Rakim Athelaston Mayers, professionally known as ASAP Rocky, is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. He is named after hip-hop artist Rakim from the Eric B. & Rakim duo. He adopted his moniker when he became a member of a hip-hop collective called ASAP Mob and from his nickname ‘Rocky’ which was given to him by his mother. Mayers’ first single ‘Peso’ was released after getting leaked online which was his first breakthrough as an artist but he had a long way to go. As creditable as Rocky is for his music, he got huge help from veteran A&R Geno Sims who acknowledged Rocky’s talent even before his breakthrough.
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Both emerging from Harlem; it did not take long before they got introduced to each other by ASAP Ferg. Involving the founder of Harlem-based Polo Grounds Music, Bryan Leach, who was also a certified star-maker, Sims managed to backup Rocky’s career to go international. Finally, Rocky, Bryan, and their attorney managed to sign a deal with music distributors, RCA Records for a whopping $3 million. On October 31, 2011, ASAP Rocky released his debut mixtape Live.Love.ASAP. With the record deal and release of the mix tape, Rocky became rich, and famous, and had the whole of Harlem rooting for him.
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ASAP Rocky Early Life
Born on October 3, 1998, in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan, New York, Rakim Mayers started rapping at the age of nine when he moved to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He has an older brother and an older sister, Erika. His father, originally from Barbados, went to jail in connection with selling drugs when Rocky was 12 years old. Rocky learned rapping from his older brother who had the same hair twist hairstyle that he later adopted. When Rocky was 13, his brother was killed in Harlem. He spent the rest of his teenage years moving from one homeless shelter to the other with his mother and sister. Rocky grew up admiring and pursuing Harlem-based rap groups.
ASAP Rocky Personal Life
ASAP Rocky Home
When it comes to mansions and real estate, the 33-year-old rapper has quite a collection to show off. His multi-million dollar five-bedroom house in Los Angeles with a private pool and an outdoor garden is commodious and astoundingly luxurious. Further, he owns lavish houses in New York City, Manhattan, Beverly Hills, and many more.
ASAP Rocky Vehicle Collections
If not for his love of real estate, Rocky spent a decent amount of money on his car collections. Standing at a net worth of 7.5 million dollars, Rocky’s ostentatious collection of cars includes a modified Ferrari 488 GTB, a Lamborghini Gallardo, one Lexus Lx, and a BMW 5-series.
ASAP Rocky Career
Mayers career started after he joined the ASAP Mob, a Harlem-based group of rappers, producers, music video directors, and fashion designers, in 2007. In 2011, ASAP Rocky released his single “Purple Swag” which became a huge hit. Another of his singles “Peso” was leaked online which, within weeks, got aired on Hot 97 New York radio station.
In October, he released his first-ever mixtape Live. Love.ASAP. that gained widespread popularity and critiques. In February 2012, Rocky joined Kendrick Lamar to perform the opening act of Drake’s Club Paradise Tour. The same year in July, Rocky performed at the Pitchfork Music Festival. Rocky recorded his debut studio album Long. Live.
ASAP which was released in January 2013. Goldie was released as his first single album song on April 27, 2012. Long. Live. ASAP soon gained popularity and mostly positive critics, and also ranked at number one on Billboard 200. On March 16, 2014, Rocky announced his second album “At. Long. Last. ASAP.” With the New Year of 2015, Rocky released his second album’s lead single “Lord Pretty Flacko Jodye 2” a sequel to “Pretty Flacko”.
In 2015, Rocky had a cameo in the indie comedy-drama Dope. On April 8, 2015, he released a song titled “M’$” that debuted in the Red Bull Music Academy and was released on iTunes two days later. On May 9, Rocky released the cover art of his second album captioned “AT LONG LAST”, an alternative cover art and the album’s second single “Everyday” ft. Rod Stewart, Miguel, and Mark Ronson.
Rocky also announced the release date of At.Long.Last.ASAP was scheduled for June 2 but it was leaked a week earlier on May 25, 2015. The album received a majority of positive reviews and debuted at number one on Billboard 200. On June 11, 2015, he performed a hit album single “L$D” on “The Tonight Show” with The Roots.
He also featured in Selena Gomez’s “Good For You”. Rocky appeared on the “carpool karaoke” segment of The Late Late Show with Rod Stweart and host James Corden. In 2016, he featured in a track written with Alicia Keys’, “Blended Family”. He featured in two tracks from Lana Del Rey’s 2017 album Lust for Life.
On February 16, 2018, he collaborated with Gucci Mane and 21 Savage for “Cocky” to promote the film “Uncle Drew”. He released the single “Bad Company” featuring BlocBoy JB on March 27. On April 5, he released a second single ASAP Forever. On May 25, 2018, released the long-awaited album “Testing” to mostly positive reviews.
The album debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200. On July 13, Rocky and Tyler the Creator announced a collaboration. However, on January 23, 2019, Tyler announced that the album they were going to make a remix of for their collaboration never existed. Rocky released a music video, Babushka Boi on August 28, 2019.
ASAP Rocky Achievements
Throughout his career, ASAP Rocky has gained considerable fame and recognition and has been rightly credited for his outstanding rap music and tracks. Below are his accomplishments and achievements.
- Nominated for BBC Sound of 2012 in 2011.
- Nominated for BET Best New Artist, Best Male Hip-Hop Artist, and Video Director of the Year Awards in 2012. In 2013, he was nominated for Video of the Year and Viewer’s Choice Awards. He won BET Best Collaborations for “Fucking Problems” the same night.
