Ahead of his forthcoming album, Don’t Be Dumb, ASAP Rocky graced fans with a new single titled “Ruby Rosary” on Friday (Sept. 6). Produced by The Alchemist, the New York native united with J. Cole for a lyrical onslaught.
Rocky kicked off the track by nodding to Rosalía and Jodeci before reminding listeners how he basically birthed a generation of rappers. Later in the song, he spat, “N**ga want smoke with me, tell him, ‘Push up, Hercules’/ Hercules, tell him push up, tell him pull up, 33/ My mind obliques, and I'm pushin', ambulance on the scene.”
Many took the aforementioned lyrics as a reference to “Push Ups” by Drake, even though the “L$D” artist said he’s not interested in feuding with the Canadian star. “I don't get fresh to death, bitch, I'm buried alive/ I heard dawg talkin' funny like it's ‘Family Guy,’” Rocky rapped elsewhere.
Cole, who helmed the record’s third verse, unloaded bars about Michael Jordan and even mentioned his hometown, Fayetteville. Similar to his collaboration with Metro Boomin and Future on “Red Leather,” the Dreamville Records founder faced pushback from fans for seemingly switching sides on Drake.
“J. Cole b**ched out the beef and made it a point to collaborate with every single one of Drake’s opps. [I] can’t respect this foolishness,” shared a stan account for the five-time Grammy winner. On the flip side, one person wrote, “Say what you want about how J. Cole handled that battle, it did not change how well he raps, and I’ll be damned if I act like it did.”
Another Twitter user noted, “Honestly, I don’t even wanna hear Rocky going back and forth with Drake on songs.”
Rocky’s Don’t Be Dumb is expected to arrive in the fall after a six-year hiatus. In anticipation of its full release, he shared “RIOT (Rowdy Pipe’n)” and “Tailor Swif.” The second-mentioned song may end up only being a loose single, considering it leaked in full two years ago.