ASAP Rocky

• 1. Introduction

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  ASAP Rocky became a radio name in August 2011, when his single "Peso" leaked online. Within weeks, Hot 97, a high-profile New York station, was playing it. The song helped push cloud rap, a style of hip hop, into mainstream attention. The man behind it is Rakim Athelston Mayers, who is an American rapper, record producer, actor, fashion designer and model. His stage name, stylized A$AP Rocky, comes from a collective he joined as a young man. Where did his voice come from? Why do his name and face turn up on fashion campaigns and film posters as often as on albums? And what happens when a public figure's life reaches a courtroom, twice? The chapters ahead take those questions in turn, starting with the neighborhood where it all began.

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• 2. Harlem Roots

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  Rakim Athelston Mayers was born on the 3rd of October 1988 in Harlem, a neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. His father, Adrian "Duke" Athelston Mayers, came from Barbados. His mother, Rina "Renee" Black, is of African American and part Guyanese descent. The couple raised four children: Ricky, Erika B., Rakim and Asia. Rakim and Erika took their names from the hip hop duo Eric B. & Rakim. Mayers also has 10 other paternal siblings.

  At age nine, Mayers moved to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and started rapping. His older brother taught him how. That brother also wore the cornrows hairdo that Mayers would later adopt himself.

  The year Mayers turned 12, his father went to jail. He spent his teenage years moving around homeless shelters with his mother and sister. After a period in a New York City shelter, he moved to Midtown Manhattan. When Mayers was 13, his brother Ricky was killed by gun violence in Harlem. The loss inspired him to take rapping more seriously.

  His tastes ran through the Harlem group the Diplomats, whom he admired while growing up. He was also influenced by Mobb Deep, Three 6 Mafia, UGK, Run DMC, Wu-Tang Clan and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. His father died in 2012. By then, his cousin ASAP Nast had become a fellow member of the crew that Mayers joined in his teens.

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• 3. Mob and Mentor

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  In 2007, Mayers joined the A$AP Mob, a Harlem-based collective of rappers, producers, music video directors, fashion designers and bikers. Its members shared interests in music, fashion, style and art. A$AP Yams, A$AP Bari and A$AP Illz had formed the group.

  In July 2011, Mayers released the single "Purple Swag", which quickly became a street anthem in New York City. A music video for the song drew attention from several record labels. In October, he released the mixtape Live. Love. A$AP to critical acclaim. That same month, he signed a two-year, $3 million deal with Polo Grounds Music, led by Bryan Leach. At the time, the label was distributed through J Records, part of Clive Davis' Sony Music division.

  The money was split. About $1.7 million was earmarked for his solo work and $1.3 million to fund his own company. Mayers said he wanted a bigger platform for himself and his collective. With Yams, he started a label called A$AP Worldwide.

  On the 7th of October, RCA Music Group announced that J, Arista and Jive Records would merge into RCA Records. Mayers and every other artist on those three labels would release future material under RCA. On the 5th of December, he was nominated in the BBC's Sound of 2012 poll.

  Not everyone in hip hop welcomed the rise. In June 2012, SpaceGhostPurrp, founder of the Miami collective Raider Klan, accused A$AP Twelvyy of jumping a Raider Klan member named Matt Stoops. He cut ties with the Mob and Mayers in a YouTube video. He also accused the Mob of copying his group's style. Mayers answered in a July interview with MTV, saying SpaceGhostPurrp was trying to build hype and should stick to making beats.

  The Mob's founder-mentor, Steven "A$AP Yams" Rodriguez, died on the 18th of January 2015 at the age of 26. Reports later said the cause was acute mixed drug intoxication. Mayers and several Mob members said he died of sleep apnea, which caused asphyxiation and pulmonary aspiration. Yams was listed among the executive producers of the album Mayers was finishing, alongside Juicy J, Danger Mouse and Mayers himself.