- Nominated for BET Hip Hop Rookie of the Year, Best Live Performer, Made-You-Look, Best Hip Hop Video for “Goldie”, Best Mixtape for “Live. Love A$AP” and the Video Director of the Year Awards. In 2013 he won the Best Collaboration, Duo or Group for “Fucking Problems- ft, Drake, 2 Chainz & Kendrick Lamar” and the Made You Look Award. Further, he was nominated for Best Hip Hop Video, People’s Champs Award and Best Club Banger, and Video Director of the Year. For the next three consecutive years, he was nominated for the Made You Look Award.
- Rocky was a nominee for the Best Rap Song (for Fucking Problems) and the Best Music Video (LSD) at the Grammy Awards.
- In 2012, he was nominated for the MTV US Artist About to Go Global Award, MTV Best Look Award, and MTV Video Music Best Editing Award (for Goldie). He was nominated for the Best Hip Hop Video (for Fucking Problems) and won the Best Hip Hop Video (Japan) for the same in 2013. He was nominated for the Best Editing for L$D and in 2014 he won the Best Collaboration Woodie for Wild for the Nights. In 2020, he was nominated for the Best Art Direction in Babushka Boi.
- In the World Music Awards 2014, he was nominated for World’s Best Male Artist, World’s Best Entertainer of the Year, World’s Best Live Act, World’s Best Song, World’s Best Video, and the World’s Best Album (for Long. Live.A$AP).
ASAP Rocky Education
Mayers did his early schooling at a local private school in Harle, He attended Bayard Rustin Educational Highschool for Humanities, where he completed his high school graduation.
Legal Issues On ASAP Rocky
- ASAP Rocky was detained for drug dealing at Rikers Island for two weeks future rapper Casanova.
- He was arrested for alleged participation in a brawl that involved famous artist iRome on July 19. 2012.
- In July 2012, he was sued for allegedly attacking an innocent man after being spotted doing illegal drugs inside a New York store. He was also charged with attacking photographers for clicking photos of the incident which ended in a plea bargaining
- On August 31, 2013, ASAP Rocky allegedly slapped a woman at the Budweiser Made in America Festival. He was charged with the assault but the case was dismissed after a witness failed to appear in court. In July 2014, the assaulted woman filed a lawsuit against Rocky claiming that the consequences of the incident made her suffer certain conditions. The lawsuit was settled in April 2015.
- In September 2015, Rocky was sued by his manager, Geno Sims for breaching an agreement for which Rocky countersued. The lawsuit amounted to $300,000. In 2019, Rocky and Sims reached a legal agreement, dropping each other’s lawsuit.
- In July 2019, ASAP Rocky was arrested in Stockholm, Sweden after an altercation in the street against a man named Mustafa Jafari and another person that involved Rocky and three of his retinue on June 30. Jafari suffered severe injuries and cuts requiring several stitches, and a fractured rib. Rocky uploaded two videos on Instagram. In the first video, he and his entourage repeatedly ask Jafari and two other men to stop following them as the latter complained about his headphones. In the second video, after Jafari’s headphones break in a small scuffle, he starts hitting one of Rocky’s bodyguards with them. Several US artists and government officials including then USA president Donald Trump showed their support to Rocky. Jafari, initially suspected of harassment and minor assault or possibly attempted assault was dropped off for all suspicion as prosecutors said he acted in self-defense after being grabbed by the neck and pushed by the bodyguard. ASAP Rocky was convicted of assault and given a suspended prison sentence. He was charged 12,500kr for the damages caused to the victim. As ASAP Rocky had served over a month in jail for the alleged assault, it was determined he did not need additional jail time.
- On April 20, 2022, ASAP Rocky was arrested by LAPD on suspicion of the 2021 shooting in Hollywood after arriving in Los Angeles from a vacation in Barbados with his partner Rihana. He was arrested at the LAX airport after, on November 6, 2021, he allegedly fired several shots in the direction of the man who walked up to him. A bullet reportedly hit the victim’s hand and Rocky, with two others he was accompanied by fled the scene. A search warrant to further investigate his house was obtained and the LAPD investigators broke into his home to force the gate open. Detectives took several boxes from the house for evidence and run ballistic tests to know whether he was responsible for the “assault with a deadly weapon”. He was released shortly after paying a bail amount of $550,000.
ASAP Rocky Net Worth
ASAP Rocky’s net worth as of May 2022 is $10 million. Most of his income is through his albums which are usually huge commercial successes. He also has his own record production company where he makes several albums. His annual income is estimated at around $1 million. There have been other sources of income such as performances, tour festivals, etc.
Conclusion
In the 2010s the NY rooted sensational artist was expected to be the next generation Super Bowl star. As the ASAP Mob reigned in the mixtape circuit category, Rocky was the most obvious star of the group. Unlike other rap artists, ASAP Rocky had a unique and progressive approach to the culture, breaking records. ASAP Rocky had a credible influence in the 2010s that made fans pick up his dressing style and “drip”.
Experimenting with his line of work, trying to stick with his uniqueness in the genre, ASAP hasn’t had many songs and albums much less break-through collaborations. He might not be a superstar but he is a one-of-a-kind influential artist, having a handful of songs but gaining fame through pure quality. Presently, Rocky has been focused on the fashion world and is trying to make a name for himself. He has a variety of collaborations with fashion and clothing companies like Dior, Under Armour, J.W. Anderson, and Calvin Klein. Much is expected from our star and his upcoming album “which is not All Smiles!”.
