Interest surrounding A$AP Rocky's family is growing after the Los Angeles judge in his felony assault trial told the rapper's mother, Renee Black, that she is "very beautiful" on Wednesday.
Why It Matters
A$AP Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, has pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm.
He declined a plea deal Tuesday that included 180 days in jail, a suspended sentence, and probation. If convicted, the upcoming star of a Spike Lee film could get up to 24 years in prison. The third day of jury selection resumes Thursday.
Who is A$AP Rocky's Mother, Renee Black?
Renee Black was born in 1966 in New York City to parents who had immigrated from South Africa.
She worked as an assistant nurse and raised her children in Harlem amidst financial hardship. The family frequently lived in shelters as they moved between Harlem, the Bronx, and elsewhere during A$AP Rocky's childhood.
In 2019, Black publicly advocated for A$AP Rocky during his detainment in Sweden after an altercation.
"I feel like Sweden is making an example out of our boy. It's so unjust," Black told TMZ, adding she felt his detainment was a race issue.
"I don't want to call the race card, ok, but that's what it's looking like. If it walks like a duck and it quacks like a duck, then it's a duck."
Judge In A$AP Rocky Trial Compliments His Mom's Looks
During jury selection on Wednesday, Judge Mark Arnold asked A$AP Rocky about the women seated in his section of the gallery. A$AP Rocky identified the women as his mother, Black, and his sister, Erika B. Mayers.
"You can't tell, right, which one's the mom?" his attorney Joe Tacopina said, legal affairs journalist Meghann Cuniff reported.
"You must have had him when you were about 7?" the judge reportedly told Black, who said she had A$AP Rocky when she was 26.
"You are very beautiful. That's on the record," Arnold replied.
Who Is A$AP Rocky's Sister, Erika B. Mayers?
Both A$AP Rocky and his sister Erika B. Mayers are named after the hip-hop duo Eric B. & Rakim, of whom their mother was a fan.
"Back in '88, Rakim & Eric B, I mean, they was popping...I'm a hip-hop lover, I'm a music lover. So, if I had a boy he was gonna be named Rakim," Black said in A$AP Rocky's 2014 documentary "SVDDXNLY."
Not much else is known about the life of Erika B. Mayers.
Who Is A$AP Rocky's Dad, Adrian Mayers?
A$AP Rocky's dad, Adrian Mayers, was a drug dealer. Born in Barbados, the family lived in Harlem and relocated to Pennsylvania in the late 90s when Adrian Mayers succeeded in getting rich until he was arrested.
The family then returned to Harlem, with A$AP Rocky telling The Guardian in 2012, "That's when it got difficult."
"It just quickly switched to the worst predicament," the rapper said about his upbringing.
In 2012, Adrian Mayers died from pneumonia.
"R.I.P DAD , UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN. SEE MY DADDY IN HEAVEN , HE BE DA REALIST G" TTTL," A$AP Rocky tweeted at the time.
Who Is A$AP Rocky's Late Brother, Ricky Mayers?
Black's eldest son Ricky Mayers was shot and killed in Harlem when A$AP Rocky was 13 years old.
Ricky Mayers was involved in selling drugs and extorting money from rivals, A$AP Rocky told The Guardian in 2012. The rapper's brother is also the person who introduced him to hip-hop.
A$AP Rocky told the outlet that he, too, started dealing drugs when he was 14 but stopped a year later, crediting his brother's death for softening him.
"It gave me a good heart, cos (sic) I was hurt so bad. I don't think anyone should have to endure that type of thing," A$AP Rocky said.
Is A$AP Rocky Married To Rihanna?
No. A$AP Rocky and fellow music star Rihanna have been dating since about 2020. They also share sons RZA, 2, and Riot, 1.
At a pretrial hearing last week, there was discussion on whether the court should refer to Rihanna as A$AP Rocky's "wife," "common-law wife" or "significant other."
Rihanna has yet to appear in court to support A$AP Rocky in this trial.
What People Are Saying
Civil Rights Activist Reverend Al Sharpton on X about the lack of Black people in A$AP Rocky's jury pool: "It is absolutely ridiculous that the jury will be not fair and representative, so as to deprive A$AP Rocky of a fair trial ... something appears to be very wrong with the system."
Arnold to A$AP Rocky last week about not getting any "special treatment" in court: "Your status as an entertainer? Your status as the significant other of Rihanna? That's not going to go to your benefit, and it's not going to go to your harm."
Tacopina to reporters last week: "This case is not about Rihanna. But I guess the D.A. [District Attorney] wants to make sure people aren't so enamored with Rihanna—they're going to be so blinded by their love for Rihanna—they won't listen to the evidence and facts of this case. I don't think that's the case. I think people are too smart for that. But I guess they're worried about it. They want to make sure she's classified in [a certain] way."
What Next
Jury selection in A$AP Rocky's trial resumes in Los Angeles on Thursday at 10:30 a.m. local time. Arnold said Wednesday that they could have the jury set on Thursday, thus continuing into opening arguments.
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About the writer
Erin Keller is a reporter based in Ohio. Her focus is live and trending news, as well as pop culture. ... Read more