A$AP Rocky

Overview

A$AP Rocky, born Rakim Mayers in Harlem, New York, emerged as a prominent figure in hip-hop during the 2010s. He first gained widespread attention as a member of the A$AP Mob collective before the 2011 release of his critically acclaimed debut mixtape, Live. Love. A$AP. His official debut studio album, Long.Live.A$AP (2013), entered the Billboard 200 at No. 1, propelled by the multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated single "Fuckin'Problems," which peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100. He achieved a second consecutive No. 1 album with 2015's At.Long.Last.A$AP, which included the platinum-certified singles "LSD" and "Everyday." His third album, Testing (2018), debuted at No. 4 and produced further platinum hits such as "Praise the Lord (Da Shine)." Beyond his solo work, A$AP Rocky has been a frequent collaborator, appearing on Top 10 pop hits including Selena Gomez's "Good for You" and G-Eazy's "No Limit." He has continued to release music, including collaborations with artists like slowthai and Tyler, The Creator in the early 2020s.

Early life and origins

Rakim Athelaston Mayers was born on October 3, 1988, in Harlem, New York. Raised in Harlem, he began his music career as a member of the hip-hop collective A$AP Mob, from which he adopted his moniker. Mayers started rapping after moving to Elmwood Park, New Jersey. His early work drew influence from Harlem's The Diplomats and Houston's UGK, and he gained underground attention with tracks including "Peso" and "Trilla." In August 2011, his single "Peso" was leaked online and began receiving radio airplay within weeks. This led to a record deal with Polo Grounds Music, an imprint of RCA Records, in October 2011. He released his debut mixtape, Live. Love. A$AP, later that year 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, leading to a record deal with Polo Grounds Music and RCA Records in October of that year. He released his debut mixtape, the critically acclaimed Live.Love.A$AP, in 2011. The project was re-released in February 2012. That year, Rocky was nominated for the BBC's Sound of 2012 poll and appeared in Lana Del Rey's "National Anthem" music video, a commercial for the video game FIFA Soccer 13, and on a remix of Rihanna's "Cockiness (I Love It)."

His official debut studio album, Long.Live.A$AP, was released in January 2013 and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The album was later certified double platinum by the RIAA. Its lead single, "Fuckin' Problems," featuring Drake, 2 Chainz, and Kendrick Lamar, reached No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100, achieved multi-platinum status, and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Song. The follow-up single, "Wild for the Night" with Skrillex and Birdy Nam Nam, also went multi-platinum. His second album, At.Long.Last.A$AP, arrived in May 2015 and became his second consecutive No. 1 LP. Executive produced by Danger Mouse and Juicy J, it featured the platinum-certified singles "Lord Pretty Flacko Jodye 2 (LPFJ2)," "Everyday," and "LSD," the last of which received a Grammy nomination for its music video.

In the following years, Rocky was a frequent collaborator, appearing on Top 10 pop hits such as Selena Gomez's "Good for You" and G-Eazy's "No Limit." He also featured on tracks by Mura Masa ("Love Sick") and Famous Dex ("Pick It Up"). His third album, Testing, was released in May 2018 and debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200. The album produced two more platinum singles for the artist: "A$AP Forever," featuring Moby, and "Praise the Lord (Da Shine)," featuring Skepta. He closed out the decade with singles including the charting "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 to the film Judas and the Black Messiah. His collaborations continued in 2022 with "Doja" alongside $not and "Lost and Found Freestyle 2019" with Tyler, The Creator and Nigo. In 2023, he released "I Smoked Away My Brain (I'm God x Demons Mashup)," which combined his track "Demons" with Clams Casino's "I" m God. "

Style and influences

A$AP Rocky's style is characterized by a blend of regional hip-hop sounds, incorporating the" boisterous spirit "of Harlem's The Diplomats with the" casual swagger "of Houston's UGK, who are cited as influences. His music is often categorized within genres such as alternative hip-hop, trap, and psychedelic rap. He is also considered a key figure in the cloud rap subgenre, which was prominent in his early work, including his 2011 debut mixtape, Live. Love. A$AP.

