| "Ruby Rosary" | ||||
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| Single byASAP Rocky featuringJ. Cole | ||||
| from the albumDon't Be Dumb | ||||
| Released | September 6, 2024 | |||
| Genre | Hip-hop | |||
| Length | 4:16 | |||
| Label |
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| Songwriters |
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| Producer | The Alchemist | |||
| ASAP Rocky singles chronology | ||||
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| J. Cole singles chronology | ||||
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"Ruby Rosary" is a song by American rapperASAP Rocky featuring fellow American rapperJ. Cole. Produced bythe Alchemist, it was released on September 6, 2024, as the third single from Rocky's upcoming fourth studio albumDon't Be Dumb.
The song contains downtempo piano-led beat.[1][2][3] ASAP Rocky performs the first two verses, in which he brags about his fashion style and position in the rap industry,[4] In the second verse, he directs subliminal shots toward fellow rapperDrake in response to hisdiss tracks "Push Ups" and "Family Matters",[2][4][5] rapping "Who dared me to die? / You a dead man walkin', like you barely alive / Cut everything but the family ties / Cut the shit, cut the lies, word to the wise / Who in your top five? (Fuck your top five) / I don't get fresh to death, bitch, I'm buried alive / I heard dawg talkin' funny, like it'sFamily Guy / Carin' for niggas like I'm Mary or Bob / Made a promise to God / You gotta strive when you marry the mob".[2][3][4][6] The lyrics reference "Buried Alive", the interlude on Drake's albumTake Care whichKendrick Lamar (whom Drake isfeuding with) raps on, as well as the disses that Drake and Lamar aimed at each other about their families in "Family Matters" and "Meet the Grahams".[2][6] J. Cole performs the third and final verse,[3][4] in which he raps about continuing to be a successful rapper[5] and ignoring his past.[3]
The song was well received by music critics. Elias Andrews ofHotNewHipHop wrote, "The Alchemist is one of the most consistently dazzling producers in hip hop. He knows how to mold his signature sound to whomever he's working with, and he nails the off-kilter, spooky ASAP vibe. ASAP Rocky gets more melodic with his flow than he did on previous singles, and it results in a fascinating groove. J Cole reminds us that when he's on, he's one of the best feature artists in the game. He makes a meal out of this beat. His rhyme scheme is do dense yet catchy that it sounds borderline stream of consciousness."[7] Shawn Grant ofThe Source described the song as "blending Rocky's dynamic style with Cole's sharp lyricism."[8] Tom Breihan ofStereogum commented "it's got Rocky flexing an understated swagger, rhyming 'Rosalía' with 'Jodeci' and 'ovaries.' J. Cole, meanwhile, absolutely spazzes out, spacewalking on the beat as if he's convinced himself that he can make everyone forget theKendrick debacle if he raps hard enough."[9] Aaron Williams ofUproxx called it a "mournful dirge for their foes".[10]
| Chart (2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[11] | 92 |
| New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[12] | 5 |
| USBillboard Hot 100[13] | 85 |
| USHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[14] | 22 |
