For the first time since his third studio album Testing in 2018, A$AP Rocky is finally in album mode. Expected to release his forthcoming LP, Don’t Be Dumb, any day now, Rocky used the penultimate weekend of July to kickstart his long-awaited rollout.
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On July 20 he put out “RIOT (Rowdy Pipe’n),” his latest promotional single for the album. Mixing trademark cloudy production with booming bass and fiery Woo ad-libs, “RIOT (Rowdy Pipe’n)” added a fresh, explosive approach to a formula Rocky has perfected all throughout his career. Rocky accompanied the song with an advertisement for Beats by Dre, which he converted into a quasi-music video. In it, he runs rampant through city streets alongside a squad of men clad in white garments and head covers, a group he has been joined by often while preparing for Don’t Be Dumb.
[RELATED: A$AP Rocky Releases New Single, Says He’s in “Album Mode”]
Three days later, he was seen again with these accomplices as he made his way to the GoPuff stage at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami for the annual Rolling Loud Festival. Helping to initiate his new era even further, Rocky delivered the final performance of the jam-packed weekend, where he played a handful of currently unreleased songs that turned heads in all corners of the rap community.
After opening his set with a song dubbed “Grim Freestyle” (which is muted in the livestream below for copyright purposes) and “RIOT (Rowdy Pipe’n),” the New York native then used the bulk of his time on stage strolling down memory lane with prior hits like “Lord Pretty Flacko Jodye 2” (2015) and “Praise the Lord (Da Shine)” (2018).
As the set came to a close, though, Rocky unleashed another song expected to land on Don’t Be Dumb titled “WETTY (TAYLOR SWIFT),” which includes a lyric fans believe is a diss to Travis Scott. In the bar, he not only references Scott’s former relationship with Rihanna, who Rocky is currently dating and has children with but also accuses Scott of stealing his songwriting style and aesthetic choices.
First you stole my flow
So I stole your bitch
Then you stole my style
I need at least 10 percent
All due disrespect, I hope you take offense
Although his appearance at Rolling Loud this year did not bring any more clarity regarding when fans can expect Don’t Be Dumb to arrive, Rocky surely gave attendees a preview of the brashness he will embody on the LP. In terms of a release date, though, Rocky actually shared a bit of insight in the weeks following his Miami visit. Tweeting the phrase “AWGEST” earlier this week, a nod to the creative collective he founded named AWGE, many now believe he intends to drop his fourth studio album at some point this month. Stay tuned for updates.
Watch A$AP Rocky’s Rolling Loud performance below.
Photo: Tina Benitez-Eves