  Three days after the death, the film Dope premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. There, Mayers performed "Multiply" on stage as a dedication to his friend and partner. He ran backstage minutes later to calm down. In October 2021, he gave Live. Love. A$AP, the mixtape from the Yams years, a release on all streaming platforms for its 10-year anniversary.

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• 4. Private Life

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  For some years, Mayers was a pescetarian. In 2012, he moved to a vegetarian diet with the help of his vegan manager, after learning of the horrors of the poultry industry. On his 2019 single "Babushka Boi", he stated that he is vegan.

  From 2011 to 2012, Mayers dated the Australian rapper Iggy Azalea. He began dating the model Chanel Iman in early 2013. By April 2014, the two were reported to be engaged. They broke up in June 2014.

  On the 19th of May 2021, Mayers told GQ that he was in a relationship with the Barbadian singer Rihanna. He called her "the love of my life". He had already performed as an opening act on her Diamonds World Tour in 2013. Rihanna gave birth to their first son in 2022. Their second son arrived in 2023, after she revealed that pregnancy during her Super Bowl LVII halftime show performance. The couple announced a third pregnancy at the 2025 Met Gala. Their third child, a girl, was born on the 13th of September 2025.

  Mayers was raised in a Christian household, but he does not like going to an organized church. He has said, "I have my own relationship with God... I pray every day before I go to sleep." He explores those views on the song "Holy Ghost", from his 2015 album At. Long. Last. A$AP. During his 2019 incarceration in Sweden, he prayed to keep himself occupied.

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• 5. Two Courtrooms

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  Mayers served two weeks at Rikers Island in 2006, where he shared a cell with the future rapper Casanova. His two major cases came years later, one in Stockholm and one in Los Angeles.

  On the 30th of June 2019, an altercation took place in a Stockholm street. It involved Mayers, three members of his entourage, and a man named Mustafa Jafari along with another person. Jafari suffered several cuts that required stitches, and a fractured rib. Mayers posted two videos of the incident to Instagram. In the first, he and his entourage repeatedly ask two young men to stop following them. The second was assembled from footage of assorted events. In it, Jafari's headphones break during a scuffle and he hits Mayers' bodyguard with them.

  Henrik Olsson Lilja, Mayers' defense attorney, maintained that his client acted in self-defense. Prosecutors dropped the investigation of Jafari, saying he acted in self-defense after the bodyguard grabbed him by the neck and pushed him. Mayers was arrested in July, after being allowed to finish a gig at Stadion. Judges saw a risk that he might flee or tamper with evidence. He was held at Kronoberg Remand Prison until the trial, and his tour went on hiatus.

  The case became an international story. Personnel from the US embassy visited him shortly after his arrest. Several US artists called for a boycott of Sweden, and a petition to release him was started. His family asked Al Sharpton for help. President Donald Trump tweeted his support. Justice minister Morgan Johansson later revealed that Trump had threatened trade restrictions against Sweden if Mayers was not released. Foreign minister Margot Wallstrom said the government could not interfere, citing Chapter 11 section 3 of the Instrument of Government, which bars politicians from interfering in the work of courts.

  Mayers was convicted of assault and given a suspended prison sentence. He was ordered to pay 12,500 kr, about $1,270, in damages to the victim. The court could not decide who used the bottle, but said it was not a case of self-defense. He had already spent over a month in jail, so he served no additional time. The conviction does not bar him from returning to Sweden.

  On the 20th of April 2022, LAPD officers arrested Mayers at Los Angeles International Airport, as he arrived from a vacation with his partner. The charge was a potential assault with a deadly weapon, in a Hollywood shooting on the 6th of November 2021. The victim was a former friend and collaborator, Terell Ephron, known as ASAP Relli. He survived with only a graze to his knuckle. Bail was set at $550,000, and Mayers was released shortly after.

  Detectives searched his home with a warrant, forcing the gate open with a pry bar. Officers found no shell casings at the scene. They recovered no fingerprints from the 9mm casings that Ephron later gave police. The gun was never found. Surveillance footage showed a man in a hooded sweatshirt, identified as Mayers, potentially holding a gun.

