ASAP Rocky's Real Name: Rakim Mayers

Quick answer: ASAP Rocky's real name is Rakim Mayers. He was born on October 3, 1988, in Harlem, New York, and was named after the 1980s rapper Rakim of Eric B. and Rakim. His stage name is styled A$AP Rocky, and he also records as Lord Flacko. He rose with the A$AP Mob collective and the No. 1 albums LONG.LIVE.A$AP and AT.LONG.LAST.A$AP (Britannica; Library of Congress).

Real name and early life

Britannica's quick facts say ASAP Rocky is the byname of Rakim Mayers and note the styling A$AP Rocky. The Library of Congress name authority files him as "A$AP Rocky (Rapper), 1988-," with the variants "ASAP Rocky," "Lord Flacko," and "Mayers, Rakim." It cites "b. Rakim Mayers, Oct. 3, 1988, Harlem, New York City; American rapper and music video director." Some online databases add the middle name Athelston, but neither Britannica nor LOC records it, so this page uses the documented form.

Britannica says his mother, Renee Black, was an assistant nurse, and his father, Adrian Mayers, was born in Barbados. His sister Erika B. was named for the other half of Eric B. and Rakim. When he was 12, his father was jailed on drug charges, and the next year his elder brother, Ricky, was killed. The family then lived in temporary housing and shelters. Britannica says he sold drugs as a teenager and quit in early 2011 to focus on music.

Career highlights

Around age 20 he joined the A$AP Mob, led by his friend and mentor Steven "A$AP Yams" Rodriguez. "Purple Swag" debuted in July 2011, and "Peso" followed. That October he signed a $3 million deal with Sony/Polo Grounds and released the mixtape LIVE.LOVE.A$AP. LONG.LIVE.A$AP (2013) topped the Billboard charts, and its single "F**kin' Problems" went eight times platinum. AT.LONG.LAST.A$AP (2015) debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 after Yams died of an accidental overdose that January. His fourth album, Don't Be Dumb (2026), also debuted at No. 1.

He acted in Dope (2015) and Spike Lee's Highest 2 Lowest (2025), founded the creative agency AWGE, and co-chaired the 2025 Met Gala. He was the first Black man to front Dior Homme and was named the CFDA's 2025 Fashion Icon.

In 2019 a Swedish court found him guilty of assault after a street fight and gave him a two-year conditional sentence without further jail time. In 2025 a Los Angeles jury acquitted him of two felony assault charges over a 2021 incident, after his defense argued he had used a prop gun. He has been with Rihanna since at least 2020, and they have three children.

Name notes for searchers

Rakim is his first name, after the rapper, and Mayers is his father's surname. "A$AP" comes from the A$AP Mob, and Rocky is his stage name. "Lord Flacko" is an alter ego that LOC lists.