A$AP Rocky reveals the secret matchmaker behind his romance with Rihanna

They say that a mother’s intuition is second to none, and for A$AP Rocky, that’s certainly the case. The American rapper only recently came clean concerning where the inspiration for his relationship with global superstar Rihanna first arose, claiming that his mother, Renee Black, championed the match long before the pair were ever linked as a romantic item.

A$AP Rocky says his mother Renee Black encouraged him to date Rihanna

Speaking in a podcast, Rocky revealed how his mom would constantly make hints at the Umbrella singer. "My mother used to say s–t like, ‘I want you with RiRi,’" he remembered. Since the rapper was often seeing other people at the time, he playfully shot down her suggestions. "It’s like, ‘Ma, why you keep saying that? That girl don’t even want me like that,’" he joked.

Rocky, despite initial reservations, ceded that Rihanna was "always my boo" and that they enjoyed a special bond they had from coming from similar backgrounds. Both superstars were born in 1988, and Rocky's father was from Barbados, Rihanna's native country. This turns out to be a coincidence that they always laugh about since Rocky can visit both sides of his family whenever they return to the island.

The couple were famously friends for almost a decade before things turned romantic in 2020. Reflecting on the timing, the 37-year-old artiste expressed gratitude they didn’t rush things. "I'm thankful that she was put in my life at that time because any time prior to that I don't think I was ready," he admitted.

Conquering an empire

The Fashion Killa duo has since built an busy life together by welcoming three children: sons RZA Athelston and Riot Rose, and their four-month-old daughter, Rocki Irish. The family could be about to get even bigger in the not-too-distant future. Rihanna recently sent fans into overdrive after commenting on a social media post about "getting pregnant in 2026", hinting that baby number four might not be too far away. Whether they are expanding their family or their business empires, one thing is for sure: Renee Black’s maternal instinct was bang on.

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