A$AP Rocky is an American rapper born on October 3, 1988. He started his music career as part of the ASAP Mob group where he got his stage name. In 2011, his single “Peso” got leaked online and quickly gained popularity on radio stations. Later that year he signed with Polo Grounds Music a label under RCA Records and released his first mixtape “Live. Love. A$AP” which received great reviews.
A$AP Rocky’s first studio album “Long. Live. A$AP” (2013) reached the top of the Billboard 200 chart and earned double platinum status from the RIAA. It was well-received by critics. The album featured his first Billboard Hot 100 hit “Fuckin’ Problems” featuring Drake, 2 Chainz, and Kendrick Lamar which was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Song. His second album “At. Long. Last. A$AP” (2015) also debuted at number one and continued to receive positive reviews. The song “L$D” from this album earned him another Grammy nomination for Best Music Video.
His third album “Testing” (2018) also performed well on the charts in several countries. He is preparing to release his fourth album Don’t Be Dumb in 2024.
In addition to his music career A$AP Rocky has received several awards including a BET Award, two BET Hip Hop Awards, an MTV Video Music Award in Japan, and an MTVU Woodie Award. He has also been nominated for Grammy Awards, World Music Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, and MTV Europe Music Awards. Aside from performing A$AP Rocky is involved in directing music videos and producing records for other artists under the name Lord Flacko.
| Full Name | Rakim Athelaston Mayers |
| Date of Birth | October 3, 1988 |
| Place of Birth | Harlem, New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Rapper, singer, songwriter, actor |
| Height | 5 feet 10 inches (178 cm) |
| Partners | Rihanna |
| Children | RZA and Riot |
| Net Worth | $20 million |
ASAP Rocky’s Early Life
Rakim Athelaston Mayers known professionally as ASAP Rocky was born on October 3, 1988, in Harlem New York City. His dad is from Barbados. He has an older brother (who passed away) and an older sister named Erika. Both Rakim and Erika got their names from the famous Eric B. & Rakim duo. His cousin is also part of the ASAP Mob crew.
Rakim got into rapping when he was just nine years old shortly after moving to Harrisburg Pennsylvania. His older brother who also rocked the Cornrows hairstyle that Rakim later adopted taught him how to rap. Tragically when Rakim was 13 his brother was killed in Harlem. This event deeply affected Rakim and pushed him to take rapping seriously.
Growing up Rakim looked up to the Harlem rap group The Diplomats. He was also influenced by other iconic rap acts like Mobb Deep, Three 6 Mafia, UGK, Run DMC, Wu-Tang Clan, and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.
Life wasn’t easy for Rakim during his teenage years. At 12 his father went to jail and he along with his mother and sister moved between homeless shelters. They spent some time in a shelter in New York City before eventually settling in Midtown Manhattan. Sadly his father passed away in 2012.
Career
In 2007, ASAP Rocky joined a group called A$AP Mob from Harlem which included rappers, producers, music video directors, fashion designers, and bikers who all shared a love for music style and art. The group was started by ASAP Yams ASAP Bari and ASAP Illz.
In July 2011, ASAP Rocky released “Purple Swag” a song that became very popular in New York City. Just a month later another track of his called “Peso” leaked online and quickly started playing on Hot 97 a major radio station in New York. This brought him the attention of several record labels.
In October, of the same year ASAP Rocky put out a mixtape called Live. Love. A$AP which was well-received by critics. He also signed a $3 million deal with Polo Grounds Music which was part of Sony Music’s J Records. With this deal ASAP Rocky launched his label A$AP Worldwide alongside ASAP Yams. However, this deal was cut short when J Records merged with RCA Records in October 2011.
ASAP Rocky was nominated for the BBC’s Sound of 2012 poll in December 2011. The following year he joined Kendrick Lamar as an opening act for Drake’s Club Paradise Tour.
In mid-2012, there was some controversy when ASAP Rocky and his group were accused of copying another music collective’s style. This led to tensions but ASAP Rocky dismissed the claims in an interview with MTV.
Despite a few setbacks ASAP Rocky continued to perform and release music. His debut studio album is Long. Live. A$AP came out in January 2013 and received positive reviews. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart and sold over 139000 copies in its first week.
ASAP Rocky also worked on an instrumental album titled Beauty & The Beast: Slowed Down Sessions (Chapter 1) which he planned to release for free. Although he previewed some tracks the full album has yet to be released.
On March 16, 2014, ASAP Rocky announced his second album A.L.L.A. (short for At. Long. Last. A$AP) following his debut Long. Live. A$AP. When the ASAP Mob album L.O.R.D. faced delays Rocky worked with ASAP Ferg Nast and Twelvyy on the single “Hella Hoes” released on June 6, 2014. However, ASAP Yams later shared that the album was put on hold.
To mark his 26th birthday on October 3, 2014, Rocky launched a brief music giveaway named Flacko Jodye Season starting with “Multiply” featuring Juicy J. It was later officially released on iTunes.
On New Year’s Day 2015, Rocky dropped the lead single from A.L.L.A. “Lord Pretty Flacko Jodye 2 (LPFJ2)” followed by tragic news on January 18 of his mentor ASAP Yams’ passing at 26. Conflicting reports surrounded Yams’ death with Rocky and others attributing it to his sleep apnea.
