Today (October 22), the “Tailor Swif” rapper’s pretrial hearing for his alleged assault of former associate ASAP Relli (real name Terell Ephron) was held at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in Los Angeles, California.
During the hearing, Judge Mark Arnold rescheduled A$AP Rocky’s trial for the supposed assault according to AllHipHop. The previous court date was set for November 12. Following the judge’s decision, Asap Rocky’s new assault trial date will now begin on January 21, 2025.
The outlet claims the reason for the shift boils down to the presiding judge taking Asap Rocky’s performance schedule into account, specifically his upcoming set at Rolling Loud Thailand on November 22. While Asap Rocky’s lawyer Joe Tacopina reportedly argued other reasons for the judge to consider for a postponement including the “upcoming holidays” and “issues with discovery.”
Outside of the courthouse, Tacopina answered questions by the press regarding the change in trial date (viewable here). “We set the final and definitive trial date which is now January 21, 2025,” he said. “Everyone just decided it’s best to do this in January. It’s a firm date. It’s a real date. He’s really eager to get this done, to get this behind him. So, [he] was not really looking to push this off that far, but it’s standard stuff that happens when you’re doing trials.”
Rihanna and ASAP Rocky are always providing insights into their relationship, but they’re usually pretty light or general comments on their family dynamic, relationship, and parenthood. Fans still want to know other specifics, though, especially when it comes to whether they will tie the knot… Or if they already have. On that last point, social media once again launched marriage rumors thanks to a recent E! News interview that the Barbadian superstar participated in at a Savage X Fenty event in Nordstrom in Los Angeles. When the reporter expressed that she loves seeing Riri as a mother, she had this to say: “Motherhood, wifehood-ish – wife-ish-hood.”
“Just being a home body, I love it,” Rihanna said of her and A$AP Rocky’s overall family dynamics. “I love to be a home-maker. I have a lot of women in my home right now. And I just like to to be exciting and celebrate things. I’m trying to build new traditions for our little family that we built.” “Hello?! Spooky season,” she replied when the interviewer asked about some of the family traditions she’s excited to maintain. “That’s up, upfront. Next is Thanksgiving with my in-laws, ’cause that’s not a thing in Barbados. And then Christmas is a very, very big thing for us. So we’re going to do it up. All the thing you’re going to do, girl. I ain’t no different.”
“That’s my family for life, regardless,” the “Diamonds” singer clarified when the reporter asked about that “in-laws” title suggestively, yet another speculative hint about marriage. Regardless of all the theorizing, fans are just happy to see Rihanna and A$AP Rocky build their life and celebrate each other and their family. Also, it’s not like a ring is the end-all, be-all factor of a healthy and loving relationship.
“It’s crazy how we find balance with our chaotic schedules,” ASAP Rocky told Billboard about Rihanna. “[The relationship] is going great. I don’t think there’s a more perfect person because when the schedules are hectic, she’s very understanding of that. And when the schedule’s freed up, that’s when you get to spend [the] most time together. It’s all understanding and compatibility.”
The Metropolitan Museum of Art announced today that the 2025 Met Gala will be co-chaired by Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky, Pharrell Williams, and Anna Wintour, with LeBron James serving as honorary chair. According to Vogue, the star-studded event will occur on May 5, 2025, with the Costume Institute’s spring exhibition, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, as its centerpiece.
Inspired by Monica L. Miller’s book Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity, the exhibition will showcase garments, paintings, photographs, and more, highlighting the influential style of Black men from the 18th century to the present day.
The Met Gala, chaired by Wintour since 1995, has long been one of fashion’s most anticipated events. The 2025 edition will focus on the enduring legacy of Black fashion and culture. The exhibition will open to the public on May 6 and run through October 26, 2025. The official dress code will be revealed in early 2025, setting the stage for an unforgettable evening of fashion and culture.
