ASAP Rocky has been in the lab since 2018. The last time he had an album out, Drake has lot a rap battle to Pusha T. That's an eternity in music terms. The rapper has had to contend with multiple song leaks as a result. Listeners have been sifting through demos and snippets for Don't Be Dumb longer than they've known the title of Rocky's album. Now that the release date is in sight, though, ASAP Rocky has made it clear that anything leaked prior to the Don't Be Dumb release will not make the final tracklist.
Rocky addressed the leak problem during a recent appearance on New Music Daily with Zane Lowe. The rapper was promoting his new single, "HIGHJACK," but the interview turned into a broader teaser for the accompanying album. Lowe asked whether about the album's evolution, and ASAP Rocky drew a direct correlation between leaks and the need to record new material. "Most of the songs that I be performing and sh*t like that," he noted. "Motherf*ckers leak it. And once it's leaked, it's just like, nah, it's not on the project." Lowe asserted that a song loses context once its released to the public, and the rapper agreed. He did, however, note that he has a soft spot for several of the songs that have leaked. "I might perform [them] here and there," he conceded. "But if it's leaked, it is what it is."
ASAP Rocky Has Been Plagued By Leaks For Years
This isn't the first time ASAP Rocky has blamed the album's delay on leaks. In May, the Harlem rapper claimed that the amount of material circulating online has made it difficult for him to put together a solid body of work. "Dummies need to stop leaking," he asserted. "Every time, it's back to the drawing board." In Rocky's defense, there have been a lot of leaks. A quick glance at the Genius page for Don't Be Dumb reveals over a dozen songs with stacked guest features. "GO!" featuring Playboi Carti was previewed by Rocky back in April 2022. It leaked in December. "Sights" was another Playboi Carti collaboration teased in September of that year. The leak of this track, however, led to a spat with Playboi Carti's Opium crew.
Opiumbaby accused ASAP Rocky of leaking the song on Twitter. He called the rapper out for ruining what could have been a hit single. "F*ck Rocky, he played," Opiumbaby wrote. "F*ck that ASAP sh*t. Allat leaking sh*t." The affiliate then lamented the money that was spent on the song. "That sh*t cost," he claimed. "That's not even yo song. It's our sh*t. Could've been on all platforms." It's ironic that ASAP Rocky be attacked for an issue he's complained about for years, but that's the internet in a nutshell. We are excited to see what ends up making the final Don't Be Dumb tracklist.