His sonic palette has evolved across his studio albums. His official debut, Long.Live.A$AP (2013), featured a mix of mainstream rap on the Grammy-nominated" Fuckin'Problems, "which included Drake, 2 Chainz, and Kendrick Lamar, alongside electronic music fusions like" Wild for the Night "with Skrillex and Birdy Nam Nam. His 2015 follow-up, At.Long.Last.A$AP, delved further into psychedelic sounds, with executive production from Danger Mouse and Juicy J. The album included collaborations with a diverse range of artists, such as Rod Stewart, Miguel, and Mark Ronson on the single" Everyday. "His third album, Testing (2018), continued this experimental direction, featuring Moby on" A$AP Forever "and Skepta on" Praise the Lord (Da Shine). "

Rocky has maintained a prolific career as a collaborator, appearing on tracks across numerous genres. He has been featured on pop hits like Selena Gomez's" Good for You "and G-Eazy's" No Limit. "His collaborative work also includes tracks with artists such as Tyler, The Creator, slowthai, Nigo, Famous Dex, and Mura Masa. His list of songwriting collaborators includes Imogen Heap and Clams Casino, whose work was part of a 2023 mashup of Rocky's track" Demons "and Casino's" I "m God."

Recent highlights

In 2024, A$AP Rocky released the singles "Tailor Swif," "HIGHJACK," and "Gangsta," and was featured on Westside Gunn's track "URRRGE!!!!!!!!!!" The previous year, he issued the solo singles "RIOT (Rowdy Pipe" n) "and" Same Problems? "and appeared on Tyler, The Creator's" WHARF TALK. "Also in 2023, he contributed" Am I Dreaming "to the Metro Boomin-produced soundtrack for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and released" I Smoked Away My Brain (I'm God x Demons Mashup), "a mashup of his track" Demons "and Clams Casino's" I "m God." In 2022, Rocky released the singles "D.M.B." and "Shittin'Me" and collaborated on tracks including "Doja" with $not and "Lost and Found Freestyle 2019" with Tyler, The Creator and Nigo. His work in 2021 included the slowthai collaboration "MAZZA" and a solo contribution to the Judas and the Black Messiah soundtrack titled "Rich Nigga Problems."

Recognition and awards

A$AP Rocky has received multiple award nominations and certifications for his work. His single "Fuckin' Problems," featuring Drake, 2 Chainz and Kendrick Lamar, earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rap Song. He received a second Grammy nomination for the music video for his 2015 single "LSD." Early in his career, he was also nominated for the BBC's Sound of 2012 poll. His debut studio album, Long.Live.A$AP (2013), is certified double-platinum by the RIAA and, like his sophomore album At.Long.Last.A$AP (2015), debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. His third album, Testing (2018), was a Top 10 entry. Several of his singles have been certified by the RIAA, including the multi-platinum tracks "Fuckin' Problems" and "Wild for the Night." Other platinum-certified singles include "Lord Pretty Flacko Jodye 2 (LPFJ2)," "Everyday," "LSD," "A$AP Forever" and "Praise the Lord (Da Shine)."

Similar artists

A$AP Rocky's peers and comparable artists include many prominent names in contemporary hip-hop. Among them are frequent collaborators and fellow superstars such as Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Travis Scott, and Kanye West. Other similar artists include J. Cole, 21 Savage, Future, and Frank Ocean, as well as stylistic innovators like Playboi Carti and Kid Cudi. The list of his contemporaries also features his A$AP Mob collaborator A$AP Ferg, along with ScHoolboy Q, Mac Miller, Lil Wayne, Childish Gambino, Metro Boomin, Lil Yachty, Don Toliver, Ty Dolla $ign, and Baby Keem.