Rakim Athelaston Mayers (born October 3, 1988), known professionally as ASAP Rocky ( ; stylized as A$AP Rocky), is an American rapper. Born and raised in
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater ...
, he embarked on his musical career as a member of the
hip hop
Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...
collective
ASAP Mob, from which he adopted his
moniker. In August 2011, Mayers' single "
Peso
The peso is the monetary unit of several Hispanophone, Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America, as well as the Philippines. Originating in the Spanish Empire, the word translates to "weight". In most countries of the Americas, the symbol com ...
" was
leaked online, and within weeks, began receiving radio airplay.
He signed with
Polo Grounds Music, an imprint of
RCA Records
RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic R ...
in October of that year, and shortly after, released his debut mixtape, ''
Live. Love. A$AP'' (2011) to widespread critical acclaim.
Mayers' 2012 single, "
Fuckin' Problems" (featuring
Drake,
2 Chainz
Tauheed K. Epps (born September 12, 1977), known professionally as 2 Chainz (formerly Tity Boi), is an American rapper and actor. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, he gained recognition as one-half of the Southern hip-hop duo Playaz Ci ...
and
Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, he was awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music, becoming the first music ...
), marked his first entry—at number eight—on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100, received a nomination for
Best Rap Song at the
56th Annual Grammy Awards
The 56th Annual Grammy Awards presentation was held on January 26, 2014, at Staples Center in Los Angeles. The show was broadcast on CBS at 8 p.m. ET/PT and was hosted for the third time by LL Cool J. The show was moved to January to avoid co ...
, and preceded his debut studio album, ''
Long. Live. A$AP'' (2013). A critical and commercial success, it debuted atop the
''Billboard'' 200 and received
double platinum certification by the
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA). His second album, ''
At. Long. Last. A$AP'' (2015), also debuted atop the chart and saw continued critical praise; its two lead singles, "
Lord Pretty Flacko Jodye 2 (LPFJ2)" and "
Everyday" (featuring
Rod Stewart
Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British singer and songwriter. Known for his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling music artists of all time, having sold ...
,
Miguel and
Mark Ronson), both received double platinum certifications by the RIAA, while its third, "
L$D", was nominated for
Best Music Video at the
58th Annual Grammy Awards. His third album, ''
Testing'' (2018), debuted within the ''Billboard'' 200's top five, while his fourth album, ''
Don't Be Dumb'', is scheduled for release in 2025.
Mayers has won a
BET Award, two
BET Hip Hop Awards, an
MTV Video Music Award Japan and an
MTVU Woodie Award. He has been nominated for two
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
s, six
World Music Awards, three
MTV Video Music Awards and two
MTV Europe Music Awards. Furthermore, Mayers has worked in
music video direction, as well as
production or co-writing for other artists, often under the pseudonym Lord Flacko.
Early life
Rakim Athelaston Mayers was born on October 3, 1988, in the
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater ...
neighborhood of
Manhattan
Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
, a borough of New York City.
His father is from
Barbados
Barbados, officially the Republic of Barbados, is an island country in the Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies and the easternmost island of the Caribbean region. It lies on the boundary of the South American ...
.
He has an older brother (deceased) and an older sister, Erika.
Both Rakim and Erika's names are taken from the
Eric B. & Rakim duo.
His cousin is fellow
ASAP Mob member
ASAP Nast.
Mayers started rapping at age nine, when he moved to
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg ( ; ) is the capital city of the U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,099 as of 2020, Harrisburg is the ninth-most populous city in Pennsylvania. It is the larger of the two pr ...
.
He learned how to rap from his older brother, who also wore the
Cornrows hairdo that A$AP Mayers later adopted. When Mayers was 13, his brother was killed in Harlem.
The death inspired Mayers to take rapping more seriously.
Mayers grew up admiring Harlem-based rap group
the Diplomats. He was also influenced by
Mobb Deep
Mobb Deep was an American Hip-hop, hip hop duo formed in Queens, New York (state), New York in 1990. Consisting of rappers/songwriters/record producers Prodigy (rapper), Prodigy and Havoc (musician), Havoc, they are considered to be among the pr ...
,
Three 6 Mafia
Three 6 Mafia is an American hip-hop group from Memphis, Tennessee, formed in 1991. Emerging as a horror-themed underground hip-hop group, they went on to enjoy mainstream success. The group's 1995 debut album ''Mystic Stylez'' became an influen ...
,
UGK,
Run DMC
Run-DMC (also formatted Run-D.M.C., RUN DMC, or some combination thereof) was an American hip-hop group formed in Hollis, Queens, New York City in 1983 by Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, and Jam Master Jay, Jason Mizell. Run-DMC is regarded as ...
