A$AP ROCKY BIOGRAPHY - AGE, CAREER, SONGS & FACTS

A$AP Rocky — Harlem rapper, fashion icon, and actor behind Long.Live.A$AP and the 2026 comeback album Don't Be Dumb.

Early Life

Born: Rakim Athelaston Mayers on 3 October 1988 in Harlem, New York, USA — age 38 as of October 2026. Named after the legendary MC Rakim of Eric B. & Rakim, he grew up in Harlem and went on to found the A$AP Mob collective, whose initials stand for "Always Strive And Prosper".

Career

Breakthrough: the 2011 single "Peso" and the mixtape Live.Love.A$AP, which sparked a major-label bidding war and led to his deal with RCA and Polo Grounds. His major-label debut Long.Live.A$AP (2013) and the follow-up At.Long.Last.A$AP (2015) both debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

Studio albums: Testing (2018), featuring Frank Ocean and Kodak Black, passed 1 billion streams worldwide and topped iTunes in 16 countries. Across his catalog he has amassed more than 25 billion total streams and over 5 billion YouTube views, per Live Nation materials. Signature songs include "Peso", "Goldie", "Wild for the Night" and "L$D".

Don't Be Dumb and 2026

Don't Be Dumb, Rocky's fourth studio album, arrived on January 16, 2026 via AWGE, A$AP Worldwide and RCA Records — eight years after Testing. The 17-track, roughly 59-minute album carries cover art by Tim Burton and a sprawling guest list that includes Doechii (see our Doechii biography), Tyler the Creator (see our Tyler, The Creator biography), Jessica Pratt, Danny Elfman, Thundercat, Gorillaz, Jon Batiste, Brent Faiyaz, BossMan Dlow, Westside Gunn and will.i.am — with production from Tyler the Creator, Pharrell Williams and Metro Boomin, among others.

Lead single "Punk Rocky" (January 5, 2026) leans into a psychedelic rock sound; its self-directed video stars Winona Ryder, with cameos from Danny Elfman, Thundercat and A$AP Nast. Other singles from the era include "Highjack" (2024, featuring Jessica Pratt), "Tailor Swif", "Helicopter$" and "Stole Ya Flow".

The supporting Don't Be Dumb World Tour is a 43-date arena run. Its sold-out 25-date European and UK leg spans 19 countries — including Paris' Accor Arena on September 30, 2026, the same day Rocky presented his AWGE SS27 "Anti War Global Economics" collection — while the Australian leg runs December 5–17, 2026, with stops at Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth's RAC Arena. The run places him in the top tier of arena-headlining rappers, alongside contemporaries like the subject of our Travis Scott biography.

Fashion, Film and Personal Life

Rocky co-chaired the 2025 Met Gala — themed "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" — and serves as creative director of Ray-Ban and Puma. He is a Chanel ambassador, has fronted campaigns for Bottega Veneta, Calvin Klein, Gucci, Dior and Mercedes-Benz, and runs the AWGE creative agency.

His 2026-era acting roles include Spike Lee's Highest 2 Lowest and the A24 film If I Had Legs I Would Kick You; he also attended the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.

Legal record (factual): acquitted in February 2025 of assault-with-a-firearm charges in Los Angeles; convicted in a 2019 assault case in Stockholm.

His partner is Rihanna (read our Rihanna biography), and the couple have three children: RZA Athelston Mayers (2022), Riot Rose Mayers (2023) and Rocki Irish Mayers (September 2025).

Watch the Official Video

Watch A$AP Rocky's official music video for "Punk Rocky" above.

Frequently Asked Questions

How old is A$AP Rocky?
Born 3 October 1988, he is 38 years old as of October 2026.

What is his latest album?
Don't Be Dumb, released January 16, 2026 — his first studio album in eight years.

Who is his partner?
Singer Rihanna; the couple have three children together.

What is the Don't Be Dumb tour?
A 43-date arena world tour: a sold-out 25-date European and UK leg across 19 countries, plus an Australian leg in December 2026.