The day finally came: A$AP Rocky dropped his fourth studio album, the long-awaited Don’t Be Dumb. If you remember, the last time Rocky released a full project, he was up against Pusha T’s Daytona and delivered the divisive Testing. It felt like a smorgasbord of sounds—loosely connected at best, and more an attempt to push boundaries and blur genres than a unified statement. Even with many standout moments, it wasn’t the avant-garde masterpiece Rocky tried to market it as. That’s part of why the eight-year wait between projects stretched out, repeatedly delayed and constantly anticipated.
But now that the final product is ready for consumption, one thing is clear: A$AP Rocky has not lost his ear for production. In fact, Don’t Be Dumb shows a blend of influences stacked together more cohesively than ever, despite how far apart those worlds may be. Compared to Testing, this album moves with a sense of unity that underscores Rocky’s importance, not just as a rapper, but as a curator who knows how to pull the best from his collaborators. And with Rocky’s fingerprints all over the production credits, the nearly decade-long wait for Don’t Be Dumb begins to make sense. More importantly, he reconnects with old friends who helped refine the sound he originally came into the game with.
With that said, Don’t Be Dumb stands out on a production level, and below are five of the best beats on the album—ranked in no particular order.
Robbery Ft. Doechii (Produced By Loukeman)
Loukeman’s fingerprints are all over Don’t Be Dumb, but the jazzy inflections of “Robbery” stand out as a highlight, largely due to its sample of Thelonious Monk’s “Caravan.” A perfect pairing for both Doechii and A$AP Rocky’s inaugural collaboration, the piano-driven production and plump basslines serve as the glue holding this loungey, Prohibition-era beat together. The percussion especially reinforces the song’s nod to jazz-rap foundations, but it’s the way Rocky and Doechii’s flows remain as riveting as the beat’s shifting direction. There’s an underlying chaos that builds in intensity throughout the track, matching the luxe references to vintage Chanel and Basquiat, the chaotic robbery skit mid-song, and the electric back-and-forth chemistry between two of the flyest in hip-hop. It’s an excellent bridging of generations, extending the ASAP and TDE family streak of standout collaborations.
"Don't Be Dumb / Trip Baby" (prod. Loukemon & Harry Fraud)
Dreamy, hallucinatory, and the perfect amount of psychedelia, “Don’t Be Dumb / Trip Baby” is the song Rocky fans who’ve been on board since the “Purple Swag” days will appreciate most. Despite reports that he produced the track, Clams Casino has denied involvement, but the essence of what he and Rocky created in the early 2010s still comes alive here. The ethereal vocal sample is hypnotizing, while the jazzy hi-hats and Rocky’s melodic delivery find a particularly effective pocket—continuing his long-running effort to bring that hippie energy into rap. But the production doesn’t stay trapped in a loop. It builds from its initial psychedelia, delivering a quintessential Rocky anthem that expertly flips Clairo’s “Sinking.”
"Stop Snitching" (Prod. By Hitkidd & Kelvin Krash)
Houston’s played a special role in A$AP Rocky’s catalog, so hearing him connect with Sauce Walka on this particular project felt like a full-circle moment. But it’s the production that truly sets the tone here. Hitkidd and Kelvin Krash take Leroy Hutson’s “Give This Love a Try” and rework it into a sprawling, nocturnal soundscape. The original’s warm, soulful textures are warped into something colder and more ominous, with the sample stretched and drenched in reverb to create a feeling of distance. Brittle percussion snaps through the mix, while deep bass hits give the track a creeping momentum. That spaciousness makes it a perfect canvas for Rocky and Sauce Walka to unleash menacing, threatening bars, as the beat’s eerie calm makes every punchline land harder.
"Stole Ya Flow" (Prod. Kelvin Krash, ICYTWAT, and Danny Elfman)
The most talked-about song on the album, “Stole Ya Flow,” is just as blistering in production as it is in intent. What makes the track hit so hard is the way the beat feels engineered to provoke. The drums are aggressively upfront, with hard, snappy snares and a pounding low end that feels like it’s pushing the whole track forward. The arrangement is stripped of any softness—there’s no room to breathe, which matches the confrontational tone perfectly. Producer pairing here is particularly intriguing, with Kelvin Krash, ICYTWAT, and Danny Elfman reportedly behind the boards. The result is a chaotic, almost cinematic collision of trap energy and lo-fi, with grungy stabs and eerie synth lines weaving through the percussion.
"Helicopter" (Prod. by A$AP Rocky, Kelvin Krash, Soufien 3000, and MIKE DEAN)
Perhaps the strongest indication of an A$AP Rocky banger to kick off 2026, the second single off the album brings similar high energy, but with a distinctly experimental edge. The production is built around glitchy synths that swirl and wobble, giving the track a sense of controlled chaos. Those synths don’t just sit in the background—they actively push the rhythm, constantly shifting in texture and pitch. Meanwhile, playful cowbells ring out like a mischievous punctuation mark, keeping the track from ever feeling too serious. The drums hit hard and bright, with crisp kicks and snappy snares that make the track feel like it’s ready for live performance. What makes it stand out among other upbeat records on the album is how the sound design leans into unpredictability, letting the beat feel alive and unstable. That experimental nature is clearly a product of the combined efforts of A$AP Rocky, Kelvin Krash, Soufien 3000, and MIKE DEAN, who help keep the production feeling both polished and wild.
