A$AP Rocky (37) opened up unusually candidly about his partner Rihanna (38) in a podcast. On "The Jason Lee Show", the rapper spoke with host Jason Lee (48) about the people who have shaped his life the most, naming the singer above all. "It has nothing to do with her awards or her money", he said. "The truth is: When my father died, she was there for me."
Rocky's father died on Christmas 2012 while his son was in Paris. "My first album was number one. My father died on Christmas. I was crying on the bathroom floor in Paris", he recounted. Rihanna, also in Paris, had called him to congratulate him on his chart success and shortly after stood in his hotel room. "I don't even know how Rihanna got the key to my room. I stopped answering the phone, and she was just standing in the room: 'Yo, are you okay?' That was really my friend."
Friendship long before the relationship
The two were not a couple at that time. Rocky and Rihanna officially confirmed their relationship in 2021 after years of speculation. "Every time I'm at my lowest and darkest point, whether we're purely platonic friends or in a relationship, she's there for me", the 37-year-old summed up.
Rocky and Rihanna are now parents of three children: sons RZA (4) and Riot (3), and daughter Rocki (11 months). According to the rapper, juggling two jam-packed careers and three small children only works with support. "It's our mothers and our nannies, it's a lot of help", he said. "I'd be lying if I claimed we didn't have help. You need it."
Other parents don't have this option, he emphasized: "I know as a father who is present how much I simply want the best for my children. But I'm a hard-working man. And when I'm not home, I need to know that someone is taking care of my children and they are loved." There is no favorite child: "I'm a present father. I don't favor any of them."
Rihanna is working on new music again
In the conversation, Rocky also rejected the widespread assumption that he is responsible for Rihanna's long music hiatus, making an announcement he says he should have kept to himself. "She's in the studio, right now. Yeah, I said it. Sorry, babe", he said. And further: "Brother, she's working. She's cooking something up, no joke. Dang, I'm going to get in trouble for that."
Rihanna's last regular studio album "ANTI" was released in 2016 and stayed at the top of the Billboard 200 for two weeks. In 2023, she performed the Super Bowl halftime show, in 2025 she contributed "Friend of Mine" to the "Schlümpfe" soundtrack. In July, she took the stage at Jay-Z's show at Yankee Stadium. On Instagram, she had already given insights into a day at the music studio, sparking speculation.
