NEWS
A$AP Rocky has finally released Don’t Be Dumb following years of build up and repeated delays. It is a project fans have been anticipating for a long time, and there is little question that Rocky came through with a fully realised body of work.
The response to the album has been divided so far, which was always likely. Much of the conversation online has been shaped by Rocky’s long running tension with Drake. Fans of Drizzy have reportedly organised themselves to criticise Don’t Be Dumb, and the reasoning behind that reaction is not hard to understand.
There are several moments on the album where Rocky appears to direct pointed remarks at Drake. Although he recently suggested that listeners should not overanalyse his lyrics, the hostility between the two artists still feels present and unresolved.
The earliest hint of Rocky’s frustration with Drake surfaces on the track “Stole Ya Flow,” which appears near the start of the album. On the song, he raps about stolen styles, cosmetic surgery rumours, and having his reputation dragged through the mud. The parallels are hard to ignore, especially when paired with references that many listeners link to Rihanna, making the verse feel particularly cutting.
"First you stole my flow, so I stole yo' btch / If you stole my style, I need at least like ten percent [...] Nas getting BBLs, lucky we don't body shame / Throwin' dirt on Rocky name, turn around and copy game [...] First you was my bro, py n**a switched / Turned into a opp, fck his block, he a btch"
Rocky continues down this path on “No Trespassing,” where he alludes to Drake’s relocation to Texas and frames it within a wider narrative of rivalry and distrust.
"Nas lookin' jealous, see it in his eyes Nas actin' desperate, you ain't gotta lie / I might move to Texas, roll 'round with protection, pull up to your section, hit 'em with the fire"
Later on “Playa,” Rocky shifts the focus to themes of fatherhood and stability. He boasts about raising his child and avoiding messy personal situations, topics that critics have frequently used when discussing Drake.
"Takin' care of your kids, boy, that's player sht / One btch, boy, that's player sht / No baby mama drama, no new friends, boy, that's player sht"
All signs point to lingering tension between the two artists, and it does not seem likely to disappear anytime soon. Whether Drake chooses to address the situation publicly or musically is still an open question.
NEWS
Brad Paisley has called Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding “one of the least pretentious weddings he’s ever seen”.
The country star attended the ceremony alongside his actress wife, Kimberly Williams-Paisley. They joined around 1,000 guests at New York City’s Madison Square Garden earlier this month as the global pop icon married the American football star.
Although the celebration attracted enormous attention and involved tight security and a stunning makeover of the famous arena, Paisley said the occasion never came across as excessive.
“Ironically, (it) was one of the least pretentious weddings that I've ever seen or ever will see,” Paisley told The Associated Press during an interview. “It meant a lot to be (invited). It was, kind of, a big thank you from her to invite us.”
Paisley, who chose Swift as an opening performer for his tour when she was a teenager in 2007, said he was delighted to be included in what many considered the biggest celebrity wedding of the year.
“They were very clear with the invite, and I took this personally when I got the invite, because in the invite, it said, ‘If you're getting this, you mean a lot to us,’” he revealed.
The musician also explained that guests were not told the wedding’s exact location until the date drew nearer.
“It was really fun to watch the cat and mouse game of, like, ‘We can tell you roughly where it's going to be, we're not gonna say what building... and here's the date. If you're in, we'll tell you more,’” he continued. “I went to my wife, I said, ‘Want to go?’ and she said, ‘Absolutely, we gotta be there!’ So, we did it, it was RSVP yes.”
Other famous attendees included Brad Pitt, Gigi Hadid, Bradley Cooper, Ed Sheeran, Sabrina Carpenter, Hugh Grant, Haim and Tom Hanks.
