S. Samuel
New York's A$AP Ferg recently shared his thoughts on his tight-knit A$AP crew and why former affiliates mostly left as a result of leader Rocky landing a $3 million deal with RCA/Polo Grounds a few years ago.
In Ferg’s opinion, anxiety and jealously played big roles in members leaving A$AP.
“When people left or got booted out of A$AP Mob, it was because they didn’t see the vision and believe. They weren’t for the team. When Rocky got that $3 million deal, it combed out the bullshit and left the real niggas. Those of us who stayed are prospering. If I was dumb, I could’ve left, like, “I need to go and get my $3 million.” It’s a chain effect. Rocky goes first, whoever goes second is stepping up to the plate, and so on. You’ve got to play your position.” (Complex)
Back in November 2011, A$AP Rocky clarified his perceived $3 million pay day.
“I don’t have a $3 million dollar balance in my account but the record deal was $3 million though,” A$AP tells Billboard. “I got a deal with RCA/Polo Grounds for A$AP Worldwide and I got a deal with them for my solo project, my solo deal; if you combine both deals it amounts to a three million dollar deal.” In fact, A$AP is in the studio working on a compilation mixtape, “Long Live A$AP,” which will feature his newly signed A$AP Worldwide artists A$AP Ferg, A$AP Nast, A$AP Twelvyy and Space Ghost Purrp. Before dropping his yet-to-be-titled debut set, A$AP plans to release a deluxe edition of his current mixtape that will be marketed and sold commercially similar to Drake’s “So Far Gone.” After all, A$AP says, “My mixtape is a classic. It’s only right to put it out at retail.” (Billboard)
A few days prior, the New York native talked to SOHH about his huge record contract.
“People tend to make a big deal out of everything. I’m gonna be perfectly honest: I been ‘hearing’ that I’m pretty big. I can go on Twitter and stuff and see that I’m pretty big, but truthfully, I don’t know how big I really am yet. You know? Because it’s happening to me, I can’t really see it like everyone else does. But [being big] is not the most important thing to me at this moment, so I don’t stress that. It’s a dope feeling, but I don’t know if I’m bigger than I was a week ago.” (SOHH)
Last year, issues between former affiliate producer SpaceghostPurrp and A$AP became public.
Miami MC-producer, SpaceGhostPurrp and the Harlem based ASAP Mob are involved in the latest hip hop beef. According to various reports, the fight started as ASAP Mob member ASAP Twelvy apparently jumped Spaceghost’s Raider Klan partner Matt Stoops which then caused members of the of both groups to launch a twitter feud. While Spaceghost has produced some of Rocky’s best songs, it seems as though the two won’t be working together anytime soon. (The Source)
