ASAP Rocky offers new music update at debut Paris Fashion Week show

ASAP Rocky announced the release date of his much-anticipated new album during the debut of his AWGE runway collection American Sabotage at Paris Fashion Week.

The US rapper brought his zeitgeisty style to the global stage before announcing his new music, titled Don’t Be Dumb, is set for release on August 30 – six years after his last album release.

The phrase Don’t Be Dumb was emblazoned on several of the fashion pieces, including a vest which appeared to be made out of plastic.

Music superstar Rihanna, who shares two sons with Rocky, was among those sitting on the front row.

The Barbadian singer was spotted filming the debut fashion collection with her phone during the catwalk show, which featured a variety of distressed clothing, layers of bandana, balaclavas and cargos.

Hip-hop star, fashion mogul and two-time Grammy nominee Rocky appeared at the end of the show wearing sunglasses and appearing to ask the attendees to cheer louder.

A notice appeared at the end of the live broadcast of the show, which read: “Don’t Be Dumb, ASAP Rocky, pre-order available now.”

The musician first teased the fashion line at Rolling Loud festival in 2023, wearing a bulletproof vest decorated with the Don’t Be Dumb phrase which was the rumoured title of his forthcoming fourth album.

Rocky described the fashion show as “political satire” to GQ magazine, a phrase which was emblazoned on a T-shirt in the collection.

It comes months before Rocky is set to face a criminal trial in Los Angeles, after pleading not guilty to two counts of assault with a semi-automatic firearm.

The rapper, real name Rakim Mayers, is alleged to have pointed a semi-automatic handgun at a former friend and collaborator before allegedly firing it in his direction outside a Hollywood hotel in November 2021.