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Morrissey no longer appears to be involved in A$AP Rocky’s newly released album ‘Don’t Be Dumb’.

Rocky shared his long awaited album yesterday January 16 and some listeners had anticipated a contribution from Morrissey after the rapper spoke openly about wanting to collaborate with The Smiths frontman back in 2018.

“I might have to fuck with Morrissey on some Smiths shit,” he said at the time. “Make some emo, real, retro infusion, motherfuckin’ 2018 shit, man.” He later revisited the idea in 2021, explaining that Morrissey had been writing, producing and recording vocals for the project when it was still titled ‘All Smiles’, before eventually being renamed ‘Don’t Be Dumb’.

Rocky continued to hint at the collaboration in 2024, revealing that Morrissey was set to appear on a song called ‘Hood Happy’, which ultimately never saw release.

Despite the earlier teases, when ‘Don’t Be Dumb’ arrived yesterday, Morrissey’s name was absent from the album’s list of featured artists.

The record does include what many fans believe to be a diss aimed at Drake, titled ‘Stole Ya Flow’, which also contains references to Rocky’s partner Rihanna.

‘Don’t Be Dumb’ marks Rocky’s first full length release in nearly eight years, following 2018’s ‘Testing’. He initially announced the album in June 2024 with an August release window, although it later faced multiple delays. By February 2025, he said he was “in the mixing and mastering realm of it,” before finally confirming a January release date in December.

NME previously named ‘Don’t Be Dumb’ among its most anticipated album releases of 2026, writing: “After a years long legal battle, A$AP Rocky was found not guilty last February for his role in a 2021 shooting incident. His fourth album ‘Don’t Be Dumb’ preceded by singles such as ‘Pray4DaGang’, ‘Ruby Rosary’ and ‘Tailor Swif’ and arriving nearly eight years after ‘Testing’ feels like the return of a prodigal son.”

Elsewhere, Rocky was announced in November as a new brand ambassador for Chanel. Speaking about the fashion house’s artistic director Matthieu Blazy, he said: “His designs feel both sensitive and strong, they’re grounded in reality but at the same time, always invite one to wonder. I’m so excited to see him at Chanel.”

Two months earlier, he and Rihanna welcomed their third child together. Rocki Irish Mayers was born on September 13 after the ‘Umbrella’ singer revealed her pregnancy with a dramatic late arrival at the Met Gala in May.

Rocky also appeared on the big screen last year, starring in the indie favourite If I Had Legs I’d Kick You alongside Rose Byrne and Conan O’Brien, as well as Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest, where he appeared opposite Denzel Washington.