ones, but yeah, I don’t know.
I have no idea.
Because they were saying that’s why he’s cheated his way up to the billboards and stuff like that.
Yeah, because that was another thing that I saw that he was kind of teasing, like, oh, there’s going to be a deluxe version, a deluxe version, and we’re like, oh, cool, more music.
And then it’s just Smoked Away My Brain, and it’s like, we already had that.
So I was like, was that really, it kind of baited us a little bit, but you know what?
We’ll take it.
We’ll take it.
Yeah.
And then as for Lee’s listen to songs, when it first came out in January, it was SWAT Team, which I actually think it was pretty good.
I don’t know.
Seeing as it was one of the only ones that he had without a feature on it, I feel like on this album, he had less features than he normally does, but at the same time, he has more songs on his own, which I thought was really good, because he was able to showcase himself more, too.
Seeing as a lot of new artists, or not new artists, but new fans are coming in to listen to this, it was really great to be like, this is me.
I can do more than just rap.
And I feel like sometimes there’s specific artists that are like, oh, this is just a feature artist.
They sound great on a feature, and they’re not their own music.
I feel like you proved that wrong here.
Yeah, because I have heard that.
They’re like, oh, they’re a good feature.
Exactly.
And that’s it.
But yeah, I feel like he really did, yeah.
Because when I first listened to him, it was obviously features, Tyler and stuff like that.
So for me, when I heard him like that, too, I was like, wait, he’s kind of good.
He’s got his stuff.
He’s got to get his stuff.
I want to listen to him a little bit more.
But yeah, I definitely think he did prove a bit to those, maybe haters.
Yeah.
A song that fell off to you.
I’m just going to say, yeah, one that I really didn’t mess with was, I didn’t, I know that that was definitely, it felt like older ASAP, if anything.
I just felt like it didn’t flow very well in this album.
I felt very, like, forcefully added in there, especially in the location, like where he put it on the album, right in front of Punk Rocky.
I can see why he did that, but it still felt off to me.
Yeah, I can definitely see that, because I feel like his other ones did have good transitions.
Yeah, exactly.
They really did.
So maybe he was just like, you know what, I kind of like it though, but put it in there.
I don’t know who Slay Squad is, dude.
Maybe it was the whole thing of like, you know what, we gotta bring them up a little bit.
I don’t know.
Maybe.
Maybe.
Maybe it’ll grow on us in another month.
Hopefully.
Yeah.
I have been streaming this album so much though.
I’ve kept it in my rotation.
I think I listen to most of these songs at least once a day, like that’s how much I liked it.
So like, that’s the only one that I would skip off the whole album.
This was like my jam playlist for a while.
Exactly, exactly.
It was like, let me just put this.
It’s so easy.
It really is.
And that’s like, the whole sound of the album is so like, upbeat, kind of like, I almost feel like he’s proven himself throughout the whole thing.
Yeah.
Yeah.
After those eight years, yeah.
Oh my god, yeah.
He has to come back strong.
Yeah.
I don’t know what’s up with all these artists, because like, Playboi Carti also took forever to just bring out his album.
Yeah!
I heard about that.
Oh my god, actually, I just realized, last year, Tyler brought out Playboi Carti, who was taking forever for his playlist, and then right after he brought out K-Step Rocky this year, last year he was there, and then he took forever.
So he’s pulling people out of retirement.
Come on, Tyler.
What’s it gonna take to get Frank Ocean out here?
Frank Ocean.
He’s gonna take Frank Ocean, literally.
Oh my goodness.
He’s already been, he’s already been there once.
Right?
Bring him back.
Bring him out again.
Bring him back.
Bring him out again.
I don’t get it.
What’s he gonna say now?
No, I’m just kidding.
But, yeah.
Definitely.
Okay.
Okay.
That was our feed from the album.
Do you have anything else you want to add about this album?
I don’t know.
I really, I really liked it overall.
I listened to A$AP in the past, and I thought, out of like everything so far, this has definitely been the most different than anything else that you’ve done.
The others have, like in the past, have sounded very similar, all like that very, not harsh rock or rap, but still very, kind of like, distinctly him, you know?
And this album has been very, like, expressive to different types of music, which I think was really cool because in music, like, especially rap, I feel, you don’t get that very often.
You don’t get where the artist still is able to incorporate, like, rap into other genres.
But he did that so easily through so many different of these songs, and I thought that was really cool.
It was really.
Actually, I just remembered right now, there was like a little snippet of like, he’s just talking, but like, about how people thought he was like a player, and they were mad.
Yeah, I think that’s like the end of Stay Here for Life.
Yes!
Yes!
I love that!
It is!
The transitions and the skits were so good.
I lowkey had to check up, like, are we on the next song or not?
Yeah, because sometimes I think they’re like little interludes, you know?
But like, he added them all, like, almost all of the, like, skits, he added in between, like in the actual, like, songs, and I was like, okay, that’s like a good way to make sure that people don’t skip the little skits, you know?
Because I know that Brent does that sometimes, Brent, like, has like skits in between, and sometimes it’s like, okay, I like it, it’s great, but like, let me listen to the music now.
Exactly.
So I think him actually incorporating it into the song instead of making that his own, like, little interlude or whatever, definitely helped, and it created, like, a whole persona almost through the whole album, because I know, like, during the music videos, he, like, had like a whole kind of vibe going on where he was, like, busted up and beat up and everything, and I felt like you could really see that, like, envision that during, like, while listening to the album, you know?
Yeah.
So you had something in the picture where you’re like, oh, okay, this is how he’s singing it to me.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I love when you can visual things.
