Key Takeaways:

• A$AP Rocky’s blessed his fans with a dual music video from his latest LP, Don’t Be Dumb.
• He also took to “Saturday Night Live” to perform “PUNK ROCKY,” “DON'T BE DUMB” and “HELICOPTER” live.
• The episode marked Rocky’s return to live TV performances after nearly eight years without a new album.

A$AP Rocky spent the first weekend of his Don’t Be Dumb era back in a familiar arena: Studio 8H. On Saturday (Jan. 17), the Harlem rapper made his musical guest debut on “Saturday Night Live” during Finn Wolfhard’s hosting turn. Rocky opened with “PUNK ROCKY,” then returned for a second set that jumped from the project’s title track to “HELICOPTER.” He also leaned into the comedy side of the show by popping up in “Snackhomiez,” a recurring podcast sketch that saw Wolfhard join a crew of teen snack obsessives and surprise guest Sabrina Carpenter.

Don’t Be Dumb landed independently on Friday (Jan. 16) and marked Rocky’s first studio album in nearly eight years. The project’s visual identity already played a central role in the campaign, including cover art crafted by filmmaker Tim Burton that spotlights multiple Rocky personas.

On Monday (Jan. 19), Rocky kept the momentum going with a fresh dual visual for the singles “AIR FORCE (BLACK DEMARCO)” and “WHISKEY (RELEASE ME).” The clip stars Burton, who sets off a wave of chaos when Rocky’s aforementioned personas are set free in New York City. As a teaser first revealed, one scene showed Rocky’s crash-dummy character getting clocked with a bottle before his Rugahand persona vaulted over the counter to step in.

As far as the subject matter, “BLACK DEMARCO” toggles between brash punchlines and a slowed-down chorus that gave collaborator Spencer Sutherland room to add a melodic assist. On the other hand, “WHISKEY” leans into a hook courtesy of Damon Albarn and lets Westside Gunn color the margins with signature ad-libs, all as Rocky raps about late-night temptation and trendsetting.

“How could I resist? Wanna get high as we can get and that's how we exist,” the Harlem star expresses on “WHISKEY.” “The deaf don't play like they don't hear the kid, read his lips / How to be a pimp? How to be legit? / And live to see this s**t, and die with what you pick It all depends, is she gon’ get freaky and share with all her friends?”