This flirty power couple goes way back.
But after all the sold out tours, luxe vacations, and sizzling red carpets, these days, RiRi
and A$AP are collabing on a bundle of love.
Keep watching for the full story.
Back in 2012, Rihanna was cranking out the hits with "Where Have You Been," "Diamonds,"
and "Stay," just to name a few singles from her long list of chart-toppers.
And when she was tapped to perform at the MTV VMAs, who else joined her on stage but
A$AP Rocky.
Spitting a verse on her "Cockiness (Remix)," the performance marked one of the first times
the couple crossed paths in public.
And the interaction left an obvious impression.
"We didn't really do us until we did us, like, when it was live."
Almost as soon as he stepped on stage, A$AP grabbed Rihanna's booty.
He even went in for a kiss at one point.
MTV stated the obvious when it noted of the rapper,
"He was flirting the entire time."
Rihanna and A$AP immediately had everyone talking after the VMAs.
And they certainly capitalized on the buzz.
As noted by PopCrush, Rihanna soon announced that A$AP would be joining her on the North
American leg of her 2013 Diamonds World Tour.
The tour came just months before the singer released her famed studio album "Unapologetic."
And the dynamic between the artist and A$AP really came to light.
She tweeted at the time,
"This is gonna be some Young Epic Rockstar s—! See you on tour @asvpxrocky."
A$AP then returned the favor regarding their working relationship by having Rihanna star
as his love interest in his 2013 video for "Fashion Killa."
After riding the tidal wave of a wild and crazy media storm, things seemed to cool off
between the pair.
Of course, Rihanna was busy building her empire, while A$AP was releasing his album "AT.LONG.LAST.A$AP,"
in 2015.
But fans were all abuzz when the couple was spotted together at Paris Fashion Week in
2018.
As noted by E! News, the pair took a front row seat alongside a litany of other stars
at the Louis Vuitton menswear show.
Featuring the brand debut of Off-White's Virgil Abloh, Rihanna and A$AP stepped out with the
likes of Bella Hadid, Kanye West, and Kim Kardashian.
Of course, Rihanna stole the show in a flawless white jumpsuit designed by Virgil himself.
"Now everybody's walkin' around with Off-White."
They may have looked pretty cozy at Fashion Week, but these two were not a couple.
Still, A$AP quickly became a familiar face at Rihanna's biggest events.
According to Billboard, the rapper attended RiRi's 2018 Diamond Ball, which was positively
bursting with A-list stars.
And he popped up on the guest list for the event the following year, too.
But that time, he made a statement.
According to E! News, it was A$AP's first red carpet appearance since he was involved
in a fight in Stockholm.
After an incident broke out between himself, two friends, and a 19-year-old, the rapper
landed in a Swedish prison for a month.
While his case was still being deliberated, A$AP caught a private jet back to Los Angeles.
At the 2019 British Fashion Awards, the duo once again hit the carpet together — as
friends.
Rihanna stunned in a mint green Fenty design, while A$AP rocked an all-black suit.
The buds were photographed looking very chummy, which of course set the internet on fire.
"I usually record all my music here.
I'm inspired by a lot of the fashion."
We quickly learned that A$AP's look was also designed by Rihanna for her Fenty line.
But as for A$AP's thoughts on the matter, People reported that her gown was his "favorite
outfit" that she's ever worn, ever.
Clearly, A$AP only has eyes for RiRi.
"What is your skin type?"
"Handsome."
If Rihanna and A$AP hadn't already proven their starpower, their Fenty Skin collab in
mid-2020 was positively lit.
So if they were still just friends, how come she chose A$AP for the job?
As the beauty mogul explained to Vogue,
"Men love their skin, and they take care of it, but they feel obligated almost to only
use products that are for men because anything beyond that feels too feminine, it's not for
them, they're not allowed, they don't have permission."
When A$AP then asked Rihanna to describe her own skin type, she jokingly shot back,
"Just as complicated as…men are."
Fans of the couple rejoiced wh en Rihanna and A$AP finally confirmed a legit romantic
relationship in late 2020.
After all those years together, they had finally conquered the friend-zone!
Multiple outlets had been busy spec ulating on their status for years, but a source close
to the couple ultimately confirmed the news with People magazine.
"I couldn't tell you how happy I am."
Rihanna had been previously linked to billionaire Hassan Jameel.
And A$AP had been tied to Kendall Jenner and model Daiane Sodré.
But the longtime buds finally saw each other in a different light.
As the source dished to the outlet,
"They've been inseparable the past few weeks.
It's a new relationship, but they both seem very into it.
They've always seem ed to have a great time together.
They have a lot in common.
[…] Rihanna seems very happy dating A$AP."
Shortly after they went public as an item, the two were seen traveling to Rihanna's home
country, Barbados, for Christmas in 2020.
An insider explained to People,
"Rihanna has been in Barbados since [last] Thursday.
A$AP joined her and they are spending Christmas together with Rihanna's family."
"Here we come!
Home sweet home."
Six months later, A$AP revealed his own personal ties to the Caribbean island.
He explained that his late father had emigrated to the United States from Barbados.
And being on the island, experiencing it all, opened his eyes to a larger part of his own
history.
As he shared with GQ,
"It was like a homecoming thing.
I always imagined what it would be like for my dad, before he came to America.
And I got to visit those places, and believe it or not, there was something nostalgic about
it.
