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A$AP Rocky Rakim Mayers (born October 3, 1988), better known by his stage name ASAP Rocky (stylized as A$AP Rocky), is an American rapper and music video director. Born and raised in the New York City neighborhood Harlem, he is a member of the hip hop collective A$AP Mob, from which he adopted his moniker. Rocky released his debut mixtape Live. Love. ASAP in 2011 to critical acclaim. His debut album Long. Live. ASAP was released on January 15, 2013, and was also well received by critics. Born in 1988, Mayers was named after the hip hop legend Rakim, one half of the Eric B. & Rakim duo.[1][2] When he was 12 years old, his father went to jail in connection with selling drugs. A year later his older brother was killed near his apartment, which inspired him to take rapping seriously.[3] Mayers, who had started rapping at age eight,[4] grew up admiring Harlem-based rap group The Diplomats, and also lists among his influences UGK,[5] Three 6 Mafia, Mobb Deep, Wu-Tang Clan, Run DMC and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.[6] After living in a shelter with his mother, and elsewhere around Manhattan, Mayers moved to Elmwood Park, New Jersey.[1] Wikipedia