Brief Life Story
Born in the crime-infested Harlem neighborhood, Rocky found himself getting caught up in clandestine street activities. He saw his father go to jail at 12 for dealing. The next year, his older brother was murdered near his apartment in Harlem. Rocky spent a good chunk of his childhood camping out in shelters with his single mother.
With his father and older brother gone, Rocky turned elsewhere for inspiration: hip-hop. He started experimenting with rhymes at 8 but didn't start rapping seriously until when he was around 17. A$AP Rocky's first release was a six-song EP titled Deep Purple. It presented Rocky as a fun Harlem kid with a slow flow.
On Halloween 2011, he expanded his ever-evolving sound palette on his debut mixtape, LiveLoveA$AP. The tape featured beats by Clams Casino and Ty Beats, as well as rhymes by ScHoolboy Q and Spaceghost Purrp. LiveLoveA$AP made several year-end lists and earned Rocky a BBC Sound of 2012 nomination. Rocky's stock rose even higher after Drake publicly praised him and added him to his Club Paradise tour.
One of the qualities that sets Rocky apart from his peers is that he assembled a crew of creative minds long before his major deal. His style is smooth and breezy, the culmination of years and years of gorging on southern-fried raps as well as hip-hop styles from other areas.
With his father and older brother gone, Rocky turned elsewhere for inspiration: hip-hop. He started experimenting with rhymes at 8 but didn't start rapping seriously until when he was around 17. A$AP Rocky's first release was a six-song EP titled Deep Purple. It presented Rocky as a fun Harlem kid with a slow flow.
On Halloween 2011, he expanded his ever-evolving sound palette on his debut mixtape, LiveLoveA$AP. The tape featured beats by Clams Casino and Ty Beats, as well as rhymes by ScHoolboy Q and Spaceghost Purrp. LiveLoveA$AP made several year-end lists and earned Rocky a BBC Sound of 2012 nomination. Rocky's stock rose even higher after Drake publicly praised him and added him to his Club Paradise tour.
One of the qualities that sets Rocky apart from his peers is that he assembled a crew of creative minds long before his major deal. His style is smooth and breezy, the culmination of years and years of gorging on southern-fried raps as well as hip-hop styles from other areas.