Key Takeaways
- A$AP Rocky shared that his mother believed he and Rihanna were meant to be before they ever dated.
- He opened up about how their bond is rooted in shared values, family connections, and mutual respect.
- The conversation comes as Rocky prepares to release his new album, Don’t Be Dumb, with a notable lineup of collaborators.
A$AP Rocky’s mom clearly had the blueprint before anybody else did — including him.
In a clip published Wednesday (Jan. 14) from his appearance on The New York Times’ “Popcast,” the Harlem rapper opened up about how his mother used to encourage him to date Rihanna long before they became one of music’s biggest power couples. Now, with Rihanna as the mother of his three children, Rocky’s story feels even sweeter in hindsight.
During the conversation, Rocky reflected on how being with the right partner can shift your entire perspective. “A woman will change your whole life, especially if it’s a companion,” he began. “Before I had my children, it was like being with my girl [would take] a blindfold off. As soon as you get with a girl, she’ll tell you, like, ‘That’s not your friend. That’s — that’s your friend. But that one? Nah.’”
One of the co-hosts playfully pointed out that Rocky “didn’t just get with any girl,” and he didn’t hesitate to give credit where it’s due: “I got with a very special woman.” From there, the “Praise The Lord (Da Shine)” hitmaker broke down why their bond feels deeper than just chemistry. “We were on the same page. Born the same year. My dad is from her country… When I go back, I get to see both sides of my family. It’s so many similarities, it’s just funny. We laugh about it a lot.”
Rocky then admitted what longtime fans already suspected — Rihanna was always that girl to him. “She was always my boo, you know what I’m saying? Like, I always f**ked with her.” And when it came to his mom’s opinion, she wasn’t subtle about who she wanted him with. “My mother used to say s**t like, ‘I know you like this girl that you [are] with right now’ — I ain’t gon’ say no names — ‘but I want you with RiRi.’ It’s like, ‘Ma, why you keep saying that? That girl don’t even want me like that.’”
Looking back, the Harlem native kept it simple: “Mothers know best.” He also added that he was grateful things happened when they did, because “any time prior to that,” he doesn’t think either of them would have been ready.
‘DON’T BE DUMB’ features are stacked as A$AP Rocky gears up for release
Fans are loving this Rihanna moment, but Rocky is also locked in musically. New Spotify billboards in New York City, Los Angeles, London, and more revealed the official feature list for his upcoming album, Don’t Be Dumb, which arrives on Friday (Jan. 16) and marks his first album since 2018’s Testing. The guest list includes BossMan Dlow, Brent Faiyaz, Doechii, Tyler, the Creator, Westside Gunn, will.i.am, and more.
Rocky also posted the track list on Instagram, building the anticipation: “DONT BE DUMB OFFICIAL TRACKLIST!!! EXCLUSIVE @ONEQUINCE SHIRTHEADS VINYL AVAILABLE NOW!!” Between the family love and momentum building around his new music, Rocky’s making it clear that he’s coming into this album season with purpose.