American rapper A$AP Rocky has disclosed that his mother always wanted him to end up with Rihanna, revealing that she once encouraged him to break up with a former girlfriend and pursue the Barbadian superstar instead.
Speaking in an interview with The New York Times, Rocky said that at the time, he and Rihanna were only friends and he had no intention of taking the relationship further.
He explained that he is glad he did not rush into dating Rihanna back then, noting that neither of them was ready for a serious commitment or family life at the time.
“Rihanna has always been my boo. I’ve always messed with her,” he said. “My mum used to tell me, ‘I know you like the girl you’re with right now, but I want you with Riri.’
“I would tell her Rihanna was just a friend, but my mum kept insisting that Rihanna was the real deal and that I should go for her. Mothers really do know best.
“I’m thankful our relationship started when it did, because before then, I don’t think I was ready for something like that, and I don’t think she was either,” Rocky added.
A$AP Rocky and Rihanna grew closer after he joined her Diamond Tour in 2013.
Speculation about their relationship began in early 2020, shortly after Rihanna ended her three-year relationship with billionaire businessman Hassan Jameel in January of that year.
Rocky previously dated model Kendall Jenner in 2016 before they parted ways in 2017.
Rihanna and A$AP Rocky welcomed their first child in 2022, their second in 2023, and their third in 2025.