A$AP Rocky gives rare insight into how his romantic relationship with Rihanna started

A$AP Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, has shared the unforgettable moment that ignited his desire to be with Rihanna. In a cover story interview with W magazine on Tuesday, October 8, the Harlem-born rapper said it all began when he was kicked out of a club, leading to a serendipitous encounter that sparked their connection.

“It’s a lot of history between us,” Rocky, 36, told the publication. “I was kicked out of this nightclub. They wasn’t giving me no access to it. This is when I’m just starting out, so nobody knows me. I was with Matthew Williams and Virgil [Abloh]. I was getting into it with the bouncers, and she came out. We just locked eyes. She didn’t even know us, but she was like, ‘Yo! Why y’all not letting him in? What’s wrong with you?! Let that man in!'”

A$AP Rocky later believed that Rihanna would be the ideal mother for their future children, stating it was a feeling they shared from a young age.

Their friendship began in 2012, with Rocky even opening for Rihanna during her Diamonds World Tour. However, their romantic relationship blossomed in 2019 after Rihanna ended her three-year relationship with billionaire Hassan Jameel.

The couple welcomed their first son, RZA, in 2022, followed by their second son, Riot, in 2023, announced during Rihanna’s Super Bowl halftime performance.

A$AP Rocky, the “Fashion Killa” rapper, revealed that Rihanna shot the cover of W magazine featuring him, and they fell in love at the Mercer Hotel in New York City, where the photoshoot took place.

“Virgil Abloh shot the music video for ‘Fashion Killa’ in 2012, and that was the same couch where Rihanna and I sat in the first scene,” he explained. “That was the same room.”

He also announced that his upcoming album, Don’t Be Dumb, set to release this fall, will reflect his new life as a father, though not in a direct manner.

“I don’t have a song purely dedicated to fatherhood,” he explained. “I do have songs where I’m talking about my life, and fatherhood is one of the things that I bring up, though — adapting to changes and having a work-family balance.”

A$AP Rocky announced on X (formerly Twitter) in August that his upcoming album, a follow-up to 2018’s Testing , has been delayed due to various issues, including sample clearances and leaks.

He assured fans that the new project would be a departure from his previous work. “If you take indie, mix it with classical, mix it with vintage Memphis meets Dipset meets Wu-Tang, that’s where I grab a lot of inspiration from,” he explained.

As A$AP Rocky prepares to release his new album, the timeline for Rihanna’s upcoming music remains uncertain. At a Fenty Puma event in April, she assured fans that her new songs are “so good” and mentioned that she and A$AP Rocky have been collaborating on music.

However, she noted that the delay might stem from their ongoing discussions about who will feature which tracks.

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