At this point, if you tell me ASAP Rocky’s new album is actually coming soon, I’ll tell you "don’t be dumb."
But based on some evidence, including a cover and the fact that he’s dropped four new singles for it in the last year, it looks like the project—which is, ahem, actually called Don’t Be Dumb—might actually be on the way. But what do we know about it? Maybe more than you think.
Rocky’s been teasing the album in some way or another for at least the last three years, with a special 2022 collaboration with a superproducer giving us the beginnings of a window into what the album could sound like.
Since then, he’s served up episodic updates on just what’s been the holdup. Still, three years is a long ass time in rapper years, and a whole lot of shit could have changed since he first started making it. Hell, there was the whole A$AP Relli shooting trial Rocky lived through. He had the Stockholm, Sweden arrest and imprisonment to live through. He’s had three kids in that three year span. And the ASAP Mob is essentially… over since Testing was released seven years ago.
But for now, it’s time to take a look at what we do know.
Here is everything Check out the breakdown for yourself just below.
It Wasn’t Always Called ‘Don’t Be Dumb’
Don’t Be Dumb wasn’t always the title.
In a 2021 GQ interview, Rocky claimed that the LP would tentatively be called All Smiles. But by May 2022, he had told DAZED that his next project would, in fact, not be titled that.
In that interview, he also explained that the LP was almost done, and that the entire idea of All Smiles was more of a concept. “I’m wrapping up the new album now; I’ve been shooting so many visuals for it. I don’t want to be cliche or sound like a salesman, but I’ve pushed myself to the limit on everything,” he said.
Clearly, a lot has changed since this convo.
It’s Done
In a March 2025 conversation with GQ, Rocky said that Don’t Be Dumb was already done, and that it was in the process of being mixed and mastered.
“People are tired of hearing about updates about the album,” he said. “They're just ready to get this shit, you know what I'm saying? I don't think anybody wants to hear where I'm at with it, how far is it along and all that. They just want to hear some shit just to see where I'm at, and I promise I got some new shit in store. I'm challenging myself. It's like anything, I approach it with a different tactic, degree, or finesse.”
Tim Burton Seems to Have a Large Role on the Album
In one of the coolest, weirdest millennial flexes, Tim Burton is involved with the album. The famed director—known for films like Batman, Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, and more—designed the album cover. What makes it even more interesting is that the cover has “A$AP Rocky and Tim Burton” written on it which raises the question of whether the director has a larger role in the project.
There’s also the fact that film composer Danny Elfman, who has composed music for many of Burton’s films, also contributed to the album. Rocky told Vanity Fair:
“Danny Elfman did my album with me, he scored a bunch of the songs… We had [the TV] on mute and were just making music to all of the old films—Pee-wee’s Playhouse and The Simpsons, all that.”
In the same interview, Rocky spoke about his admiration for Burton, saying, “I’ve been inspired by him since I was a child. I think what he does with claymation and how he transcended into live-action movies—the parallels between them and how he seamlessly included everything from matte painting to German Expressionism—I think he’s a fucking genius.”
In another interview, this time with Billboard, Rocky revealed that he played the album for Burton, adding that the director was nodding his head along to the music while listening to the LP.
One other thing to note: Rocky performed at Tyler, The Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival last month and it seemed like he was paying homage to the ending of Batman, which featured Joker hanging off a helicopter with a bullhorn.
We Have a Release Date
A day after releasing the cover, Rocky went to Instagram and announced the release date: Don’t Be Dumb will be dropping on National Nothing Day, which according to National Day Calendar, falls on January 16th.
To be fair, Rocky has been sending hints for a while now. During his set at Camp Flog, Rocky wore a hoodie with the date “01/16/2026." (He also had merch that read "Album Never Dropping" so definitely some mixed messages being sent.)
He’s Worked with Metro Boomin for Songs on the Album
When A$AP Rocky appeared on Metro Boomin’s Heroes & Villains, it felt like a minor revelation; A$AP Rocky sounds really good on cosmic soul beats. Specifically, from Young Metro. So then, it wasn’t all that surprising when, in December 2022, Rocky told GQ that he’d been cooking up new tracks with Metro. In fact, he implied that it might even be a collaboration album.
“I’m gonna put it to you like this: This next album needs to be just called Flacko Boomin, you hear me?” Rocky told the publication. “Most artists wanna make [collabs just because they’re hot]. For us, it’s like, that’s really my nigga.”
He added: “[ASAP] Yams linked me and Metro in 2012. This is before he’s working with a lot of people in Atlanta. He was still in college. A$AP Yams told me Metro was gonna be Metro. He was like, ‘This is the kid I’m telling you.’ So, Yams wanted this.”
Now, clearly three years and a whole of shit has unfolded since then. So, it’s unclear whether this LP will play out the way Rocky suggested it would with Metro. But this is what he said back then.
He’s Dropped Four Singles
Depending on how long Rocky’s new album is, we might have already heard a third of it. Thus far, he’s unloaded four singles. The first two singles, “HIGHJACK” and “Tailor Swif”were released in August 2024. The next two singles, “Ruby Rosary” and “pray4dagang,” were released in September 2024 and July 2025, respectively.
J. Cole, Madlib, Mike Dean, Alchemist and HitKidd Are on the Album
Up to the point of “Ruby Rosary,” it felt like J. Cole was basically like, the only other blog era star Rocky hadn’t collaborated with. Welp, once this one dropped, that was crossed off my imaginary, vicarious Rocky bucket list. The track itself is produced by The Alchemist, who serves up a mutedly haunting soundscape that allow Cole and Rocky’s vocals to shine.
You have to wonder if ALC will produce any other heat for Rocky. HitKidd produced “HIGHJACK” and “Tailor Swif." Also: does the fact that Metro didn’t produce any of these tacks make it less likely he’s on the album? Don’t want to think too much into it. In an August 2024 interview with Billboard, he also said Mike Dean, Pharrell, and Madlib are on the album, too.
Why He Initially Delayed the Album Release
During Paris Fashion Week in June 2024, Rocky announced that Don’t Be Dumb would be dropping on Aug. 30, 2024. However, in an August 2024 X post (formerly known as Twitter), he revealed that the album would be delayed, while detailing just why. Hint: the same shit that halts or fucks up all great albums”
He’s Got a Song with Slick Rick
In a 2024 interview with Zane Lowe, Rocky said that he had a song called "Hood Happy,” and that it features Fatman Scoop, Flavor Flav, Slick Rick, Morrissey and Busta Rhymes.
Will this one still be on the LP? And even if it is, does this sound like it would be good? We will soon find out.