ASAP Rocky’s comeback season is upon us. Fans have been waiting for new music from Rocky since 2018, and the rapper is finally ready to release it. Don’t Be Dumb is expected to be released on August 30th. The song did not chart on the charts when it was released on August 2. The music video for “HIGHJACK,” released on August 21, enhances the song’s appeal tenfold. It showcases ASAP Rocky in a format fans haven’t seen in over a decade.
“ASAP Rocky” breaks out with a unique black and white aesthetic. ASAP Mob are dangerous at first, but Rocky gives them the gift of style. These strengths are on display in the “HIGHJACK” music video. It started out minimally, but quickly turned into a collection of beautiful, surreal images. Loki hammers away at different corners of the shot, while the perspective of the room around him changes. At one point, he dropped a metal rod in a frame reminiscent of an MC Escher painting. It’s all very psychedelic and plays perfectly into the chorus of “HIGHJACK” sung by Jessica Pratt.
ASAP Rocky builds on his original aesthetic
However, “HIGHJACK” saves its most shocking visuals for the second half of the song. While it was cool to see ASAP Rocky appear against a series of black and white backgrounds, Jessica Pratt’s ensemble unlocked a kaleidoscope of wild imagery. The members of ASAP Mob appear to be celebrating in slow motion while the camera pans through various scenes of Rocky in different costumes. In both hands he held a rock ring with the album’s title “Don’t Be Dumb” written on it. The fairground face rocks a silver grill in the background. The strangest thing is that Loki, who has spots on his face, gets up from the bed and puts on a suit.
The music video culminates in two contrasting images. One shows Rocky standing on a tall building, and the other shows the rapper facing a wall in a mysterious room. Neither story is resolved, which leads us to believe there’s more to come in future “Don’t Be Dumb” music videos. “HIGHJACK” may not have been a smash hit, but the song and video couldn’t have done a better job of sparking interest in Rocky’s next work.
About the author
Elias is the music writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined the site in 2024 and covers a wide range of topics including pop culture, movies, sports, and, of course, hip-hop. You can find him publishing for HNHH from Monday to Friday, especially coverage of new albums and singles. His favorite artists are Andre 3000, MF Doom, pre-808 Kanye West and Tyler, The Creator. He likes L.A. hip-hop, but not L.A. sports teams. The first album he bought was Will Smith’s “Big Willie Style,” which he thinks still sounds great.
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