ASAP Rocky’s last album, Testing, reminds me a lot of The Bear. In the recently concluded third season of the genre-defying FX restaurant dramedy, Carmen, the proprietor of the titular beef sandwich stand-turned-Michelin-star-hopeful hot spot, insists on a constantly changing menu of experimental and effortful dishes. It’s a strategy aimed at generating enough buzz and critical acclaim to turn The Bear into one of those generational, culture-shifting eateries that defines the shape, look, and flavor of fine dining for a decade to come. It shouldn’t count as a spoiler to point out that this strategy does not go well.
In the same way, ASAP Rocky really swung for the fences in 2018, doing his best to both subvert and redirect the flow of hip-hop from crowd-pleasing but repetitive Atlanta trap productions to something more psychedelic and vibey, like Grateful Dead for heads who grew up on The Notorious B.I.G. and Three 6 Mafia. As with Carmy’s restaurant ambitions, it seems that Rocky’s reach exceeded his grasp.
In an interview with GQ, he admitted to being “emotionally discouraged” by its early lukewarm reception among fans, while expressing belief that his hardcore followers would grow into it. While the album wasn’t a complete disaster (neither was The Bear), it didn’t turn out to be the paradigm-shifting smash success Rocky evidently believed that it would be.
Now, with Don’t Be Dumb, his first album in six years sitting on the launchpad and fueling up for release, there’s one item on Rocky’s readiness checklist that absolutely must be a non-negotiable: He needs to go back to basics, or watch his comeback album also get stuck in the inner atmosphere, falling well short of his cosmic goals.
When he first appeared on the national scene with his breakout 2011 single, “Peso,” Rocky enamored himself to rap fans with a smart, unexpected blend of Memphis trap aesthetics, East Texas murk, and Uptown New York swagger. Although the seeds of his future sonic experimentation could be heard in the druggy, slowed-down morass of his UGK and Three 6-inspired sounds, those sounds were familiar enough to rap fans of all stripes that they were immediately accessible in the melting pot atmosphere that bubbled up from the digital underground of the late noughties. It launched him into the stratosphere, putting him on par with fellow breakouts like Big KRIT, Big Sean, Drake, J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Mac Miller, Meek Mill, Pusha T, Tyler The Creator, and Wale.
In the years since then, though, he’s taken a number of detours through the worlds of fashion and television — and a Scandanavian jail — while ending up only fractionally as productive musically as his onetime peers. As of this writing, he’s only got three full-length albums to his name, along with his debut mixtape, Live. Love. ASAP, and his contributions to the handful of releases from his former clique, ASAP Mob. While he’s popped up on a few high-profile collaborations with the likes of Japanese designer/part-time DJ, Nigo, Tyler, and producer Metro Boomin, it has seemed that Rocky’s attentions have mostly focused on building a family with longtime girlfriend/possible wife Rihanna.
Which explains the hype for Don’t Be Dumb, Rocky’s first album since the misunderstood and oft-maligned Testing. DMB represents not only his first real collection of music since 2018, but also his opportunity to recognize and return to the traits that made his output so beloved in the first place. He’s always been a stellar rapper, but rap has plenty of those; what made him stand out was his willingness to combine unexpected elements to create alchemical results more than the sum of their respective parts. Think real-life chef Roy Choi’s ingenious invention of the Los Angeles food truck, Kogi BBQ, which combined taco truck staples with the Korean cuisines Choi grew up with in LA’s Koreatown.
It’s understandable why Rocky, someone who was so lauded for his own unusual combinations, would want to prove he could continue to push the boundaries with Testing. As he told New York radio fixture Peter Rosenberg for Complex’s Open Late, “I want to take a different approach, and I want to challenge the viewer who is tired of hearing the same old shit… I’m just trying to test my viewers and listeners and see if they’re ready to evolve and grow with me.”
But what made his first experimental musical dishes work was their simplicity. They took straightforward questions and answered them: What if Big L had rapped on “Sippin on Some Syrup?” What about a Mase guest spot on “Pocket Full Of Stones?” It turns out, these are things that work together. Testing, however, combined way too many elements without considering whether any of this made any of these things work better than they would on their own. While we do like surprise and innovation, folks don’t necessarily want to have their tastes challenged, broadly speaking.
