A$AP Rocky says he’s carrying forward “crazy” lessons from his father on breaking societal norms as he navigates fatherhood with his partner, Rihanna.
Looking back at the impact of his upbringing, the Harlem rapper opened up about how his father, Adrian Mayers, and older brother, Ricky, influenced his outlook on life and success, ultimately teaching him to reject rigid boundaries.
“I don’t know if you call ‘the rules’ the law, but they broke the law a bunch of times,” the rapper said in an interview with W Magazine.
The emphasis on personal freedom and self-reliance became key cornerstones of his father’s philosophy, which Rocky said shaped how he approached his career and parenting.
Adrian, who died in 2012, instilled early values of “trust” in Rocky, yet his message carried unconventional methods.
A$AP Rocky described the approach as “crazy” but clarified it was precisely what he plans to bring into his experience raising his two young boys.
Rocky shares two children with Rihanna—2-year-old RZA and 14-month-old Riot—both of whom he aims to raise with a delicate balance.
“I want to teach them a little bit of humility… and cockiness when it’s time. Yin and yang,” he said.
The idea of balance resonates deeply with Rocky, who, after losing both his father and brother relatively early in life, now faces parenting from a perspective of loss and renewal.
“Once you’re a parent, you just embody that, no matter what,” he shared. “I’m so happy that I at least still got one parent,” he said, referring to the presence of both his and Rihanna’s surviving parents, whom he credits for their ongoing support.