,
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip hop collective formed in Staten Island, New York City, in 1992. Its members include RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and, until his death in 2004, O ...
, and
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony (formerly known as B.O.N.E. Enterpri$e and also referred to as simply Bone Thugs or Bone) is an American hip hop group formed in 1991 in Cleveland, Ohio. Consisting of rappers Bizzy Bone, Wish Bone, Layzie Bone, Krayzie ...
.
When Mayers was 12 years old, his father went to jail and he spent his teenage years moving around
homeless shelter
Homeless shelters are a type of service and total institution that provides temporary residence for homelessness, homeless individuals and families. Shelters exist to provide residents with safety and protection from exposure to the weather whi ...
s with his mother and sister. After living for a period in a shelter with his mother in New York City, he moved to
Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan, serving as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Building, the ...
.
His father died in 2012.
Career
2007–2011: Career beginnings
In 2007, Mayers joined the
A$AP Mob crew, a Harlem-based collective of rappers, producers, music video directors, fashion designers, and bikers who shared similar interests in music, fashion, style, and art.
It had been formed by A$AP Yams, A$AP Bari and A$AP Illz.
In July 2011, Mayers released his single "Purple Swag" which quickly became a street anthem in New York City.
In August 2011, Mayers’ single "
Peso
The peso is the monetary unit of several Hispanophone, Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America, as well as the Philippines. Originating in the Spanish Empire, the word translates to "weight". In most countries of the Americas, the symbol com ...
", was
leaked online and within weeks received airplay on the high-profile
Hot 97 New York radio station.
After he released a
music video
A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...
for his song "Purple Swag", he received attention from several record labels. In October, he released the mixtape ''
Live. Love. A$AP'' to critical acclaim. Earlier that month, he signed a two-year, $3 million record deal with Bryan Leach's
Polo Grounds Music, which at the time was distributed by
Clive Davis
Clive Jay Davis (born April 4, 1932) is an American record producer, A&R executive, record executive, and lawyer. He has won five Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as a non-performer, in 2000.
From 1967 to 1 ...
'
Sony Music
Sony Music Entertainment (SME), commonly known as Sony Music, is an American multinational music company owned by Japanese conglomerate Sony Group Corporation. It is the recording division of Sony Music Group, with the other half being the ...
division of
J Records
J Records was an American record label owned and operated by Bertelsmann Music Group until it was transferred to Sony Music Entertainment when they acquired all of BMG's record labels in late 2008 at the end of their merger. It was distribut ...
. Upon his record deal, Mayers started a label, A$AP Worldwide, with A$AP Yams.
However, Mayers’ deal with J Records would be short-lived, when on October 7,
RCA Music Group announced that it was merging J alongside
Arista and
Jive Records into
RCA Records
RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic R ...
.
With the shutdown, Mayers (and all other artists previously signed to these three labels) will release future material under the RCA brand. On December 5, he was nominated for
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
's
Sound of 2012 poll.
2012–2014: Touring and ''Long. Live. A$AP''

In February 2012, Mayers joined
Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, he was awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music, becoming the first music ...
as the opening act for
Drake's
Club Paradise Tour. In June,
SpaceGhostPurrp
Markese Money Rolle (born April 1, 1991),Fri, Crossfade. (June 8, 2012Best of Miami 2012 – Best Solo Musician: SpaceGhostPurrp Blogs.miaminewtimes.com. Retrieved on November 4, 2013. known professionally as SpaceGhostPurrp, is an American rapp ...
, founder of Miami-based collective
Raider Klan and Mayers’ past collaborator, accused A$AP Twelvyy of jumping Raider Klan's Matt Stoops and subsequently disassociated himself from A$AP Mob and Mayers in a YouTube video.
He and Raider Klan also accused ASAP Mob of copying their style,
and Mayers of using lyrics from SpaceGhostPurrp's song "My Enemy" on "Goldie". Mayers responded in a July interview for MTV, saying that SpaceGhostPurrp is "try
ngto build hype" and told him to "stick to makin' beats".
In July 2012, Mayers performed at the
Pitchfork Music Festival
Pitchfork Music Festival was an annual music festival in Union Park (Chicago), Union Park in Chicago, Illinois, organized by the online magazine ''Pitchfork (website), Pitchfork.'' Starting in 2011, the festival announced a branch staged in Paris ...
.
He was scheduled to make his network television debut on ''
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show was the third installment of the '' Late Night'' franchise. Hosted by Jimmy Fallon, '' on July 20,
but he was then arrested the night before, after an alleged involvement in a brawl, with 21-year-old artist iRome. The scuffle took place in downtown Manhattan and the performance was canceled.