  The district attorney's office filed charges on the 15th of August 2022. On the 20th of November 2023, Judge M.L. Villar found enough evidence for a trial. On the 8th of January 2024, Mayers pleaded not guilty. He turned down a plea bargain of six months in jail and risked a maximum sentence of over 20 years. The judge allowed cameras to record almost the entire trial, which broke from typical practice in LA County courts. The defense team and witnesses said Mayers had used a prop gun that fired blanks. Jurors were told they could acquit if he fired in self-defense. On the 18th of February, he was found not guilty.

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• 6. Brands and Screens

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  In 2014, Mayers founded AWGE, a creative agency and record label. AWGE launched partnerships with Marine Serre, Amina Muaddi, Moncler, JW Anderson, Under Armour, PacSun, Vans, Mercedes-Benz and Selfridges. It also produced conceptual collaborations with MTV and Needles.

  The fashion work started earlier. In 2013, Mayers and Mob co-founder ASAP Bari released an A$AP merchandise brand. He then collaborated with the designer and close friend Raf Simons. On the 2nd of October 2014, he announced worldwide representation by William Morris Endeavor. In February 2016, Guess released GUE$$, a collaboration inspired by the vintage 1990s clothing he wore while growing up.

  Mayers co-launched the cult fashion label VLONE and co-chaired the Met Gala in 2025. He led campaigns for DKNY, Calvin Klein, Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Ferragamo, Beats by Dre and Dior Homme. In 2022, he launched a whisky brand, Mercer + Prince, on the Revolt TV show Drink Champs. In 2023, he worked on Gucci's Guilty perfume advertisements and Puma sneakers made in collaboration with F1. That year he also fronted a Bottega Veneta campaign based on paparazzi candids. As of 2025, he serves as creative director for Puma F1 and Ray-Ban. Awards followed, including the Global Style Icon Award, the Virgil Abloh award, the Cultural Innovator Award, the Collaboration Of The Year Award and the Fashion Icon Award.

  On screen, Mayers first appeared in the 2015 indie comedy-drama Dope. He then took supporting roles in Monster in 2018, playing William King. In 2025, he appeared in If I Had Legs I'd Kick You as James. That same year he was in Spike Lee's Highest 2 Lowest, opposite Denzel Washington, as Yung Felon. Earlier, he had played John F. Kennedy in Lana Del Rey's 2012 video for "National Anthem". He voiced Falcon in the 2016 game Marvel Avengers Academy. He lent his voice and likeness to Need for Speed Unbound in 2022. He has also co-directed most of his own music videos. For other artists he has worked in production or co-writing, often under the pseudonym Lord Flacko.

  For the Highest 2 Lowest soundtrack, he released two songs in August 2025, "Both Eyes Closed" and "Trunks".

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• 7. Chart Years

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  Mayers recorded his debut studio album, Long. Live. A$AP, with several producers, including Clams Casino, Hit-Boy, Friendzone, A$AP Ty Beats, Soufien3000 and Joey Fat Beats. A 2012 single featuring Drake, 2 Chainz and Kendrick Lamar gave him his first Billboard Hot 100 entry, at number eight. It was nominated for Best Rap Song at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards. In February 2012, he had joined Kendrick Lamar as an opening act on Drake's Club Paradise Tour. "Goldie" was the album's first single, released on the 27th of April. In July 2012, he performed at the Pitchfork Music Festival. The night before a planned network television debut on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, he was arrested after an alleged brawl with the artist iRome. The performance was canceled, and he performed "Goldie" on the show on the 21st of August.

  From September through November 2012, Mayers toured 40 dates with ScHoolboy Q, Danny Brown and A$AP Mob. Long. Live. A$AP came out on the 15th of January 2013. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 139,000 copies in the United States. On the 16th of March 2015, the RIAA certified it gold for shipping 500,000 copies.

