A$AP Rocky delivers early Christmas gift with new album's release date

A$AP Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Athelston Mayers, delighted fans with an early Christmas treat.

The American rapper and record producer finally revealed the release date of his much-anticipated album, titled Don’t Be Dumb.

Taking to Instagram on Friday, December 19, the Harlem-born artist announced that his much-delayed set of songs will be arriving on January 16.

"JANUARY 16 2026 , DON’T BE DUMB VINYLS , CDs , CASSETTES , AND DIGITAL DSPs AVAILABLE , THANKS TO EVERY CREATIVE AND MUSICIAN WHO HELPED ME WITH THIS MASTERPIECE," he captioned the series of photos, which featured the Tim Burton-assisted album’s cover art.

It is pertinent to note that as of yet it’s unclear what the critically acclaimed American filmmaker and animator’s involvement in the album exactly is, but Rocky, 37, previously revealed last year that he played his music for the Beetlejuice director.

Interestingly, the Am I Dreaming singer previously hinted at the release date during a live rendition a month before the official revelation.

In December, theories of a January 16 release date began to swirl after the 37-year-old performed at Camp Flog Gnaw in November, which saw him on stage with the numbers "01162026" emblazoned across the sleeve of his hoodie.

Notably, Don’t Be Dumb will be coming out more than seven years after Rocky’s last offering.

He released his third studio album TESTING in May 2018.