Testing tried a lot — maybe too much — to impress fans who never really wanted that from Rocky. He’d gone from giving them roast beef and peppers on French bread to a full-on French fusion menu. With Don’t Be Dumb, fans might be ready for palate-widening flights of fancy, but truthfully, what many (most, even) want from Rocky is the feeling that made him a superstar in the first place. Late career resurgences aren’t all that uncommon in hip-hop anymore, but all of them have hinged on delivering on fans expectations without the demands — think Nas and Hit-Boy’s stellar run, Rick Ross’s glittering luxury rap, or Lil Wayne’s relentless punchline onslaught.
Rocky, too, can have such a renaissance. Obviously, as an artist, his vision should be the only thing that matters to him — although it does sound like he’s focusing on making good rap records again. Maybe he can top himself. Maybe he can figure out a way to polish the ideas he hinted at on Testing and really make them fly. But if he wants the praise, accolades, and appreciation of being a fan favorite, he’s going to have to tamp down on some of his ambition. Fundamentals are called that for a reason. The basics work; sure, fine dining is nice every once in a while, but nobody ever turns down a really good sandwich.
The iHeartRadio Music Festival is this weekend in Las Vegas, and concertgoers can look forward to a full lineup including Big Sean, Camila Cabello, Doja Cat, Dua Lipa, Gwen Stefani, and more, with headliners Chris Martin and The Weeknd. However, they will be missing out on a third headliner, ASAP Rocky, who today announced he is dropping out of the festival due to illness.
“UNFORTUNATELY, I ENDED UP GETTING SICK & I WON’T BE ABLE TO PERFORM AT THE @iheartfestival,” he wrote on his Instagram Story. “IM SORRY TO MY FANS & THANKFUL TO @iheartradio FOR THE OPPORTUNITY! I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO PERFORMING SOME NEW MUSIC FOR YALL! ENJOY THE SHOW THE LINE UP IS ”
Look I don’t want to cast aspersions on anyone, but the Harlem rapper has had a bumpy 2024 when it comes to keeping commitments. After declaring an August 30 release date for his long-awaited album, Don’t Be Dumb, Billboard revealed that the project would be delayed in its feature on him. He’s been dropping songs that may or may not appear on the album, such as “Tailor Swif” and “Ruby Rosary” with J. Cole, but has not offered any updates on its release. While we hope he gets well soon, we also hope he’s using the weekend off productively.
Rihanna is often balancing her roles as a mother and… well, everything else these days, so it’s only natural that she needs to think about her fashion on the fly. Moreover, she recently celebrated the launch of Fenty Hair in the United Kingdom on Monday (September 16) and gave some tips to British Vogue as to how to flip stay-at-home into sexy when it comes to styling. “My lazy days consist of always wearing a scrunchie because I want [my hair] out of the way,” RiRi told the outlet. “So I find myself always wearing a scrunchie on my wrist. I want it out of my way. I don’t want it to be on my kids when I lean forward; just messy!
“Whether you have tendrils or whatever, you still gotta keep it together because when Rocky comes home, I don’t want to look busted either,” Rihanna continued. “There’s the first half of the day and then there’s the dad’s coming home [half]!” If you have any tips for Riot Rose’s parents when it comes to fashion advice of your own, make sure to drop them down in the comments section below.
But Rihanna and ASAP Rocky are so in love with each other that they probably look gorgeous to each other every millisecond of every day… and to most people, if we’re being real. “It’s crazy how we find balance with our chaotic schedules,” Rocky told Billboard recently. “[The relationship] is going great. I don’t think there’s a more perfect person because when the schedules are hectic, she’s very understanding of that. And when the schedule’s freed up, that’s when you get to spend [the] most time together. It’s all understanding and compatibility.”