Yeah.
It just makes it more appealing to me.
I love listening to music, so when I have something visually in my head, it just makes it a little bit better.
It helped to put, like, imagery into, like, the whole thought process of the whole album.
Yeah, for all of them.
Yeah.
So I definitely think that’s what helped elevate that album a little bit more.
Oh, yeah.
Definitely.
He did a good job on that, for sure.
It was overall very, like, classic, but also still very true to himself in many of these songs.
Yes.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
So let’s see if he brings out more albums now, but we’ll see.
Yeah.
This one was pretty long.
It was.
It was.
Oh.
It was, like, an hour five.
Yeah.
So that’s normal.
Normal, yeah.
Normal.
But, yeah, definitely.
We’ll see how long it takes for his next one, if he brings out new music.
I know him and his Rihanna take a while.
I love them so much.
Bring her out of retirement.
Right?
That’s who we need.
Yes.
You’re right.
Tyler.
Rihanna was actually there.
She was.
I kept logged on.
I know.
Yes.
And Shusha’s watching him, but it’s like, it could have went up.
Girl, do a feature on this one.
Yeah.
Literally.
Say something.
People thought she was going to be a feature.
Yeah.
I know.
I thought she was, too.
Honestly, for a second, I was like, that would be fantastic.
And then when the feature list dropped, I was like, she’s not here, guys.
They haven’t done a feature together, huh?
I don’t think so.
Yeah.
Because I know a lot of, like, partners do.
Yeah.
They have one, huh?
Yeah.
Because like, Kelly Ucci and Don Toliver do a whole bunch of stuff.
And it’s so good.
I love all their stuff together.
They’re so good.
They’re so good.
They’re my favorite musicians.
And I know.
I know that if ASAP got Rihanna on it, it’d be all over the internet.
Yeah.
Literally.
That could have made his album number one for a while.
Definitely.
Oh, yeah.
Oh, yeah.
A new Rihanna?
Yeah.
For sure.
Come on.
Yeah.
Just to mention.
So the least listened to tracks are Robbery, who’s number one.
Well, number one least listened to.
I’m a little hurt.
And then Don’t Be Dumb, Whiskey, Just TFU, and Interrogation.
What’s funny is the skit has more views than all of those.
Seriously?
That’s crazy.
That’s crazy.
Disproving everything I said.
That’s crazy.
And then with the hairnet thing you had mentioned, like the curls.
Yeah.
So I looked up on Gemini and it said that it’s like an evolution from the babushka boy.
Because he had the babushka over the curls.
Yeah.
And then now he’s revealing the curls.
Oh.
You know what?
That kind of makes sense.
Okay, I see it.
And they also said that it’s kind of like a tongue-in-cheek joke to be like he’s never going to release the album.
Oh, my God.
He kept teasing it so much.
Like all the merch during Vlogmas was like never dropping an album.
Literally.
Like the preparation.
Like he was in preparation or something.
So that’s like the curls are like…
They’re still forming.
They’re still forming.
That’s actually pretty smart.
Yeah.
I didn’t think of that.
That’s what Gemini said.
That’s a lot of meaning.
Like meaning into his like persona.
Yeah.
Into the persona.
Into the outfits too.
Yeah.
Like that was great.
I love when artists do that.
Me too.
When they’re intentional with everything that they do.
Yes.
And I love that.
Yeah.
That’s like I was so bummed with the don’t tap the glass because Tyler can be so intentional with stuff.
Yeah.
And then there was just nothing for this one.
Okay, that’s fantastic.
I think the only thing was really when he’s like no phones and we have like those private parties and stuff like that.
But I was like, we’re the private parties for the fans.
Right.
Exactly.
Like give me a day.
Let me go to LA for you.
Like I won’t have my phone.
Any day.
Any day.
Literally.
But damn, Robbery.
I know.
I’m a little…
It’s always Robbery.
People…
I really do think people just hate on Dolce.
I think that too.
Because people are hating on Balloon.
Yeah.
And I love that song.
And that was so good.
That was my favorite off of that too.
Yes.
Me too.
It was so good.
It was so good.
I was singing my heart out.
I don’t blame you.
I don’t blame you.
I was singing my heart out.
Oh man.
Man.
Whatever.
Robbery and Whiskey.
Whiskey too.
It makes me sad.
That was literally your list.
My list.
My list of favorites.
Yeah.
Don’t Be Dumb was awesome.
Yeah.
Oh my gosh.
That’s so sad.
People don’t know music.
I’m just kidding.
But I also think it plays into the fact that like those are just like ASAP fans.
Yeah.
Compared to like, like you said, you listen to a lot of different genres.
That’s true.
You’re probably going to have more likings to like other types of songs, you know?
So I feel like that’s where our like, unbiased comes in of like, okay, yeah, but we’re not diehard ASAP fans.
True.
That’s true.
If we do it on a like, artist I’m obsessed with, she’s a girl.
If we could analyze a Tyler album right here, I could be so down.
Yeah.
Yeah.
My top ones are probably going to be on there too.
Yeah.
At least listen to it and be like, yeah, that was trash.
You know?
Yeah.
Exactly.
Yeah.
So that was our take on Don’t Be Dumb.
Was it worth the wait?
We’ll let you guys decide that.
Let us know which music songs grew on you the most and which ones you were likely skipping on.
This has been In The Mix and we’ll catch you on the next drop.
I love your nails.
Yeah, they’re so cute.
Thank you.
My mom does nails.
No way.
What?
Yeah.
So pretty.
They’re a little grown because they’re like a month old.
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