Rapper A$AP Rocky Opens up About Juggling Parenthood in the Music Industry

Rapper A$AP Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, is embracing being a father of two despite the challenges of parenting in a demanding music business.
The couple have sons two-year-old Rza and 12-month old Riot, and they first met over a decade ago during rehearsal for a joint performance at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards.
Rocky praised the Grammy-award winner as simply being a “great mother,” adding that being in the same industry helps them juggle both parenting and their relationship.
“[The relationship] is going great. I don’t think there’s a more perfect person because when the schedules are hectic, she’s very understanding of that. And when the schedule’s freed up, that’s when you get to spend [the] most time together. It’s all understanding and compatibility.”
The rapper rose to prominence in 2012 with his hit single “[Expletive] Problems” and landed as number eight on the Billboard Hot 100. He followed with his debut studio album “Long. Live. A$AP” in 2013 and the next year received a Grammy nomination for best rap song.
Aside from music, the rapper has since embarked on other business ventures, most recently producing an entire fashion collection titled “American Sabotage” and holding its debut at a runway fashion show in Paris earlier this year.
Meanwhile, the New York native, who was raised in Harlem, is doing everything he can to give his children a regular upbringing despite both parents being Billboard chart-toppers.
Even if they’re not raised in the same area, he notes they’re already starting to live the life he once did after showing the outlet a video of his son strolling the streets of Manhattan.
“I think being in Harlem allows you the freedom of walking to the store, walking to the park, getting clear in your mind, going to the swings, being more present and active,” he said.
“I think if you live in a suburb somewhere, you’re probably more inclined to just go to work, go to the mall, driving … here is just present. You are more in the thick of it.”
Lately, their children’s choice of television shows has tested their patience, something other families can relate to.
“[Cocomelon] is driving me nuts! Don’t tell my girl I said that,” he quipped about the animated nursery rhyme show. “I’m totally joking. … She’s tired of it, too, probably.”
Rocky and Rihanna were close friends before their relationship blossomed into something romantic. The two began dating back in 2021 before welcoming Rza the following year and Riot in 2023.
“I think I’m already a dad!” he joked. “I think I’d be an incredible, remarkably, overall amazing dad. I would have a very fly child. Very.”