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.
Metallica bassist Jason Newsted says he is now “free and clear” after facing throat cancer.
The 63 year old musician, who played with the Enter Sandman legends from 1986 through 2001, has shared details of his diagnosis publicly for the first time. He explained that doctors discovered it early, and on May 8, 2025 he “underwent a procedure” to treat the condition.
Speaking on the Let There Be Talk podcast, he said: “They took a bunch of s*** outta here and then they went in with lasers this way and took a bunch of s*** out.
“So the cavern inside my head is different than it was, but we got it early. And I got my ‘free and clear’ about three weeks ago. So I beat it.”
Jason contributed to several of Metallica’s most iconic releases, including 1988’s ...And Justice For All, their self titled 1991 album, 1996’s Load, the 1997 follow up Reload, and 1998’s Garage Inc.
After going through his cancer experience, the bassist made a point to slow down and actually give himself time to recover instead of constantly pushing forward.
He explained: “I promised myself I was going to rest, and that was the first time I’ve done that in my life.
"I’m usually just on or off. And so I promised myself I was gonna take the gravity off and lay down for the right amount of hours."
The health scare also led Jason to give up smoking weed and drinking alcohol, something he admits he likely would not have done otherwise.
He added: “The great spirit got my attention and said, ‘That’s not good right now, man.’ And so it pulled me off it.
"And so now I’m more clear-headed than I’ve been in my entire adult life. And so there’s blessings within everything. The lemonade I’m making this summer, bro — mm. Sweet. Ooh.”
Jason has previously said that his unexpected departure ultimately helped Metallica continue moving forward, while James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich later admitted they struggled to process his decision at the time.
Lars told Apple Music in 2021: “Jason is the only member of Metallica who has ever left willingly. And that in itself is a statistic.
"And the resentment from James and I was just so… 'You can’t do that. You can only leave if we want you to leave'.
"And then we weren’t equipped at the time to do a deep dive into why he was leaving. So of course, now you can see 20 years later, it makes complete sense.”