Rocky revealed in March 2015 that his approach to mainstream hits like “Wild For The Night” and “Fuckin’ Problems” had soured expressing a change in his musical outlook. In April 2015 he debuted “M’$” during an interview and clarified it wasn’t an official single.
Leading up to the release of A.L.L.A. Rocky faced leaks but decided to drop the album early in May 2015. It received mixed reviews but topped the Billboard 200 chart marking his second consecutive number-one album in the US.
Post-release Rocky appeared in the film “Dope” and made several TV appearances. He continued collaborating with artists like Selena Gomez and Lana Del Rey. In 2018 he released “Testing” which debuted at number four on the Billboard 200.
Rocky’s career expanded with features on songs by artists like Alicia Keys, Lana Del Rey, and G-Eazy. He announced his fourth album “Don’t Be Dumb” featuring production by Metro Boomin set for release in the future.
Net Worth
A$AP Rocky has an estimated net worth of $20 Million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. The main source of ASAP Rocky’s net worth comes from his career as a successful rapper, songwriter, and producer. His earnings primarily come from music sales, concerts, endorsements, and other business ventures related to his music career.
Personal life
ASAP Rocky dated Australian rapper Iggy Azalea from 2011 to 2012. Then he started dating model Chanel Iman in early 2013 and they were even engaged briefly in April 2014 but they split up in June that same year.
In May 2021, ASAP Rocky revealed in an interview with GQ that he’s in a relationship with Rihanna whom he described as “the love of my life.” They were first linked in 2013 when he opened for Rihanna’s Diamonds World Tour. In January 2022, People magazine reported that they were expecting their first child and in May 2022 Rihanna gave birth to a baby boy. They named him RZA Athelaston Mayers after the Wu-Tang Clan founder. During the Super Bowl LVII halftime show, Rihanna announced she was pregnant with their second child, and their second son Riot Rose was born in August of that year.
ASAP Rocky used to be a pescetarian but switched to a vegetarian diet in 2012 after learning about issues in the poultry industry. By 2019 he had become vegan as mentioned in his song “Babushka Boi.”
He was raised in a Christian household but doesn’t attend organized church services. Instead, he has a personal connection with God and prays nightly.
In October 2011, ASAP Rocky signed a $3 million record deal with Sony Music Entertainment using part of it to support his own company. He aimed to expand his platform and released mixtapes through Sony/RED alongside fellow rapper A$AP Ferg.
In 2013, ASAP Rocky and ASAP Mob co-founder ASAP Bari launched the A$AP merchandise brand collaborating with designer Raf Simons. In 2014 he signed with William Morris Endeavor for global representation.
ASAP Rocky partnered with Guess in 2016 for the GUE$$ collaboration inspired by his love for their ’90s vintage style. In 2022 he launched his whisky brand Mercer + Prince and in 2023 he collaborated with Gucci on perfume ads Puma on sneakers with an F1 theme and Bottega Veneta on a unique campaign inspired by paparazzi photos.
Legal issues
In July 2019, ASAP Rocky was arrested in Stockholm Sweden first for severe assault and later for minor assault. The incident began when Rocky and his crew got into a street fight with a man named Mustafa Jafari and another person on June 30. Jafari was beaten up kicked and cut with broken bottles while on the ground. He had cuts needing stitches and a fractured rib.
Videos posted by Rocky showed an argument in which Jafari and another guy followed them complaining about headphones. Another video showed Jafari breaking his headphones during a scuffle and hitting Rocky’s bodyguard with them. A woman in the video accused the two men of groping.
Rocky’s lawyer claimed he acted in self-defense after being attacked by Jafari. Rocky’s bodyguard also filed a complaint against Jafari who was initially suspected of harassment and minor assault. Prosecutors later dropped the case against Jafari citing self-defense after he was grabbed and pushed by the bodyguard.
Rocky was arrested right after a concert and kept in custody until trial due to concerns he might flee or tamper with evidence. His ongoing tour was halted because of the legal proceedings. During his detention, he received a visit from the US embassy and support from several American artists who called for a boycott of Sweden. There was even a petition and appeals for help to release him.
Former President Donald Trump supported Rocky and threatened trade restrictions against Sweden if he wasn’t released. Despite calls for intervention Sweden’s government cited legal restrictions against interfering with court cases.
Rocky was eventually convicted of assault but received a suspended prison sentence and had to pay damages to the victim. He had already spent time in jail awaiting trial so he didn’t serve additional time. The conviction doesn’t prevent him from returning to Sweden.
In a separate incident on April 20, 2022, Rocky was arrested in Los Angeles upon returning from a vacation with Rihanna. He was charged with assault with a deadly weapon related to a shooting in Hollywood in November 2021 involving former friend and collaborator ASAP Relli. Rocky was released on bail and had his home searched by detectives.
Charges were officially filed against Rocky in August 2022 and in November 2023 a judge in Los Angeles decided there was enough evidence for him to stand trial. Rocky pleaded not guilty in January 2024 with further court hearings scheduled. He missed one court date which caused further attention in the case.
