On Dec. 19, 2025, American rapper Rakim Mayers, more famously known as “A$AP Rocky”, announced his fourth studio album called “Don’t Be Dumb” on an Instagram post with cover art by American filmmaker, Tim Burton.
“Don’t Be Dumb” was released on Jan. 16, 2026, on various digital and physical services worldwide, including Spotify, Apple Music, CDs, cassettes,and vinyls. Many popular artists are featured on the album: Tyler, the Creator, Brent Faiyaz, and Gorillaz. The album is a mix of different genres including Hip-Hop, Metal, R&B, Indie, and Jazz. Fans are excited to see what A$AP Rocky has in store for them, since he hasn’t dropped an album in eight years.
“The first time I started listening to him was when my brother played him on the way to school in sixth grade, and I have been a fan of him ever since,” freshman Caroline Ware said.
Before the album was released, fans had been aware of the artists featured on the album. Some of the most anticipated artists include: Jon Batiste, will.i.am, and Doechii. Fans speculated that American singer and rapper, Frank Ocean would be featured as well. However, that was a rumor and fans were disappointed when they found out. Despite that, fans who have listened to the album said it was an excellent album and believe it will do well.
“Personally, I think it [the album] is going to be a big success,” senior Jonathan Jarvis said. “I think the lyrics in the music are really poetic if you listen deep into it, because when I listen to music, I like to get real in depth into it to make sure I get the meaning of the song.”
Prior to the album release, fans had also suspected that he would go on tour afterwards. They were right, since he announced his “Don’t Be Dumb World Tour” on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. The tour will start with the North America leg on May 27, 2026, in Chicago at the “United Center Arena” and will conclude on Sept. 30, 2026 in Europe at the “Accor Arena” in Paris, France.
Senior Joseph Scott-Minor said this before the tour was announced. “I’m praying he does go on tour and if he does, I’ll try to go.”
