A$AP Rocky, Punky Rocky | Song Review

Rapper A$AP Rocky embraces punk and takes a more experimental, left-field approach on “Punk Rocky,” the promo single from his fourth album, Don’t Be Dumb.   

A$AP Rocky fully embraces the rock sound on the 10th track from Don’t Be Dumb.  The guitars (Donadi and Fogarty), bass (Ging) and drums (Ging) are locked into the punk spirit!  This is “Punk Rocky” after all! Besides his songwriting and production duties, Cristoforo Donadi sings the refrain, the first section on the track that features vocals (“Sometimes I forget what love is / Trust me, love me, take me right back”). A$AP Rocky follows with a sung chorus, excerpted earlier.  Then, on a lengthy post-chorus, he contrasts with less pitch and more hip-hop.  “I thought I feel in love, I thought she felt it too,” he spits, and adds, “I thought we was in love, she just another fluke.” Woo! Finally, the first verse arrives, with the rapper delivering his fair share of intriguing lyrics, quasi-rapped, quasi-sung.  

“I cried alone in my truck, yeah
I felt alone in the front ’cause I don’t know who to trust
And I’ve been going through some stuff
Don’t trust these hoes you love, yeah
Your ego’s one hell of a drug (Yeah, ooh).” 

From there, Rocky drops the pitched chorus and the contrasting unpitched post-chorus. Donadi’s refrain recurs before Rocky’s second verse.  The second verse continues to compel.  The unusualness is part of the charm: “Got me crying in the microphone / Let me shout on the megaphone / That ho ain’t my type no more / She ain’t in my life no more.” An outro caps off “Punk Rocky” which is an exhilarating music ride.  The distinct, experimental rap cut with ample punk vibes may not tickle everyone’s fancy, but if you enjoy a dash of left-field hip-hop, this joint just might be your cup of tea.