Since 2018, we’ve seen glimpses of A$AP Rocky here and there, but "HIGHJACK" could be our first look into the sound and style of his upcoming fourth studio album, ‘Don't Be Dumb’. In a recent interview with Zane Lowe, Rocky describes his new sound: “I feel like the real is back man, and it’s just like, this shit is for the taking. It’s a hijack. Not only that, it’s just we coming with a whole new aesthetic on everything, especially with German expressionism and the whole ghetto futurism grim thing. So that’s just what the sound sounds like and whatnot.” He went further to say that "HIGHJACK" is “part of the new saga” and praised feature Jessica Pratt: “She gave me this Portishead meets Stevie Nicks vibe a little, like you know, so I always fucked with her as an artist, so I figured it was necessary to get her and Jon Batiste on this one.”

"HIGHJACK" features Rocky spitting over thumping trap drums with a unique, unintelligible sample, and 9-year-old rapper ‘Creed’ ad-libbing Rocky’s bars with ‘I don’t like that’. Rocky presents his usual braggadocious self, throwing shade at some unnamed rappers for stealing flows and making false comparisons: “Don't compare that pussy boy to me (I don't like that) / Feelin' like I'm Sosa, Chiefie Keef (I don't like that).” Jessica Pratt joins for the outro, delivering angelic vocals over a slower instrumental, echoing, “And when I'm gone / You wish you stayed.”

A$AP Rocky continues his ability to create alternative hip-hop tracks that stand out in a landscape of oversaturated copycat hip-hop. Rocky states that with this new album, there was a mission and a goal sonically to make something that felt elevated and mature, using different sounds and elements to create a masterpiece. We can’t wait to hear it.

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