After it was rescheduled for August 21, Mayers performed "Goldie" on the show. On September 6, he also performed a guest rap on
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, businesswoman, and actress. One of the List of music artists by net worth, wealthiest musicians in the world, List of awards and nominations received by Rihanna, her vario ...
's "
Cockiness (Love It)" at the
2012 MTV Video Music Awards.
Mayers recorded his debut
studio album
An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...
''
Long. Live. A$AP'', along with several producers, such as Clams Casino, Hit-Boy, Friendzone, A$AP Ty Beats, Soufein3000 and Joey Fat Beats.
"Goldie" was released as the album's first single on April 27. On August 27, his crew A$AP Mob released the mixtape ''
Lords Never Worry'' as a free download. During September through November, Mayers promoted the album with the 40-date national
concert tour
A concert tour (or simply tour) is a series of concerts by an artist or group of artists in different cities, countries or locations. Often, concert tours are named to differentiate different tours by the same artist and to associate a specific ...
, the Long Live ASAP Tour, with opening acts
ScHoolboy Q
Quincy Matthew Hanley (born October 26, 1986), better known by his stage name Schoolboy Q (stylized as ScHoolboy Q), is an American rapper. He began recording in 2007, and released his first two mixtapes, ''ScHoolboy Turned Hustla'' (2008) and '' ...
,
Danny Brown
Daniel Dewan Sewell (born March 16, 1981), better known as Danny Brown, is an American rapper, singer and songwriter from Detroit, Michigan. He was described by MTV in 2011 as "one of rap's most unique figures in recent memory".
After amassing ...
, and A$AP Mob.
''Long. Live. A$AP'' was released on January 15, 2013, to mostly positive reviews from critics. The album debuted at number one on the
''Billboard'' 200, with first-week sales of 139,000 copies in the United States. , it has sold 284,000 copies. On March 16, 2015, ''Long. Live. A$AP'' was certified gold by the
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA), for the shipment of 500,000 copies in the United States.
On April 12, 2013, in an interview at
Wild 94.9 radio station, Mayers revealed that he was working on an
instrumental
An instrumental or instrumental song is music without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through Semantic change, semantic widening, a broader sense of the word s ...
album, which he plans on releasing without notice. He even discussed his favorite music videos and talked about his desire to collaborate with veteran rapper
André 3000. On June 21, Mayers told
MTV News
MTV News was the news production division of MTV. The service was available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network and an online news team. In 2016, MTV refreshed the MTV News brand to compete with the likes of BuzzFeed and ...
that he had completed his debut instrumental album, which mostly consists of
ambient oriented instrumental tracks, titled ''Beauty & The Beast: Slowed Down Sessions (Chapter 1)'' and was originally set to be released during the summer for free download. However, that album was delayed with no release date announced. Mayers previewed two snippets that would have made the ''Beauty & The Beast: Slowed Down Sessions (Chapter 1)'' compilation, titled "Riot Rave" and "Unicorn". The project has not been released as of 2023.
2015–2017: ''At. Long. Last. A$AP''

On March 16, 2014, Mayers announced that he was working on his second studio album, entitled ''A.L.L.A.'' (an acronym for ''
At. Long. Last. A$AP'') which was a follow-up to his debut album, ''Long. Live. A$AP''. Upon the wake of a delay of the
ASAP Mob album, ''L.O.R.D.'', Mayers subsequently collaborated with cohorts
A$AP Ferg, Nast and Twelvyy on the album's third single, "Hella Hoes", which was released on June 6, 2014. Nonetheless, A$AP Mob leader A$AP Yams announced on his
Tumblr
Tumblr (pronounced "tumbler") is a microblogging and Social networking service, social networking website founded by David Karp in 2007 and is owned by American company Automattic. The service allows users to post multimedia and other content ...
account that the album had been shelved. On October 3, 2014, his 26th birthday, Mayers launched a short-lived music giveaway called Flacko Jodye Season, which first premiered with "
Multiply", which featured additional vocals from
Juicy J
Jordan Michael Houston III (born April 5, 1975), known professionally as Juicy J, is an American rapper and record producer. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, he is a founding member of the Southern hip-hop group Three 6 Mafia, established ...
;
later released on iTunes one week after its premiere.
On
New Year's Day 2015, Mayers released his second album's
lead single, "
Lord Pretty Flacko Jodye 2 (LPFJ2)", a sequel to "Pretty Flacko". Then, on January 18, seventeen days after the single's release, Mayers’ mentor and partner, Steven "A$AP Yams" Rodriguez, died at the age of 26.
