Buy Now
- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
-
Jan 16, 2026What we get is a 2026 version of Rocky who raps as sharply as ever while flaunting the curatorial abilities that helped make him a star in the first place.
-
Feb 3, 2026The weird detours and stylistic wanderlust result in an album that somehow makes a lot of sense as a larger statement, with all the dissimilar sounds contributing to a listening experience that demands attention and doesn’t let go once it takes hold.
-
Jan 28, 2026Ultimately, this is a more mature Rocky: suited, settled and self-assured. The bachelor’s grown up – and somehow, that hasn’t dulled his shine at all.
-
Jan 16, 2026‘STAY HERE 4 LIFE’ feels like his re-commitment to the art, a high point on an album laden with anthems – ‘NO TRESPASSING’ is sheer, filthy club music, while ‘AIR FORCE (BLACK DEMARCO)’ marries Mega Drive electronics to impetuous flows. There’s subtlety, too.
-
Jan 21, 2026Don’t Be Dumb won’t replace old favourites. But it is, in its own sprawling way, a reaffirmation of what makes Rocky compelling: his appetite for risk, his curation of texture and collaborators, and his refusal to smooth every rough edge.
-
Jan 22, 2026An overstuffed and engrossing album that's a bit of a mess.
-
Jan 20, 2026It’s slick and overstuffed. .... Still, it sounds like he’s having fun, and he eventually persuades the listener to join in as well.
-
Jan 20, 2026Don’t Be Dumb is not a blockbuster, and it’s all the better for it.
-
Jan 16, 2026Don’t Be Dumb isn’t quite the cultural leap Rocky was hoping to make, but it is a step in the right direction.
Awards & Rankings
There are no user reviews yet.