A$AP Rocky made a major statement during his headlining performance at Rolling Loud California this past weekend, debuting a brand-new song that directly references the ongoing rivalry between Kendrick Lamar, Drake, and J. Cole—often dubbed hip-hop’s “Big Three.”
Rocky’s high-energy set took an even more dramatic turn when he perched himself atop an actual helicopter to perform the unreleased track, which features a sample from Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise.” In the song, he delivers a bold lyric that makes it clear he’s not taking sides in the battle among rap’s biggest stars:
“I ain’t on J. Cole’s, I ain’t on Drake’s, I ain’t on Kendrick’s side / I choose homicide, they gon’ see a different side.”
A$AP Rocky Addresses Legal Drama
The song also seems to take aim at A$AP Relli, Rocky’s former friend and A$AP Mob associate who previously took him to court over allegations that Rocky shot him in 2021. Relli ultimately lost the trial, and now Rocky appears to be addressing the situation in his lyrics:
“N-ggas do the most when they irrelevant / Claiming A$AP, but we were never friends.”
Aside from this explosive new track, Rocky also treated fans to several other unreleased songs, including collaborations with Metro Boomin and BossMan Dlow. However, he did not confirm whether these songs will appear on his highly anticipated upcoming album, Don’t Be Dumb.
Rocky’s Rocky Relationship with Drake
A$AP Rocky’s history with Drake has been filled with tension and subliminal shots, dating back to rumors that Rihanna—Rocky’s longtime partner and the mother of his two children—had a brief fling with the Canadian superstar.
The tension between the two escalated in 2023 when Drake’s song “Fear of Heights” was believed to contain subliminal shots at Rocky and Rihanna. Rocky later responded on multiple tracks, including:
- “Highjack”
- “Show of Hands” (with Future and Metro Boomin)
- “WOW.” (with Kid Cudi)
However, Rocky has downplayed the beef, previously telling Billboard that he has “bigger fish to fry” and that he’s not interested in petty rap feuds.
‘Don’t Be Dumb’ Is Finally on the Way
After years of teasing Don’t Be Dumb, A$AP Rocky recently assured fans that the album is officially finished and will be dropping soon.
“I’m in the mixing and mastering realm of it, but I think quite frankly, people are tired of hearing about updates about the album,” he told GQ. “They’re just ready to get this shit.”
“The album’s done. I just want to drop it. I don’t want to keep saying what I’m going to do, I want to give people what I’ve been promising them for a long-ass f*cking time.”
With this new Rolling Loud performance, A$AP Rocky is proving that his return to music will be as bold and uncompromising as ever. Whether Don’t Be Dumb will include his fiery new track remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: Rocky is coming back in full force.