However, some reports later stated that Yams' cause was ruled acute mixed drug intoxication
while Mayers and several A$AP Mob members and affiliates said that the late leader of the collective died due to his
sleep apnea
Sleep apnea (sleep apnoea or sleep apnœa in British English) is a sleep-related breathing disorder in which repetitive Apnea, pauses in breathing, periods of shallow breathing, or collapse of the upper airway during sleep results in poor vent ...
, which caused
asphyxiation
Asphyxia or asphyxiation is a condition of deficient supply of oxygen to the body which arises from abnormal breathing. Asphyxia causes generalized hypoxia, which affects all the tissues and organs, some more rapidly than others. There are ...
and
pulmonary aspiration. Weeks after Yams' death, Mayers revealed that ''At. Long. Last. A$AP'' was executive-produced by rapper
Juicy J
Jordan Michael Houston III (born April 5, 1975), known professionally as Juicy J, is an American rapper and record producer. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, he is a founding member of the Southern hip-hop group Three 6 Mafia, established ...
, producer
Danger Mouse, Mayers and Yams themselves.
In 2015, Mayers appeared in a cameo role in the
indie comedy-drama, ''
Dope''. The film premiered at the
2015 Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2015. It opened in all movie theaters on June 12. There at the event, Mayers explained his expressions and grief over the death of his own friend and partner; performed "Multiply" on-stage as a dedication to his loving memory, minutes before running backstage to calm down. In March 2015, Mayers said in an interview with
MTV News
MTV News was the news production division of MTV. The service was available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network and an online news team. In 2016, MTV refreshed the MTV News brand to compete with the likes of BuzzFeed and ...
that he made songs such as "Wild For The Night" and "Fuckin' Problems" for mainstream commercial success, and that he now hated those songs.
On April 8, 2015, the rapper released a song, titled "
M'$", debuted during an interview with the
Red Bull Music Academy, and was released on the
iTunes Store two days later, however, it was announced that the song was not an official single from the album. The album, however, did include a remixed version of the track that replaced Mayers’ second verse with a guest verse from
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. He is often regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, as well as one of the greatest rappers of all ...
. On May 9, Mayers unveiled the album's
cover art
Cover art is a type of artwork presented as an illustration or photograph on the outside of a published product, such as a book (often on a dust jacket), magazine, newspaper ( tabloid), comic book, video game ( box art), music album ( album ar ...
on his official
Instagram
Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
page, with the caption "AT LONG LAST...." On the same day, he then released the album's alternative artwork and released the album's second single, titled "
Everyday" featuring
Rod Stewart
Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British singer and songwriter. Known for his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling music artists of all time, having sold ...
,
Miguel and
Mark Ronson (the latter of which also produced the track alongside
Emile Haynie).
Mayers also announced that the release date for ''A.L.L.A.'' was updated to June 2, 2015; however, on May 25, 2015, around 6:00 PM EDT, the album
leaked online, approximately one week before its expected release. Subsequently, Mayers tweeted to announce that the album will be released at midnight (May 26), changing the date a week early.
Upon its release, ''At. Long. Last. A$AP'' received generally positive to mixed reviews from
music critics
Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on ...
. Overall, the album was supported by the release of three
singles: "
Lord Pretty Flacko Jodye 2 (LPFJ2)", "Everyday" and "
L$D". ''At. Long. Last. A$AP'' debuted at number one on the
''Billboard'' 200, selling 116,000 copies in the United States. In conclusion to this, it also gave Mayers his second consecutive number one album on the charts to date. In Canada, the album debuted at number one, with 11,000 copies sold. The album has spent two more weeks beyond the top ten of the ''Billboard'' 200. , the album has sold 215,000 copies in the United States. It has sold 60,662 copies in the United Kingdom, .
On June 11, 2015, Mayers was featured on ''
The Tonight Show'', where he performed the song "L$D" with
The Roots
The Roots are an American Hip-hop, hip hop band formed in 1987 by singer Black Thought, Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and drummer Questlove, Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Roots serve as the house band on NBC's ''T ...
. In June, it was confirmed that he was featured on the single "
Good for You" by
Selena Gomez
Selena Marie Gomez ( ; born July 22, 1992) is an American actress, singer, songwriter, producer, and businesswoman. Gomez began her career as a child actress, appearing on the children's television series ''Barney & Friends'' (2002–2004), a ...
