Rakim Mayers (born October 3, 1988), better known by his stage name ASAP Rocky (often stylized A$AP Rocky), is an American rapper and director. Born and raised in Harlem, he released the mixtape LiveLoveA$AP in 2011. On December 5, 2011, the BBC announced that he had been nominated for the BBC’s Sound of 2012 poll.
Earlier this year, ASAP Rocky blew our minds with the Internet smash “Purple Swag” and its undeniably charming video which featured weed smoke, gold fronts, and an adorable white girl mouthing the n-word. We were immediately sold on the 23-year-old rapper: He was effortlessly technical on the mic, had his own Houston-influenced sound, and the kind of swag that could only come from a young Harlem dude.
Just as soon as people were starting to catch on, ASAP followed up “Purple Swag” with a bigger smash, “Pe$o.” The song was not only a viral hit but also managed to get radio play on Hot 97. Since then, ASAP has scored a $3 million deal with RCA, gotten co-signs from everyone from Jim Jones to Drake, and was tapped by Drizzy to join the Club Paradise Tour.