Meanwhile, Rihanna and ASAP Rocky do plan to expand their family and share more great memories together. “I don’t know what God wants, but I would go for more than two,” she shared with Interview magazine. “I would try for my girl. But of course, if it’s another boy, it’s another boy.” We’ll see whether she chooses to reveal her third pregnancy on a Super Bowl-level stage, if it does happen.
ASAP Rocky is apparently just two weeks away from finally releasing his highly awaited fourth album, DON’T BE DUMB. Genius is claiming that September 20 will be the day, which is nearly a whole month later after fans were expecting it on August 30. After being left in the dark about the delay, Rocky cleared things up, saying, “LEAKS & SAMPLE CLEARANCES ARE DISRUPTING THE ALBUM. ITS BEEN 6 YEARS & I WANNA MAKE THE BEST ALBUM EVER. IM SORRY FOR THE WAIT”. While we all continue to impatiently wait for it, the A$AP Mob member has been tiding us over with a slew of singles.
The most recent of them is “Ruby Rosary” with J. Cole and producing legend, The Alchemist. Out of all of the tracks leading up to the project, this could be our favorite one. The production is dark, mysterious, and grungy in all the best ways, and Rocky and Cole put forth some dizzying and hypnotic flows. As with most tracks this year, the record was generating some potential diss buzz with Drake being the main target once again.
That could helping the streaming numbers a bit, but we don’t think Rocky’s concerned enough to send subliminals, especially someone he says he’s not worried about. “Ruby Rosary” is fantastic on its own without the “Drake stimulus package” and fans seem to agree. According to Hip Hop All Day, the single is already doing some pretty serious work on DSPs. At the time of writing, it has over 1.9 million streams and it debuted with 1.7. The hype is real once again and hopefully it will translate over to the album once it arrives.
What are your thoughts on ASAP Rocky, J. Cole, and The Alchemist ‘s “Ruby Rosary” raking in over 1.7 million streams in its debut? Will this go on to be one of Rocky’s best songs ever or just on DON’T BE DUMB? Is the strongest single so far? Does this get you even more ready for the album? We would like to hear what you have to say, so leave your thoughts in the comments. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding ASAP Rocky, J. Cole, and The Alchemist. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on in the music world.
OVO Chubbs has been riding with Drake for a decade. He’s appeared in videos and been spotted at parties with the Toronto superstar. He was even referenced by Kendrick Lamar on “Not Like Us.” The longtime OVO member has remained loyal to Drake, though, as evidenced by his recent social media activity. OVO Chubbs decided to like an Instagram post that poked fun at ASAP Rocky’s new single, “Ruby Rosary.” The single includes bars aimed at Drake, and like most people, Chubbs was not very impressed with what he heard.
@Keep6Solid made the initial IG post. It’s a pro-Drake account, as evidenced by the 6, and proceeded to lay into ASAP Rocky. The headline for the post made fun of both Rocky’s looks and his relationship with his more famous partner, Rihanna. The headline described the ASAP star as a “Metrosexual rapper and full-time kept man.” It also poked fun at J Cole, who was previously on Drake’s side before switching up. Cole contributed a verse to “Ruby Rosary,” confirming that he’s anti Aubrey moving forward. “J Cole is a slimeball,” the caption read. OVO Chubbs was seemingly onboard with both of these sentiments. He liked the post from his personal account.
ASAP Rocky’s bars are, admittedly, pretty weak. “Ruby Rosary” is a good song overall, and Cole skates, but Rocky stumbles when it comes to dissing Drizzy. Cut the sh*t, cut the lies, word to the wise,” he raps. “Who in your top five? Haha (F*ck your top five).” It’s clearly in reference to Drake, who has several top 5 bars under his belt. That said, nothing is really being said. It doesn’t get much better when ASAP Rocky tries to riff on Drake’s “Family Matters” and his “Buried Alive” interlude from 2011.
