A$AP Rocky

Overview

Rakim Athelaston Mayers, known professionally as A$AP Rocky, is a Harlem-born rapper who became one of the breakout stars of the 2010s. He is a member of the hip-hop collective A$AP Mob, from which he adopted his moniker. His career gained significant traction in 2011 after his single "Peso" was leaked online, leading to a record deal with RCA Records and the release of his critically acclaimed debut mixtape, Live.Love.A$AP.

A$AP Rocky has released two albums that debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200: Long.Live.A$AP (2013) and At.Long.Last.A$AP (2015). His third studio album, Testing (2018), entered the chart at No. 4. His commercial success includes the Grammy-nominated single "Fuckin'Problems," which featured Drake, 2 Chainz, and Kendrick Lamar and peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100. He has earned multiple platinum and multi-platinum certifications for his singles, including "Wild for the Night," "Praise the Lord (Da Shine)," and "A$AP Forever."

As a collaborator, A$AP Rocky has been featured on several Top 10 pop hits, such as Selena Gomez's "Good for You" and G-Eazy's "No Limit." His work spans numerous genres, with collaborations ranging from Skrillex and Skepta to Rod Stewart and Mark Ronson. More recently, he has released tracks with artists including slowthai ("MAZZA"), $not ("Doja"), and Tyler, The Creator and Nigo ("Lost and Found Freestyle 2019").

Early life and origins

Rakim Athelaston Mayers was born on October 3, 1988, in Harlem, New York. He began his music career as a member of the hip-hop collective A$AP Mob, from which he adopted his moniker. After moving from Harlem to Elmwood Park, New Jersey, he started rapping, drawing influence from Harlem's The Diplomats and Houston's UGK. In August 2011, his single "Peso" was leaked online and gained radio airplay within weeks. This led to a record deal with Polo Grounds Music, an imprint of RCA Records, in October of that year. He followed this by releasing his debut mixtape, Live. Love. A$AP (2011), to widespread critical acclaim.

Career

A$AP Rocky began his career as a member of the hip-hop collective A$AP Mob. In August 2011, his single "Peso" was leaked online and gained radio airplay within weeks. This led to him signing a deal with Polo Grounds Music, an imprint of RCA Records, in October 2011. The deal also allowed him to establish the A$AP Worldwide label with fellow A$AP Mob member A$AP Yams. Shortly after, he released his debut mixtape, the critically acclaimed street album Live.Love.A$AP (2011), which was re-released in February 2012. During 2012, Rocky was nominated for the BBC Sound of 2012 poll, appeared in Lana Del Rey's "National Anthem" music video, was featured in a commercial for the video game FIFA Soccer 13, and collaborated on a remix of Rihanna's "Cockiness (I Love It)." He also appeared on ScHoolboy Q's gold-certified track "Hands on the Wheel."

His official debut studio album, Long.Live.A$AP, was released in January 2013 and topped the Billboard 200 chart. The album's lead single, "Fuckin' Problems," featuring Drake, 2 Chainz, and Kendrick Lamar, peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100, achieved multi-platinum status, and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Song. The album also included the multi-platinum single "Wild for the Night," a collaboration with Skrillex and Birdy Nam Nam. In May 2015, Rocky released his second album, At.Long.Last.A$AP, which became his second consecutive No. 1 LP. Executive produced by Danger Mouse and Juicy J, it was supported by three platinum-certified singles: "Lord Pretty Flacko Jodye 2 (LPFJ2)," "Everyday" featuring Rod Stewart, Miguel, and Mark Ronson, and "LSD," whose video was nominated for a Grammy.

In the following years, A$AP Rocky was a frequent collaborator, appearing on Top Ten pop hits such as Selena Gomez's "Good for You" and G-Eazy's "No Limit." He also featured on tracks by Famous Dex ("Pick It Up"), Mura Masa ("Love Sick"), and the Black Eyed Peas ("Where Is the Love?"). His third solo album, Testing, was released in May 2018 and debuted at number four on the Billboard 200. The album produced two platinum singles, "A$AP Forever" featuring Moby and "Praise the Lord (Da Shine)" featuring Skepta. He ended the decade with singles including the charting track "Babushka Boi."