. In June 2015, he appeared on the "Carpool Karaoke" segment of ''
The Late Late Show'', riding with Rod Stewart and host
James Corden. Mayers is featured on "
Blended Family (What You Do for Love)", a track written with
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer and songwriter. A classically trained pianist, Keys began composing songs at the age of 12 and was signed by Columbia Records at 15. After d ...
for her sixth studio album ''
Here'' in 2016. He is also featured on two tracks from the 2017 album ''
Lust for Life'' by
Lana Del Rey
Elizabeth Woolridge Grant (born June 21, 1985), known professionally as Lana Del Rey, is an American singer-songwriter. Lana Del Rey discography, Her music is noted for its melancholic exploration of Glamour (presentation), glamor and Romanc ...
. The tracks are called "Summer Bummer", which also features
Playboi Carti, and "Groupie Love". He is featured along with rapper
Cardi B
Belcalis Marlenis Cephus (; born October 11, 1992), known professionally as Cardi B, is an American rapper. Noted for her unfiltered public image and lyrics, Cardi B is one of the most successful female rappers. From 2015 to early 2017, she ga ...
on "
No Limit" by
G-Eazy, released in September 2017. He also featured in "
Pick It Up" by
Famous Dex, released in October 2017.
2018–present: ''Testing'' and upcoming fourth studio album
On January 23, 2018, Mayers released "☆☆☆☆☆ 5ive $tar$" on
SoundCloud
SoundCloud is a German audio streaming service owned and operated by SoundCloud Global Limited & Co. KG. The service enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is ...
, produced by
Metro Boomin
Leland Tyler Wayne (born September 16, 1993), known professionally as Metro Boomin, is an American record producer and music executive. Widely acclaimed for his dark and cinematic production style, he is regarded as one of the most influential p ...
, Frans Mernick, Jordan Blackmon and Daniel Lynas and featuring uncredited vocals by
DRAM
Dram, DRAM, or drams may refer to:
Technology and engineering
* Dram (unit), a unit of mass and volume, and an informal name for a small amount of liquor, especially whisky or whiskey
* Dynamic random-access memory, a type of electronic semicondu ...
. Over the following two days he shared "Above", produced by Mernick and "Money Bags Freestyle (
Dean Blunt Meditation)", produced by Blunt and featuring uncredited vocals by
Lil Yachty. The songs were captioned "TESTING COMING SOON" and "THIS IS JUST A TEST", leading to speculation that they were in promotion of an upcoming studio album entitled ''
Testing''. On February 16, Mayers collaborated with
Gucci Mane
Radric Delantic Davis (born February 12, 1980), known professionally as Gucci Mane, is an American rapper. He is credited, along with fellow Atlanta-based rappers T.I. and Jeezy, with pioneering the hip hop subgenre trap music for mainstream a ...
and
21 Savage for "
Cocky", in promotion of the film ''
Uncle Drew''. He released the single "
Bad Company" on March 27. It features rapper
BlocBoy JB, as well as further allusions to ''Testing'' in its marketing. On April 5, he released a second single: "
ASAP Forever". The song samples record producer
Moby
Richard Melville Hall (September 11, 1965), known professionally as Moby, is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, disc jockey, and animal rights activist. He has sold 20 million records worldwide. AllMusic considers him to be "amo ...
's 2000 single "
Porcelain
Porcelain (), also called china, is a ceramic material made by heating Industrial mineral, raw materials, generally including kaolinite, in a kiln to temperatures between . The greater strength and translucence of porcelain, relative to oth ...
", crediting him as a featured artist. It was premiered on ''
The Tonight Show'' alongside new track "Distorted Records", and a music video was released the following day. A day later he was featured on the song "One Track Mind", from rock band
Thirty Seconds to Mars
Thirty Seconds to Mars (commonly stylized as 30 Seconds to Mars) is an American Rock music, rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1998. The band consists of brothers Jared Leto (lead vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards) and Shannon Let ...
' fifth studio album ''
America
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
''.
On May 25, 2018, Mayers released ''Testing'' to generally positive reviews from critics. It debuted at number four on the US
''Billboard'' 200, becoming Mayers’ third consecutive top-five album on the chart,
but another low-seller.
In its second week, the album dropped to number 15, with 26,000 album-equivalent units (1,000 copies).
The following week, ''Testing'' dropped to number 22 on the chart.
On July 23, 2018, Mayers and
Tyler, the Creator
Tyler Gregory Okonma (born March 6, 1991), known professionally as Tyler, the Creator, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has been cited as an influential figure in alternative hip-hop during the 2010s. Tyler beca ...
announced a collaborative project, ''WANGSAP'', by releasing a music video of a remix of
Monica's "
Knock Knock" called "
Potato Salad" on AWGE's "AWGE DVD (Vol. 3)". However, on January 23, 2019, Tyler, the Creator announced this album never existed. In May 2019, Juicy J announced Mayers began working on his upcoming album, formerly titled ''All Smiles''. On August 28, Mayers released the music video for "
Babushka Boi". It was directed by Nadia Lee Cohen.
