A$AP Rocky’s honest first impression of Drake
2011 was a landmark year for A$AP Rocky. At only 23 years old, he was experiencing a meteoric rise in his hip hop career. He had released his single ‘Peso’ and had secured a $3 million contract with Polo Grounds Music and RCA Records. On top of that, his first major mixtape, LiveLoveA$AP, was one of the year’s most talked-about releases.
With so much hype, A$AP was a natural choice as an opener for Drake’s Club Paradise tour. But before getting to that stage, A$AP revealed that he and Drake had a particularly memorable first encounter.
Speaking to DJBooth in an interview, A$AP (real name, Rakim Mayers) explained that he and Drake first met at New York Fashion Week. “He was out in New York to DJ during fashion week at the Versace store and he called me to come”, A$AP said.
It wasn’t a chance meeting – the Canadian rapper and already megastar had specifically reached out to A$AP Rocky.
The moment A$AP arrived, he said that Drake made his intentions towards him clear. “When I saw him onstage DJing, he sent his boy to come get me from the crowd”, A$AP remembered. “He brought me up on stage and just showed me love”.
Drake didn’t stop there. “He was playing my records and shit”, A$AP said, highlighting just how much the up-and-coming rapper was on Drizzy’s radar.
Later that week, A$AP Rocky had his own show in New York, and Drake decided to come. “The venue wasn’t really a place you’d see celebrities at”, A$AP said, and the fact that Drake was willing to go regardless, meant a lot to the young artist.
At the time, A$AP was thinking, “Words can’t explain how much I appreciate what Drake is doing for me because he doesn’t have to do it”. There wasn’t an obligatory or a transactional relationship between the two rappers – Drake was simply supporting someone he believed in.
Unsurprisingly, A$AP came to hold Drake in high regard. “He’s really a good-hearted guy. I don’t see how anyone who knows him personally can hate him”.
The friendship continued beyond the initial meeting and support. A$AP explained that Drake has never given him career advice because he respects his talents and vision too much. “Truly, he doesn’t give me advice because he tells me to keep doing what the fuck I’m doing because I inspire him”.
Again, there’s mutual respect in the dynamics: “[Drake] doesn’t need to give me advice because he knows I’m watching him”, A$AP said. It’s not a formal mentor-mentee situation, it’s a pairing where Drake learned from A$AP’s raw, authentic approach to music and culture, and A$AP learned from Drake’s expertise and humility in the game.
Despite the recent backlash that Drake has faced in the industry and among fans, A$AP’s story of the first time he met the rapper is a reminder that good intentions exist in music. And, that Drake’s first impression on A$AP is a lasting one: “I just appreciate that dude”.