After a relatively quiet 2020, Rocky returned in 2021 with the slowthai collaboration "MAZZA" and a solo track, "Rich Nigga Problems," for the soundtrack of the film Judas and the Black Messiah. In 2022, he released further collaborations, including "Doja" with $not and "Lost and Found Freestyle 2019" with Tyler, The Creator and Nigo.

Style and influences

A$AP Rocky's music is primarily categorized as hip-hop and rap, with his style also incorporating elements of alternative hip-hop, trap, cloud rap, and psychedelic music. His early work was noted for blending the sounds of different regions, with his first tracks drawing influence from the boisterous spirit of Harlem's The Diplomats and the casual swagger of Houston's UGK. His debut mixtape, 2011's "Live.Love.A$AP," was met with widespread critical acclaim, establishing his atmospheric and genre-blending sound.

Throughout his career, Rocky has demonstrated a significant sonic evolution marked by a wide range of collaborations. His official debut album, "Long.Live.A$AP" (2013), featured the commercially successful single "Fuckin'Problems" with Drake, 2 Chainz, and Kendrick Lamar, as well as "Wild for the Night," a collaboration with electronic producer Skrillex and French group Birdy Nam Nam. This pattern of diverse collaboration continued on his second album, "At.Long.Last.A$AP" (2015), which was executive produced by Danger Mouse and Juicy J. The album included the psychedelic-influenced track "LSD" and the single "Everyday," which featured Rod Stewart, Miguel, and Mark Ronson.

His third album, "Testing" (2018), continued this experimental and collaborative approach, with features from artists such as Moby and Skepta. A$AP Rocky has also been a frequent featured artist on tracks by other musicians, contributing to pop hits like Selena Gomez's "Good for You" and G-Eazy's "No Limit." His other collaborators include Tyler, The Creator, slowthai, and Nigo, showcasing his versatility across different subgenres and styles.

Recent highlights

In recent years, A$AP Rocky has released a steady stream of singles and collaborations. His 2024 output included the tracks "Gangsta," "Highjack," and "Tailor Swif," along with features on songs such as "URRRGE!!!!!!!!!!," "Show of Hands," "HOODLUMZ" with PlayThatBoiZay, and "Ruby Rosary" with J. Cole. The previous year, he released the singles "Same Problems?" and "RIOT (Rowdy Pipe" n). "He also contributed to the 2023 soundtrack for the film Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, appearing on the Metro Boomin-produced tracks" Am I Dreaming "and" Nonviolent Communication. "Other 2023 features included Tyler, The Creator's" WHARF TALK "and" Outside All Night "alongside N3WYRKLA. That same year, the viral mashup" I Smoked Away My Brain (I'm God x Demons Mashup) "received an official release.

Recognition and awards

A$AP Rocky has received multiple awards, nominations, and certifications for his work. Early in his career, he was nominated for the BBC's Sound of 2012 poll. He has also earned two Grammy Award nominations: one for Best Rap Song for" Fuckin'Problems "and another for Best Music Video for his song" LSD. "His debut studio album, Long. Live. A$AP, was certified double-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Additionally, several of his singles have been certified platinum or multi-platinum, including" Fuckin' Problems, "" Wild for the Night, "" Lord Pretty Flacko Jodye 2 (LPFJ2), "" Everyday, "" LSD, "" A$AP Forever, "and" Praise the Lord (Da Shine). "

Similar artists

A$AP Rocky is considered a peer to a number of prominent artists in hip-hop, including Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Travis Scott, Kanye West, J. Cole, 21 Savage, and Future. Other comparable artists include Frank Ocean, Lil Wayne, Playboi Carti, Childish Gambino, Mac Miller, Metro Boomin, Lil Yachty, Kid Cudi, Don Toliver, Ty Dolla $ign, ScHoolboy Q, his A$AP Mob collaborator A$AP Ferg, and Baby Keem.