ASAP Rocky

ASAP Rocky (born October 3, 1988, Harlem, New York, U.S.) is an American rapper and artist known for his experimental approach, “cloud rap”–style music, bold fashion statements, and long-standing romantic partnership with global pop star Rihanna. In addition to his music career, he has collaborated with a number of fashion designers and brands. His creative agency AWGE serves both as a platform for his work and as a venue to support up-and-coming artists.

Raised by Harlem

Rakim Mayers was born in Harlem, New York, to assistant nurse Renee Black and Adrian Mayers, who was born in Barbados. He was named for Rakim, an iconic rapper of the late 1980s and member of the duo Eric B. and Rakim. Mayers’s sister Erika B. was named for the other half of the duo.

When Mayers was 12, his father was incarcerated on drug-related charges. The following year his elder brother, Ricky, was killed by a rival dealer. This began a period of living in temporary homes and homeless shelters for Mayers and his family. By age 13 he was selling drugs; he spent two weeks in jail on Rikers Island for firing a gun at a neighborhood bully.

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Mayers quit selling drugs in early 2011 to focus on his music. When he was 21 he and his mother moved permanently to Elmwood Park, New Jersey.

Leaders of the new cool

About the age of 20, Mayers was pulled into the A$AP Mob, a hip-hop collective headed by a man who would become his best friend and mentor, Steven (“A$AP Yams”) Rodriguez. A$AP Rocky officially debuted in July 2011, when the music video for “Purple Swag” premiered. He was in talks with major music labels within a week. His single “Peso,” released in August, was being played on the major New York hip-hop radio station Hot 97 shortly after. In October he signed a deal with Sony/Polo Grounds Music for $3 million and released his debut mixtape, LIVE.LOVE.A$AP. Pitchfork called the tape “a triumph of immaculate taste.”

His debut studio album, LONG.LIVE.A$AP (2013), topped the Billboard charts and was described by the A.V. Club as “an aesthetic marvel.” In 2022 it was named number 193 of Rolling Stone’s 200 greatest hip-hop albums of all time. His single “F**kin’ Problems,” featuring Kendrick Lamar, Drake, and 2 Chainz, reached number four on the R&B/hip-hop charts and went eight times platinum. It also received a Grammy nomination.

A$AP Rocky became one of the “leaders of the new cool,” touring with Wiz Khalifa, Rihanna, and Drake and collaborating with Lana Del Rey, Usher, and Tyler, The Creator. AT.LONG.LAST.A$AP (2015) debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. Featuring Kanye West, Rod Stewart, and A$AP Rocky’s mentor A$AP Yams, the album was described by Billboard as “a confident, but confounding experiment.” The music video for his single “L$D” received a Grammy nomination in 2015.

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Later in the 2010s A$AP Rocky featured on songs such as Selena Gomez’s “Good for You” (which topped the pop songs airplay chart) and G-Eazy’s “No Limit,” which also featured Cardi B and hit number four on the Billboard Hot 100. His 2018 album Testing, featuring artists such as FKA Twigs and Frank Ocean, received mixed reviews.

A$AP Rocky was nominated for a Grammy for best music video for “Tailor Swif” in 2024; it was shot in Kyiv, Ukraine, in December 2021. He also dipped into acting, debuting in Dope in 2015 and going on to act in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (2025) and Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest (2025). He founded the creative agency AWGE as a platform for his many projects, including fashion collaborations, music videos, and support for young artists, including rapper Playboi Carti.

After a long wait, fans welcomed A$AP Rocky’s fourth studio album, Don’t Be Dumb, in 2026. It debuted at the top of the Billboard 200.

Fashion

From an early age A$AP Rocky was making bold fashion statements, from wearing purses to rocking a babushka, which he initially adopted to cover a scar. “The nails, the kilts, the pretty-boy swag, the pearls—I think it’s just being comfortable,” A$AP Rocky told GQ in 2021. This willingness to experiment with striking, androgynous styles has received a lot of acclaim, but one thing remains the same through most of his looks: his signature braids, a tribute to his late brother.

A$AP Rocky has released capsule collections with Parisian designer Marine Serre and Puma. He was the first Black man to be the face of Dior Homme and was the first creative director for Ray-Ban, and he has collaborated with Jeremy Scott, Guess, and Vans, among others. He cochaired the 2025 Met Gala, themed “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” and was named the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s 2025 Fashion Icon. In 2026 A$AP Rocky was honored with the NAACP Image Awards’ Vanguard Award for Fashion.

Personal life and legal trouble

A$AP Rocky has faced legal trouble a few times in his adult life. In a very prominent case in July 2019, A$AP Rocky was involved in a street fight in Sweden and was jailed until his trial. U.S. Pres. Donald Trump got personally involved, and the case took on implications for international diplomacy, as Trump publicly announced he would contact the Swedish prime minister and called for A$AP Rocky’s release. He was released from custody in August and allowed to return to the United States while awaiting the verdict. Later that month A$AP Rocky was found guilty of assault and was given a two-year conditional sentence that did not require him to return to jail.

In November 2021 a longtime friend accused A$AP Rocky of firing multiple gunshots during an argument in Los Angeles’ Hollywood district. He faced two felony assault charges in the incident but was acquitted in 2025 after his defense argued the weapon was a prop gun and the prosecution failed to provide evidence that he wielded a real weapon.

On January 18, 2015, A$AP Rocky’s best friend and longtime mentor A$AP Yams died of an accidental overdose. The following year A$AP Rocky started a tradition with the A$AP Mob of hosting annual concerts or live streams each year for Yams Day, the anniversary of Yams’s death.

A$AP Rocky has been in a relationship with singer and fashion mogul Rihanna since at least 2020. They have three children: daughter Rocki Irish and sons RZA Athelston and Riot Rose.