A$AP Rocky Goes From Hunted to Hunter in the “SWAT TEAM” Music Video
The ‘DON’T BE DUMB’ visual arrives just days after Rocky’s surreal clip for “SHROOM CLOUDS.”
Summary
A$AP Rocky shares the official video for “SWAT TEAM” after previewing a snippet for crowds on his Don’t Be Dumb World Tour
Rocky co-directs the clip with Arnaud Deroudilhe, and Frenzy Paris handles production
The release caps a packed stretch for Rocky that includes a new single, a sold-out European run and an Australia and New Zealand return
A$AP Rocky has dropped the music video for “SWAT TEAM,” a standout cut from his fourth studio album, DON’T BE DUMB. Fans got an early look when Rocky screened a clip during stops on his “Don’t Be Dumb World Tour,” and the full visual now delivers on that tease with a chase that ends on Rocky’s terms. The video lands in the middle of one of the busiest months of his current album cycle.
Rocky took the director’s chair himself for the clip, sharing credit with Arnaud Deroudilhe, while Parisian production house Frenzy Paris brought the project together. The setup is simple and pointed. A tactical unit closes in on Rocky, who stays completely unbothered as the pursuit unfolds around him, until he and his crew flip the power dynamic, overwhelm the officers and seize command of the scene. That reversal gives the track’s title a sly double meaning, turning the would-be captors into the ones being outmaneuvered.
The visual follows close on the heels of new music. On Friday, Rocky released the much-anticipated single “SHROOM CLOUDS,” which pulls in reggie and Jeremih, and he followed it on Monday with a dreamlike, psychedelic video for the song. Releasing two visuals in under a week signals a deliberate push to keep the DON’T BE DUMB era in motion well past the album’s January arrival.
That album marked Rocky’s first full-length project in eight years and arrived to strong reviews, powered by tracks including “PUNK ROCKY,” “STAY HERE 4 LIFE” featuring Brent Faiyaz, “STOLE YA FLOW” and “HELICOPTER.” Tim Burton illustrated the cover in collaboration with Rocky, rendering six of the rapper’s best-known alter egos in his signature gothic style, with each figure tied to a defining chapter of Rocky’s career.
Rocky’s live momentum has kept pace with the releases. Earlier in October, he closed out a fully sold-out 25-date run across the UK and Europe, playing 19 countries and pairing new DON’T BE DUMB material with longtime favorites. The tour also made history in Central and Eastern Europe, where Rocky became the first rap artist to headline eight arena dates in the region. Next up, the tour heads to Australia and New Zealand in December, his first shows there in eight years.
Watch A$AP Rocky’s “SWAT TEAM” video above.