In October 2021, Mayers released his 2011 mixtape ''
Live. Love. ASAP'' to all streaming platforms in celebration of its 10-year anniversary. Mayers appeared on two tracks from
Nigo's album, ''I Know Nigo!'', released March 25, 2022, the opening track "Lost and Found Freestyle 2019" with
Tyler, the Creator
Tyler Gregory Okonma (born March 6, 1991), known professionally as Tyler, the Creator, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has been cited as an influential figure in alternative hip-hop during the 2010s. Tyler beca ...
, and the single, "Arya". Mayers supported the
Red Hot Chili Peppers
The Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1982, consisting of Anthony Kiedis (vocals), Flea (musician), Flea (bass), John Frusciante (guitar), and Chad Smith (drums). Their music incorporates elements of a ...
on their
2022 international stadium tour. After he arrived late for a performance at
Old Trafford, Manchester, he performed a shortened 20-minute set after the Chili Peppers. In May 2022, Mayers released the single, "D.M.B.", and followed up in December with "Shittin' Me". Also in December, he appeared on producer Metro Boomin's album ''
Heroes & Villains'', on the track "
Feel the Fiyaaaah", which also featured late rapper
Takeoff
Takeoff is the phase of flight in which an aerospace vehicle leaves the ground and becomes airborne. For aircraft traveling vertically, this is known as liftoff.
For aircraft that take off horizontally, this usually involves starting with a tr ...
, who was gunned down a month prior to the album's release. He then confirmed a new album with production from Metro Boomin to materialize in the future. Later that month, he named his upcoming fourth album, ''
Don't Be Dumb''.
Business ventures
In October 2011, Mayers signed a record deal with
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment (SME), commonly known as Sony Music, is an American multinational music company owned by Japanese conglomerate Sony Group Corporation. It is the recording division of Sony Music Group, with the other half being the ...
worth $3 million ($1.7 million of which was earmarked for his solo work; $1.3 million earmarked to fund his company).
Mayers said that he sought a "bigger platform" for him and his collective with the deal.
His first studio album planned to be under the deal, but it allowed him to continue releasing mixtapes through
Sony/RED.
Fellow rapper and A$AP Mob member
A$AP Ferg also signed a joint venture deal with the RCA-distributed Polo Grounds Music; Ferg released his single "Work", for digital retail via various platforms. He later announced an official
remix
A remix, also sometimes called reorchestration or rework, is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, poem, or photograph ca ...
featuring Mayers,
French Montana
Karim Kharbouch (Moroccan Arabic, Arabic: IPA pronunciation, æɾiːm χɑɾbuːʃ born November 9, 1984), better known by his stage name French Montana, is a Moroccan-American rapper. Born and raised in Morocco, he immigrated to New York ...
,
ScHoolboy Q
Quincy Matthew Hanley (born October 26, 1986), better known by his stage name Schoolboy Q (stylized as ScHoolboy Q), is an American rapper. He began recording in 2007, and released his first two mixtapes, ''ScHoolboy Turned Hustla'' (2008) and '' ...
and
Trinidad James
Nicholaus Joseph Williams (born September 24, 1987), better known by his stage name Trinidad James (often stylized as Trinidad Jame$), is a Trinidadian-American rapper, songwriter and music video director. In December 2012, he signed with Def Ja ...
.
In 2013, he and ASAP Mob co-founder
ASAP Bari released his A$AP merchandise brand, and went to collaborate with high-profile fashion designer and close friend
Raf Simons. On October 2, 2014, Mayers announced he had officially signed a contract for worldwide representation with
William Morris Endeavor.
In February 2016,
Guess
Guessing is the act of drawing a swift conclusion, called a guess, from data directly at hand, which is then held as probable or tentative, while the person making the guess (the guesser) admittedly lacks material for a greater degree of certaint ...
released a collaboration with Mayers called GUE$$, which was inspired by Mayers’ admiration for the brand's vintage '90s clothing that he wore while growing up.
In 2022, Mayers launched his own brand of whisky called Mercer + Prince. It was officially launched on the Revolt TV show, Drink Champs, during a segment in a two-hour long interview.
In 2023, he collaborated with Gucci (Guilty perfume advertisements), Puma (sneakers in collaboration with F1) and with Bottega Veneta on a campaign based on paparazzi candids.
Personal life
From 2011 to 2012, Mayers dated Australian rapper
Iggy Azalea.
He began dating model
Chanel Iman in early 2013, and in April 2014, they were reported to be engaged,
but broke up in June 2014.
