A Brief History of Rihanna and A$AP Rocky’s Relationship (2024)

Like any right-thinking human being, I only want the best for Rihanna, so I’ve been thrilled to watch the evolution of the 36-year-old singer and beauty mogul’s heartwarming and long-running relationship with rapper A$AP Rocky. The two first met over a decade ago, struck up a romance years after that initial introduction, and are now blissed-out parents to two children, RZA and Riot. Below, a refresher on how the couple went from musical collaborators to soulmates.

2012: Rihanna and A$AP Rocky meet

Rihanna and A$AP Rocky first met during rehearsals for a performance at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards, and their relationship began not with a bang, but with a squeeze: Rocky cupped Rihanna’s backside onstage, which she says didn’t bother her. “My team was worried that I wanted to have his head on a mantle,” Rihanna told Interview magazine in April 2024. “But I was like, ‘Ah, nah.’ That’s why everybody was like, ‘Oh my god. She likes him.’”

2019: Rihanna and A$AP Rocky start dating (albeit cautiously)

Rihanna confirmed in the same Interview, uh, interview that she and A$AP Rocky took fashion inspiration from each other before they actually started dating, some seven years after first meeting: “I would wear his sh*t, he would show up to my launches. But it wasn’t until the end of 2019 [that we got together] …We’ve known each other for a long time. I’ve seen him in relationships. He’s seen me in relationships. We’ve seen each other outside of relationships. We knew what we’re capable of, and the trouble that we could bring to each other’s lives. We can make or break each other’s hearts. And so, we started dating with a lot of caution … I just let whatever was supposed to happen, happen. It was just, ‘This is a flower. It’s either going to die or blossom. But I’m going to let it decide itself.’”

2020: Rihanna turns A$AP Rocky into a certified Dewy Dude

“I had to discover face-cleansing and skin care all at the same time when I was a young buck in the shower,” A$AP Rocky said in a 2020 British Vogue video, appearing alongside Rihanna to promote her Fenty Beauty skincare line. He added, “You can’t wash your body with the same rag you wash your face with. I was lucky enough to be the type of guy that wants to wash my face.” Hang on to this one, Rih; sure, washing your face should probably be considered the bare minimum, but unfortunately, a lot of guys aren’t even there when it comes to skincare.

2020: Rihanna and A$AP Rocky take a COVID road trip

In her May 2022 Vogue cover interview, Rihanna rhapsodized about nights of casual outdoor grilling and tie-dye sessions on the epic road trip she took with A$AP Rocky from Los Angeles to New York in the summer of 2020. “I cooked our food on this little janky grill I bought from Walmart,” she told Chioma Nnadi. “I still have it, too. It works like nobody’s business. I love the simple things but also the grand adventures. There’s no pretentious my-brand-your-brand bullsh*t, it’s just us living. I just feel like I can do any part of life by his side.” We’re crying!

2021: A$AP Rocky gushes about Rihanna to GQ

“I think when you know, you know. She’s the One,” A$AP Rocky told the magazine in a cover interview, adding that he was already looking forward to starting a family someday. “Nah, but like, I think I’d be an incredible, remarkably, overall amazing dad,” he said. “I would have a very fly child. Very.”

2022: Rihanna and A$AP Rocky change the pregnancy-reveal game forever

Has there ever been a more striking fashion moment than Rihanna letting the world in on the news of her pregnancy while dripping jewels on a wintry Harlem street? I think not.

2022: Rihanna and A$AP Rocky become first-time parents to baby RZA Athelston Mayers

I know RZA is only two years old, but I’m pretty sure he's already much, much cooler than I am.

2023: Rihanna reveals she’s expecting Baby No. 2 with A$AP Rocky at the Super Bowl halftime show

Nobody does a pregnancy reveal like Rih, who wore a scarlet Alaïa and Loewe look to show off her second baby bump while performing at the Super Bowl LVII halftime show.

2023: Rihanna, A$AP Rocky, and RZA cover British Vogue

In a cover story celebrating her growing family, Rihanna gushed about RZA’s relationship with A$AP Rocky to British Vogue, saying, “Their connection is undeniable. The second Rocky makes eye contact with him he is on fire. He is obsessed with his father. And I’m like: ‘Didn’t I give birth to you? What is going on?’”

2023: Rihanna gives birth to her and A$AP Rocky’s second son, Riot

“Having a house full of boys—I thought I was a girl mom, but I’m a boy mom. I love this. I love it,” Rihanna told Entertainment Weekly of managing her and A$AP Rocky’s transition to a two-child household. Naturally, Riot absolutely slayed his first family photo shoot.