A$AP Rocky makes a monumental musical return with single ‘D.M.B.’

A ‘Radio silence’ would not be an appropriate term to describe A$AP Rocky’s four-year break from music. Whilst not in the studio, he has been busy, whether that be creating his whiskey brand ‘Mercer + Prince’, preparing for fatherhood with girlfriend Rihanna, furthering his pursuit into fashion by expanding his ‘AWGE’ label or getting into trouble with police for various misdemeanours.

On Thursday, Rocky was back with a single, ‘D.M.B.’ (also stylized as DAT$ MAH B!*$H) which is rumoured to be a promotional single for his upcoming album. The long-awaited album, his first in over 4 years since TESTING (2018), rumoured to be in its final stages of completion, looks to be equally as experimental as its predecessor ‘TESTING’ if this single is anything to go by.

In an interview with GQ last year, A$AP described the forthcoming album as telling “a ghetto love story” and that is exactly the narrative that this record portrays. Beginning with Rocky rapping about speaking more about the physical fulfilment that she brings him; his language is vulgar and crude.

The song takes a turn at the halfway mark, seamlessly transitioning into a sweet two-minute neo-psychedelia-inspired outro. A$AP is heard singing as if he has just fallen in love with his girlfriend; he sounds sensitive and totally enamoured. “You’re my soulmate, my Goddess / And baby I fell in love with you”, he sings, accompanied by a beautiful guitar counterpart.

Rihanna, who is expecting a child with Rocky, features prominently throughout the five-minute video directed and executive produced by Rocky for AWGE. The video is an ode to a classic love story, with Rocky and Rihanna depicting ride-or-die characters in a devoted relationship despite their circumstances. Rocky’s character is shown being released from prison on several occasions, which is rather ironic considering only last week he was being held by customs police for his possible connection to a gun crime. Nevertheless, they live luxuriously in their shared lives, wining and dining on a fire escape stairway of an apartment block.

All in all, D.M.B. is a solid single which gives a good indication of the trippy direction in which his forthcoming album will take its listeners.