The Life of A$AP Rocky
Harlem-born rapper, actor, and model ASAP Rocky is currently stuck in a Swedish jail, with no release date in sight. This is his rags to riches story.
Rapper, Actor, Model, Producer…This is A$AP Rocky
Rakim Meyers was born on October 3, 1988 in New York City. He was named after famous NYC rapper Rakim — one half of the influential hip hop duo Eric B. & Rakim. By 13, his dad was in jail in connection with selling drugs, and his older brother was killed a block from where he was born. As a teen he began selling drugs to make ends meet. He also spent a two-week sentence at Rikers Island. He discussed this time in an interview with Amarudontv.
In 2007, he joined the A$AP Mob, a collective of musicians, videographers, designers and other creatives, to pursue a career in hip-hop. He opened up about joining the collective in a 2015 lecture at the Oxford Union. In 2011, his debut mixtape Live.Love.A$AP was released to critical acclaim. He spent 2012 touring with Drake and Kendrick Lamar, then in 2013 released his debut studio album Long.Live.A$AP. After successes in hip hop, Rocky began to expand to fashion and movies.
Since 2013, he has worked with design labels Raf Simmons and Guess. In 2016, he was the first man of color to front Dior Homme. In that time, he also made his acting debut in the feature film DOPE, and later had roles in Zoolander 2 and All Rise. But his legal issues did not stop when his career took off…In 2012, he was arrested after his alleged involvement in a brawl in New York.
Then in July 2019, he was arrested after he and his entourage were involved in another scuffle in Sweden prior to his European music tour. American celebrities were quick to call for a boycott of Sweden. Even President Trump was called upon to help secure his release. Despite his incarceration, the outpouring of support for Rocky reflects his status as a globally music, fashion, and cultural icon.
Brut.