On May 19, 2021, Mayers revealed during an interview with ''
GQ'' that he is in a relationship with Barbadian singer
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, businesswoman, and actress. One of the List of music artists by net worth, wealthiest musicians in the world, List of awards and nominations received by Rihanna, her vario ...
, describing her as "the love of my life". The two were first linked in 2013, after Mayers opened up for Rihanna's
Diamonds World Tour.
Rihanna gave birth to their first son in 2022. She gave birth to their second son in 2023, after previously revealing she was pregnant during her
Super Bowl LVII halftime show performance. The couple have since revealed a third pregnancy at the 2025
Met Gala
The Met Gala, formally called the Costume Institute Benefit, is the annual haute couture fundraising festival held for the benefit of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute in Manhattan. The Met Gala was and still is popularly rega ...
.
Mayers was previously a
pescetarian. In 2012, he transitioned to a
vegetarian
Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the Eating, consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects as food, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slau ...
diet with the help of his vegan manager after learning of the horrors of the poultry industry.
On his 2019 single "Babushka Boi", Mayers stated he is
vegan
Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products and the consumption of animal source foods, and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. A person who practices veganism is known as a ve ...
.
Mayers has said that while he was raised in a Christian household, he does not like going to an organized church, and instead has "
isown relationship with God... I pray every day before I go to sleep." He addresses these views in the song "Holy Ghost" on his 2015 album ''
At. Long. Last. ASAP''. During Mayers’ 2019 incarceration in Sweden, he prayed to keep himself occupied.
Mayers is 5'11" (180 cm) tall, which he revealed in a
Nikki & Sara Live interview to contextualize why he felt out-of-place standing next to the much taller
Jason Collins.
Legal issues
In 2006, Mayers served two weeks in
Rikers Island
Rikers Island is a prison island in the East River in the Bronx, New York (state), New York, United States, that contains New York City's largest jail.
Named after Abraham Rycken, who took possession of the island in 1664, the island was orig ...
where he shared a cell with future rapper
Casanova.
Assault in Sweden
In July 2019, Mayers was arrested initially for
aggravated
Aggravation, in law, is "any circumstance attending the commission of a crime or tort which increases its guilt or enormity or adds to its injurious consequences, but which is above and beyond the essential constituents of the crime or tort itself" ...
, then for simple
assault
In the terminology of law, an assault is the act of causing physical harm or consent, unwanted physical contact to another person, or, in some legal definitions, the threat or attempt to do so. It is both a crime and a tort and, therefore, may ...
in
Stockholm
Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
,
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
, after an altercation in the street against a man named Mustafa Jafari and another person that involved Mayers and three of his entourage on June 30. Jafari was beaten, kicked, and cut with broken bottles when down on the ground. He suffered several cuts, requiring stitches, and a fractured rib. Mayers uploaded two videos of the incident to
Instagram
Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
. In the first, he and his entourage repeatedly ask two young men, including Jafari, to stop following them as the latter complains about his headphones. In the other, created from footage of assorted events, Jafari's headphones break during a scuffle, and he is seen hitting Mayers’ bodyguard with them. A woman is also seen in the video, accusing the two men of
groping. Henrik Olsson Lilja, the defense attorney for Mayers, maintained that his client acted in self-defense after being attacked by Jafari.
Mayers’ bodyguard filed a counter-complaint against Jafari, and Jafari was initially suspected of harassment and minor assault or possibly attempted assault. The investigation against Jafari was dropped as prosecutors said he acted in self-defense, after being grabbed by the neck and pushed by the bodyguard. Mayers was arrested after being allowed to finish his gig at Stadion. As it was judged there was a risk that he may flee or tamper with evidence, he was kept in custody at
Kronoberg Remand Prison until the trial,
with two members of his entourage also under arrest. Mayers’ ongoing tour was then put on hiatus due to the trial.
He was visited by personnel from the US embassy shortly after his arrest. Several US artists called for a boycott of Sweden due to the incident. A petition to release him was started. The family asked
Al Sharpton
Alfred Charles Sharpton Jr. (born October 3, 1954) is an American civil rights and social justice activist, Baptists, Baptist minister, radio talk show host, and TV personality, who is also the founder of the National Action Network civil rig ...
for help.
US President
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed For ...
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
tweeted his support for Mayers, and it was later revealed by justice minister
Morgan Johansson that Trump had threatened trade restrictions against Sweden if Mayers was not released. Former US ambassador to Sweden
Mark Brzezinski suggested that the government should intervene and speculated that racism may have been the cause of the brawl. Foreign minister
Margot Wallström said the government is not allowed to interfere citing Chapter 11 §3 of the Swedish constitutional
Instrument of Government which explicitly forbids the interference of politicians, or unrelated government offices, in the work of the courts of law.