“I don’t get fresh step, b*tch, I’m buried alive,” Rocky raps. “I heard dawg talkin’ funny, like it’s Family Guy. Carin’ for n**gas like I’m Mary or Bob.” More nothing. It’s telling that Drake has become the loser of the 2024 rap beef when it comes to Kendrick Lamar. When it comes to ASAP Rocky, though, everyone agrees that Drizzy got the best of him each time out. OVO Chubbs didn’t go out of his way to bash his Harlem competitor, but his like made it clear that Rocky fell short.
We can all agree that 2024’s great rap war has made us all read a little too deeply into lyrics sometimes. We just got a key example of that thanks to ASAP Rocky and J Cole’s new collab “Ruby Rosary.” Thanks to some possibly slick lyrical references from the Harlem creative and the complex role that the Dreamville boss has played in hip-hop’s ecosystem for the past year or so, many fans think that this is a not-so-subtle diss at Drake. But Charlamagne Tha God and the rest of The Breakfast Club think that this is a bit of a reach.
“J. Cole better not be dissing nobody,” Charlamagne Tha God began when the crew proposed that there might be a shot on the new song. “Oh, okay, okay, okay.” “How is that a Drake diss?” he asked when one of TBC‘s cohosts recited the lyrics that many fans are bringing up. “Oh… I mean, it sounds like he’s dissing a whole top five if he says ‘F your top five.’ I don’t know either, I think y’all just be making up stuff. *laughs* Here’s the thing. When I say it’s ‘this generation,’ I’m not just talking about y’all. It’s just the whole cycle of people. Like, the way people’s minds work is just weird. He said, ‘F your top five.’ So your top five must be Drake, Drake, Drake, Drake, and Drake.”
But do you know what’s really funny about Charlamagne’s dismissal? There is someone whose top five is all Drake, and if you don’t know what we’re talking about, just look up “DJ Akademiks Drake Top Five” on YouTube for a laugh. Along with some other references like bars about “push ups,” A$AP Rocky fans aren’t all too misguided in drawing these connections. But the real likely scenarios are that this was all unintentional and that, even if they are references, they don’t amount to enough of a sting for this to really be an inflammatory moment. If anything, according to OVO fans, J. Cole is the one who should really be answering questions here.
Also, we already know that A$AP Rocky and Drake have beef, so them throwing possible subliminals at each other is practically worthless. The only people getting value from it are true haters of either lyricist. But we can’t pretend that all the speculation and discussion isn’t at least entertaining. After all, that reality is what allowed the biggest rap battle in at least two decades to materialize.
ASAP Rocky said he wasn’t going to worry about his Drake beef on future releases, but fans believe they’ve detected some shade in his new song. “Ruby Rosary,” the new ASAP Rocky song produced by The Alchemist and featuring J. Cole, has a few lines on it that some fans believe are references to Drake and the ongoing friction between the two former friends. So…
Did ASAP Rocky Diss Drake On “Ruby Rosary?”
In his second verse, Rocky raps, “Who dared me to die? / You a dead man walkin’, like you barely alive / Cut everything but the family ties / Cut the shit, cut the lies, word to the wise / Who in your top five? / I don’t get fresh to death, bitch, I’m buried alive / I heard dawg talkin’ funny, like it’s Family Guy.”
One of the more obvious potential Drake references is “Buried Alive,” the Take Care interlude on which Drake invited Kendrick Lamar to rap, increasing Kendrick’s popularity early in the Compton rapper’s career. Obviously, the two stars’ career paths diverged greatly, culminating in this summer’s beatdown, wherein K. Dot cooked Drake repeatedly over the course of several songs.
In some of those songs, particularly “Family Matters” and “Meet The Grahams,” the two foes expended several lines referring to each others’ families, hence, a potential meaning for the “family ties” reference in “Ruby Rosary.” Of course, all this is circumstantial and thinner than a toad’s toupee, but after Drake bowed out of his rumble with Kendrick, bloodthirsty rap fans have been grasping at whatever straws they can, hoping for a crumb of conflict.
