The first album A$AP Rocky ever bought
A$AP Rocky has become a new man, to say the least. As a newfound father to Rihanna’s first child, the New York rapper has come a long way since his 2019 arrest in Stockholm for allegedly punching a fan in the face.
That aside, the New York rapper has always been respected in the music business and has made exceptional music alongside incredible artists such as Skepta and Tyler, The Creator.
Rocky (real name Rakim Mayers) was born and raised in the Harlem neighbourhood of New York and first emerged with his crew, the A$AP Mobb, in 2011. Before the infamous “mumble rap” era, A$AP Mobb rose to fame in the early 2010s at a similar time to the likes of Odd Future, Taylor Gang, and Sad Boys and was part of what some dubbed the “Second Harlem Renaissance.”
Along with artists such as Teyana Taylor, Azealia Banks, and Princess Nokia, the early 2010s saw an influx of young black and Latino creatives rise out of Harlem, making the best alternative hip-hop.
Like their Harlem counterparts, A$AP Mobb was extremely popular nationwide, but especially in New York, as the city hadn’t produced any quality new artists since the ’00s. Rocky was featured on a number of collaborative projects the crew released in their early days.
However, Rocky, in particular, seemed to always be preparing for a solo career, as he simultaneously released his own solo material while other crew members did not. During that period, Myers sat down for an interview with Complex magazine to speak about some of his favourite albums and his attachment to them.
When naming some of his favourite projects, the New York native unsurprisingly cited the 1993 Wu-Tang Clan debut, Enter The Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers. Detailing why he holds the LP so dear to his heart, Rocky explained, “Listening to all that shit makes you just want to say, ‘Fuck being glamorous.”
He continued, “It makes you want to say, ‘If these bitches don’t want to fuck, fuck them. They can suck my dick.’ That’s that shit that makes you say, ‘I’m about to sip a 40, get a blunt, and call it a night. Hang out with my niggas.’ That’s what that’s about.”
However, A$AP Rocky also named an album by his namesake Rakim. Revealing his love for Rakim’s 1997 project The 18th Letter, Myers unveiled, That was the first album I ever bought. I was about eight or nine years old. That shit made me really feel like rapping.”
Myers has always been inspired by Eric B & Rakim and was introduced to their music by his mother as a child. That said, in 2012, Angie Martinez surprised A$AP Rocky during an interview when she invited Rakim to meet the young Harlem emcee, who labelled him as “dope” and “fresh”. You can listen to The 18th Letter and watch A$AP meeting his hero and namesake on hOT 97.0 in the videos below.