Ferg Addresses A$AP Rocky's Heartbreak Over His Name Change

BY Gabriel Bras Nevares
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Ferg ASAP Rocky Heartbreak Name Change
June 10, 2018; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; ASAP Ferg performs during Hot 97's Summer Jam at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ on Sunday, June 10, 2018. Mandatory Credit: Danielle Parhizkaran/North Jersey Media Group via USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Ferg and A$AP Rocky were the two biggest artists in A$AP Mob, and questions around their dynamic have captivated fans for years.

Ferg recently sat down with Ashley Nicole Moss for a new episode of Complex Bets' "In Motion" series, and they had a wide-ranging conversation. At one point, as Moss shared on Twitter, she asked the rapper how he felt about A$AP Rocky saying he was hurt by Ferg's name change. He dropped the "A$AP" moniker, and the "CYCLE" MC spoke on how he felt about his friend's remarks and admissions.

"I feel like that's a personal thing for him," he answered. "You can feel how you want to feel. But at the end of the day, it's like, I got to follow my truth and how I feel. And it's nothing wrong with growing. I got A$AP tatted on me. I've always been D Ferg, I've always been Ferg growing up. When I came to work with the Mob, that's when I became A$AP Ferg. So now, I'm just going back to who I am.

"Now, it's like, alright, we grown," the former A$AP lyricist continued. "You got kids, you doing your thing. And I'm over here doing my thing. We're not mobbing anymore. Like, we're grown. So let me show people what Ferg is about. Let me show people what the Ferg brand is about... We built towers over here. And then, when we come back together, and people see us together, it's like, 'Oh, s**t, look at all of what Ferg built over here. Look at all of what Rocky built over here. He's taking over the movie game, I'm doing the fitness and all of that.'

A$AP Rocky & Ferg's Relationship

"Imagine if I'm moving around with them everywhere, going on Rocky's tours..." he concluded. "And it's like I'm not able to even bump into my blessings because I'm following somebody else's dream. I got to go and do Ferg-type things. People got to know who I am before I leave this Earth. So when we come back together now, it's like, 'Y'all been touring a lot and all of that. Let's go hit the cycle class. Let's go on this run.' So I have something to give. That's all it is."

A$AP Rocky and Ferg's dynamic is something the former has talked about on multiple occasions. While he admitted to feeling hurt by the name change, he firmly believes they can hash things out, and it's clear they still have a lot of love for each other.

Also, they have reunited in the past following A$AP Mob's processes of dissolution. So it's not like this has been a completely oppositional or tense dynamic. We'll see if they link up for another collaboration one day.

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.

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