In a candid interview, the rapper reflects on raising young children, jokes about naming the new baby “Denzel,” and how family drives his heart.

Key Takeaways

Each pregnancy with Rihanna has felt different, making baby No. 3 a unique chapter in their journey.
A$AP Rocky shares how parenting has shifted his priorities and deepened his sense of purpose.
He jokes about naming their next child “Denzel,” referencing his recent film project with Denzel Washington.

A$AP Rocky recently sat down with GQ to talk about his latest collaboration with Moncler Genius, his upcoming album Don’t Be Dumb, and what life looks like as a dad of (almost) three. The Harlem native spoke openly about drawing on German Expressionism for his new music and visuals, citing everything from A Nightmare Before Christmas to “Pee-wee’s Playhouse,” but the conversation quickly turned to family life, designing clothes for his kids, and how much fatherhood has reshaped him.

Rocky shares two young sons with Rihanna — RZA and Riot Rose — and says they’re still too little to fully understand their parents’ world. “My kids are still in the stage where they like childish, musical, kiddie kind of sounds. Remember, keep in mind, they’re only like three and two, so they don’t even understand stuff that I’m doing yet,” he explained. “Give it like a year or two, they’ll be up in my business. ‘Dad, what you doing?’”

When asked if his children are allowed to listen to his and Rihanna’s music, Rocky didn’t hesitate. “Now, if they wanted to,” the rapper said. “They don’t request their parents’ music. They can’t even develop the concept of having famous parents at this moment… Their little brains are still developing, so whenever they’re ready, they can listen to my music. I need them to know Dad is a rockstar, Mommy’s a rockstar. It’s okay.”

On the upcoming arrival of baby number three, Rocky kept things playful. When asked if he would name the child after Denzel Washington, he laughed: “You know I have to. Denzel, no matter what… The first female come out named Denzel, it’s lit. We got it figured out.” The joke doubles as a nod to his recent role alongside Washington in Spike Lee’s crime thriller Highest 2 Lowest.

A$AP Rocky says baby No. 3 brings a new experience

Elsewhere during the conversation, the 36-year-old opened up about how each pregnancy experience with Rihanna has been unique. “Well, I would say this experience and this pregnancy has been so different in comparison to the first two prior,” he said. “So, nothing’s ever the same. Each experience is always just different in its own right. And it’s no different with this one.”

Reflecting on fatherhood, Rocky added, “I think the evolution of who I am as a person, as an individual, as a dad, an artist… Just quite f**king interesting if you ask me, to see in front of everybody’s eyes how much I’ve been yearning to be a dad, and a loving dad. So, I got nothing but love to give to these little ones. And as you can see, that’s what occupies a lot of my heart capacity, is my family.”