Mayers was convicted of assault, given a
suspended prison sentence and asked to pay 12,500 kr ($1,270) in
damages
At common law, damages are a remedy in the form of a monetary award to be paid to a claimant as compensation for loss or injury. To warrant the award, the claimant must show that a breach of duty has caused foreseeable loss. To be recognized at ...
to the victim. The court could not decide who used the bottle, but said it was not a case of self-defense. As Mayers had already served over a month in jail for the incident before the sentence was handed out, it was determined that he did not need to serve any additional time. The conviction does not bar him from returning to Sweden.
Shooting in Hollywood
On April 20, 2022, Mayers was arrested by
LAPD
The City of Los Angeles Police Department, commonly referred to as Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), is the primary law enforcement agency of Los Angeles, California, United States. With 8,832 officers and 3,000 civilian staff, it is the th ...
officers upon arriving to the
Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport is the primary international airport serving Los Angeles and its Greater Los Angeles, surrounding metropolitan area, in the U.S. state of California. LAX is located in the Westchester, Los Angeles, Westcheste ...
after a vacation with his partner, Rihanna. He was arrested for a potential assault with a deadly weapon in a shooting that took place in Hollywood on November 6, 2021.
The shooting victim, who survived the incident with only a graze to his knuckle, was reported to be former friend and collaborator Terell Ephron, better known as
ASAP Relli.
Bail was set at $550,000 and he was released shortly after.
After his arrest, detectives executed a warrant to search his home, gaining entry by using a pry bar to force the gate open. Detectives took several boxes from his home to use as evidence. Investigating officers did not find any shell casings at the scene and recovered no fingerprints from the 9mm casings Ephron later provided to police. The gun allegedly used was never found during a search of Mayers' residence. However, surveillance footage of the scene captured a man in a hooded sweatshirt, identified as the defendant, potentially holding a gun.
On August 15, 2022, the
Los Angeles County District Attorney
The District Attorney of Los Angeles County is in charge of the office that prosecutor, prosecutes felony and misdemeanor crimes that occur within Los Angeles County, California, United States. The current district attorney (DA) is Nathan Hochma ...
's office filed charges against Mayers.
On November 20, 2023, a Los Angeles judge, M.L. Villar, determined that there was sufficient evidence for Mayers to stand trial after hearing roughly a day and a half of testimony from two witnesses during a preliminary court hearing.
On January 8, 2024, Mayers entered a plea of not guilty, turning down a plea bargain of six months in jail, and risking a maximum sentence of over 20 years in prison.
Mayers missed a hearing scheduled for March 6, 2024. During a court hearing which took place on May 23, Mayers had his trial set to start on October 21.
The trial start date was pushed back to January 21, 2025. In a departure from typical practices in LA County courts, the judge allowed cameras to record almost the entirety of the trial.
The defense team and witnesses stated that Mayers had used a prop gun that fired blanks.
Jurors were instructed that they could acquit Mayers if he fired in self-defense.
On February 18, Mayers was found not guilty.
Discography
Studio albums
*''
Long. Live. ASAP'' (2013)
*''
At. Long. Last. ASAP'' (2015)
*''
Testing'' (2018)
*''
Don't Be Dumb'' (2025)
Tours
Headlining
* Injured Generation Tour (2019)
Filmography
Film
Television
Video games
Music videos
Accolades
His
accolades include three
BET Awards
The BET Awards are an American award show that was established in 2001 by the BET, Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate Black person, Black entertainers and other minorities in music, film, sports and philanthropy. The awards, which ...
, two
MTV
MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
awards, and nominations for three
Grammy Awards
The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...
and six
World Music Awards, for a total of five wins and 37 nominations overall.
References
External links
*
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rocky, ASAP
1988 births
Living people
21st-century American male musicians
21st-century American rappers
African-American male rappers
20th-century American male rappers
African-American male singer-songwriters
American male singer-songwriters
African-American record producers
American hip-hop record producers
American hip-hop singers
American music video directors
American people convicted of assault
American people of Barbadian descent
ASAP Mob members
Cloud rappers
East Coast hip-hop musicians
People from Elmwood Park, New Jersey
People from Harlem
Musicians from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Prisoners and detainees of Sweden
Rappers from Manhattan
Rappers from Pennsylvania
Rappers from New Jersey
RCA Records artists
Record producers from New York (state)
Record producers from New Jersey
Record producers from Pennsylvania
Singer-songwriters from New Jersey
Singer-songwriters from New York (state)
Singer-songwriters from Pennsylvania
American trap musicians