RAP zine

A.S.A.P rocky
Rakim Mayers (born October 3, 1988), better known by his
stage name ASAP Rocky (stylized as A$AP Rocky), is an American
rapper, record producer, director, actor and model from the
Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan, New York. He is a member
of the hip hop group A$AP Mob, from which he adopted his
moniker.
Rocky released his debut mixtape Live. Love. A$AP, in 2011
to critical acclaim. The success of his mixtape led to a record
deal with Polo Grounds Music, RCA Records, and Sony Music
Entertainment. He subsequently recorded his 2013 debut album
Long. Live. A$AP, which was also well received by critics and
debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. In 2015, Rocky released
his second studio album titled At. Long. Last. A$AP. The
album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, making it
Rocky’s second consecutive album to debut at number one and
has received critical acclaim from music critics.
Rocky has also directed music videos for himself, Danny
Brown and other A$AP Mob members. He is also a noted record
producer, producing under the pseudonym Lord Flacko. Rocky
is passionate about this new era of hip-hop.
He describes its coming of age as “anarchy” and notes his
use of the American flag distress symbol as a metaphor for hiphop’s
changing of the guard. “We have upside-down American
flags. We have camouflage and war gear and shit. All of it is a
metaphor for what we’re fighting for. We want to show them
that we’re all one generation and that things like discrimination
shouldn’t exist anymore. If you look at ‘LiveLoveASAP,’ it’s the
same shit. Except instead of the flag being behind me, it’s kind
of the weight of the world on my shoulders now.
“What I really have to do is that
I have to revolutionize our generation.”
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