  In June 2013, Mayers told MTV News that he had finished a debut instrumental album of mostly ambient tracks. It was titled Beauty & The Beast: Slowed Down Sessions (Chapter 1). He previewed two snippets, "Riot Rave" and "Unicorn", but the project was delayed and has never been released.

  On the 16th of March 2014, he announced his second album under the title A.L.L.A., short for At. Long. Last. A$AP. On the 3rd of October 2014, his 26th birthday, he launched a short-lived giveaway called Flacko Jodye Season. It began with "Multiply", featuring extra vocals from Juicy J. "Everyday", featuring Rod Stewart, Miguel and Mark Ronson, followed on the 9th of May 2015, produced by Ronson and Emile Haynie. That day he also revealed the cover art on Instagram, with the caption "AT LONG LAST...." The album leaked online on the 25th of May, about a week before its planned release. Mayers tweeted that it would come out at midnight instead.

  At. Long. Last. A$AP debuted at number one with 116,000 copies sold in the United States, his second consecutive number one. Its single "L$D" was nominated for Best Music Video at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards. In March 2015, he told MTV News that he had made songs such as "Wild For The Night" for mainstream commercial success, and that he now hated them. In June 2015, he performed "L$D" on The Tonight Show with The Roots. He also rode along with Rod Stewart and the host James Corden in a Carpool Karaoke segment.

  Testing came after teasers on SoundCloud in January 2018, captioned "TESTING COMING SOON" and "THIS IS JUST A TEST". It was released on the 25th of May 2018 and debuted at number four, his third consecutive top-five album. His total tally of awards and nominations stands at five wins and 37 nominations.

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• 8. Don't Be Dumb

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  On the 28th of August 2019, Mayers released the music video for "Babushka Boi", directed by Nadia Lee Cohen. He supported the Red Hot Chili Peppers on their 2022 Unlimited Love Tour. After arriving late to a performance at Old Trafford in Manchester, he played a shortened 20-minute set after the band. In May 2022, he released the single "D.M.B." In December of that year, he appeared on Metro Boomin's album Heroes & Villains. That track also featured the late rapper Takeoff, who had been gunned down a month earlier. Later that month, Mayers named his upcoming fourth album Don't Be Dumb.

  In January 2023, he released "Same Problems?", featuring Lil Yachty, Miguel, Tyler, the Creator and Thundercat. The next summer he released "Riot (Rowdy Pipe'n)" with Pharrell Williams and Tyler, the Creator. That June he also appeared on two tracks from Metro Boomin's Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse soundtrack. One of them, "Am I Dreaming" with Roisee, was nominated at the 2023 Hollywood Music in Media Awards. In August 2024, he released "Highjack", featuring Jessica Pratt. Three more singles followed, "Tailor Swif", "Ruby Rosary" and "Pray4DaGang", though none made the pre-save tracklist.

  In December 2025, Mayers revealed that the cover art for Don't Be Dumb was designed by the filmmaker Tim Burton. The first single, "Punk Rocky", was directed by Mayers with Folkert Verdoorn and Simon Becks. It starred the actress Winona Ryder, and was released on the 5th of January 2026. The second single, "Helicopter", arrived with its own video on the 12th of January.

  Don't Be Dumb was released on the 16th of January 2026, which fell on National Nothing Day. Guests included Brent Faiyaz, Danny Elfman, Doechii, Gorillaz, Sauce Walka, Slay Squad, Thundercat, Tyler, the Creator, Westside Gunn and will.i.am. It became his third number one on the Billboard 200 and his first since At. Long. Last. A$AP. He was set to headline the closing date of the 2026 Governors Ball Music Festival on the 7th of June.

  On the 22nd of January, Mayers announced a deluxe reissue. The next day, on The Joe Budden Podcast, he confirmed it and hinted at production from Metro Boomin and Mike Will Made It, plus a possible feature from Rihanna. The Don't Be Dumb World Tour starts in Chicago on the 27th of May 2026 and ends in Paris on the 30th of September 2026.

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