A$AP Rocky Enlists Tim Burton for ‘Air Force (Black Demarco)’ Video

A$AP Rocky shared a music video for “Air Force (Black Demarco),” which stars filmmaker Tim Burton, a collaborator on the rapper’s new LP, Don’t Be Dumb.

The clip, directed by A$AP Rocky and AWGE, is narrated in the style of Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas and follows the director as he brings to life the six alter-ego characters he designed for Don’t Be Dumb. While sitting at a bar with his sketchbook, Burton accidentally unleashes the characters into New York City, where they cause chaos. The animated characters visit familiar locations, including the West 4th Street Subway station and the Statue of Liberty.

“Air Force (Black Demarco)” appears on A$AP Rocky’s latest release, Don’t Be Dumb, his fourth studio album and his first LP in eight years. It encompasses 15 tracks and includes previously released singles “Punk Rocky” and “Helicopter,” which both rolled out with wildly surreal music videos — the first featuring Winona Ryder, Thundercat, and Danny Elfman, another Burton collaborator. Rocky partnered with Burton for the cover art, which features the six personas seen in the video.

When speaking to Perfect about what’s taken him nearly eight years to follow up 2018’s Testing, Rocky said he’s seeking perfection and honed in on building a legacy. “That’s why I’m not so eager to just drop, drop, drop,” he said. “I don’t do things to just try and stay relevant, or keep my name in the conversation. I try to do natural things, creative, ambitious things that really satisfy me.”

The rapper performed on Saturday Night Live over the weekend to promote the album. On the late-night sketch show, he showcased lead single “Punk Rocky” before performing a medley of “Helicopter” and the album’s title track. He also held an album release party earlier in the week.

There’s no word yet from Rocky on a tour in support of his latest album. His next scheduled show is headlining the Governors Ball in Queens, New York in June.