"We can't wait for the album"— Fans react as A$ap Rocky claims leaks are why Don't be Dumb is delayed

A$ap Rocky's long-awaited fourth album, Don't Be Dumb, won't be coming on August 30 as initially scheduled, and the rapper revealed why he's pushing the project release until the fall of this year.

In response to a NFR Podcast post on X (August 22) about his album's delayed release date, A$ap Rocky wrote the next day:

"LEAKS & SAMPLE CLEARANCES ARE DISRUPTING THE ALBUM. ITS BEEN 6 YEARS & I WANNA MAKE THE BEST ALBUM EVER. I'M SORRY FOR THE WAIT."

With his latest explanation of why there will be extra months of waiting for Don't Be Dumb, fans took to social media to share their thoughts. Fans expressed their sympathy for the rapper, saying that an explanation was all that they needed.

"An explanation is all the fans really wanted, we can't wait for the album. As long as the project turns out great, people won't care about how long it took to come out," a fan on X wrote.

More fans also feel grateful for A$ap Rocky taking the time to cite the reason for the delayed release instead of making an entire gimmick out of it.

"Thank you for giving us the explanation we been asking for, can't wait for the album," an X user wrote.

"Thank you for at least communicating instead of a mysterious gimmick," an X user chimed in.

"Artists don't owe their fans an explanation, but man, it really goes a long way and shows such a profound respect for their time and fandom," another fan wrote.

Some other fans stayed supportive of the rapper and said that he could take all the time he needs and they will be waiting when it drops.

"Take your time man, we know when it drops it'll be worth the wait," a fan on X wrote.

"Do not worry about it take your time. Wine doesn't take fifty tears to age for no reason," another fan wrote.

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A$ap Rocky's Don't Be Dumb album will feature his frequent collaborators like Tyler, The Creator, and more

A$ap Rocky's fourth album will come six years after Testing, which was released in May 2018. In an interview with Billboard on August 22, 2024, the Harlem rapper shared that his 15-track Don't Be Dumb album will feature some of his frequent collaborators, including Tyler, The Creator and Morrissey.

His forthcoming album will also feature an all-star list of producers, from The Alchemist and Pharrell Williams to Hitkidd, Mike Dean, and Metro Boomin.

In the same conversation, A$ap Rocky also added how he tried to get the director Tim Burton to help create the cover art for the album, but sadly, he said that their schedules couldn't align. However, the rapper said that he was able to play the album with Burton and the Beetlejuice director was "f**king with it heavy."

While he didn't successfully nab the director for the album, he did manage to work with Burton't longtime collaborator, composer Danny Elfman.

Elsewhere in the interview, A$ap Rocky described himself as "grim." He mentioned that much of his current influence, in both his music and other artistic endeavors, is from German expressionism.

As for making sure that his upcoming album is cohesive and accessible, Rocky said that a lot of it is about knowing himself. He added that knowing when it's too much or too far or when it's overkill or not enough is what makes you a "unique artist."