It was foreign but familiar."
For two stars who have clearly made a big mark in pop culture, Rihanna and A$AP were
oddly successful at keeping their relationship on the down low.
They don't post about each other all the time, or make big statements to the press.
And as A$AP tells it, that makes it all the more real for him.
Having referred to Rihanna as "the love of [his] life," as well as his "lady," GQ noted
that A$AP was basically glowing while thinking about her.
The outlet reported,
"Rocky knows he probably shouldn't talk about Rihanna […] but he can't help himself.
As soon as I bring her up, he starts beaming like a teenager whose crush just accepted
his prom invite."
When asked how life has changed since linking up with the fashion designer, A$AP said it
had improved all around.
He added,
"I think when you know, you know.
She's the One.
[…] I think it's important to have somebody that you can bounce those creative juices
and ideas off of."
"It was gonna be — not only the dress of the night, but the dress of the Met through
the annals of time."
For years, both Rihanna and A$AP have proven that they're obvious pros when it comes to
stunning on the red carpet.
So, when the newly-minted couple graced the 2021 Met Gala, no one could look away.
As People noted it, the looks were jaw-dropping, and fans from every corner of the internet
just couldn't get enough.
As the outlet reported, Rihanna wore a stunning, custom Demna Gvasalia dress — along with
267 carats worth of diamonds from Bulgari.
A$AP's look was a little more low key by comparison — but that was only after he emerged from
his puffy, thrifted quilt!
As the story goes, the quilt was picked up at a second-hand store, and handily repurposed
as a cape by designer Eli Russell Linnetz.
The great granddaughter of the woman who made it even posted a side-by-side on Instagram,
writing,
"Looks like great grandma Mary went to the #metgala with @asaprocky."
As the designer claimed to People, it was all part of truly embracing the gala theme
that year; "In America: A Lexicon of Fashion."
Nailed it.
"I can tell you that I will work my best to be the most successful artist I can be."
Rihanna has made it clear throughout her professional life that she's here to work, work, work,
work, work.
But while the fashion and beauty mogul slash Grammy-winner has always kept a low personal
profile, she opened up about the possibility of adding kids to the mix in early 2020.
Acknowledging that life is short, and claiming she would even parent a bunch of kids on her
own, she explained to Vogue,
"I'll have kids – three or four of 'em.
[…] I feel like society makes me want to feel like, 'Oh, you got it wrong…'
They diminish you as a mother if there’s not a dad in your kids' lives.
But the only thing that matters is happiness, that's the only healthy relationship between
a parent and a child.
That's the only thing that can raise a child truly, is love."
As for A$AP, he also saw himself having children one day.
As he told GQ in 2021,
"If that's in my destiny, absolutely.
I think I'd be an incredible, remarkably, overall amazing dad.
I would have a very fly child.
Very."
"I'm creative, intricate, angelic at moments."
Well, speaking of babies…
In possibly the buzziest couple news ever, Rihanna and A$AP announced that they had a
bun in the oven!
On January 21, 2022, the "Diamonds" singer stepped out with her man — and her baby
bump.
She looked as stunning as ever — and was already making fashion industry jaws drop
to the floor with her sizzling baby bump style.
So who was she wearing?
And where do we get it?
No time for that, you guys, Rihanna's having a baby!
Shortly after the official announcement, Rihanna took to Instagram to share a candid snap of
herself, captioning the pic,
"How the gang pulled up to black history month."
"I've surrendered to my journey and I'm enjoying it."
The mogul later debuted her baby belly for the cover of Vogue in May of 2022.
But don't worry.
There are zero frumpy preggo dresses hiding in her closet.
And she's not about to ditch her edgy vibe just because she's gonna be a mom.
She made all of this abundantly clear, explaining to Refinery29,
"When women get pregnant, society tends to make it feel like you hide, hide your sexy,
and that you're not sexy right now [but] you'll get back there and I don't believe in that
s—."
It turns out that it wasn't just us fans who were surprised by the baby news!
Apparently, the couple kept their little bundle of joy a secret from their friends and family
too.
But actually doing that…wasn't an easy task.
Rihanna told E! News,
"It was harder for me to keep it from my posse, because they're around me, they know my habits."
She revealed that her friends were curious as to why she wasn't drinking or smoking,
and why on earth the typically sugar-free artist was on the mad hunt for donuts.
She said,
"I just had to let it all out, and they were all shocked, of course, as the world was shocked
as well."
"I just never seen a female look so beautiful pregnant."
So, what has pregnancy been like for the first time mom?
As the mogul shared with the outlet,
"When I first found out, it's not real, you know?
... It's almost like you don't want to get too excited too soon because it's great news,
but ... now I can celebrate with everyone."
Of course we're excited for this multi-talented couple to grow their family.
But the question remains: Will we get new music from either of them anytime soon?
It sure feels like fans have been waiting for a new Rihanna release for ages.
But as she told Entertainment Tonight, there is indeed something in the works.
And no, it won't have anything to do with nursery rhymes or any other baby stuff.
She joked,
"My fans would kill me if they waited this long for a lullaby."
As for A$AP, he has teased new stuff for a while now.
He told GQ in 2021 that his album "All Smiles" was very close to completion.
And he elaborated in an interview with "DESUS & MERO," saying he's been in the studio and
staying focused on his process.
But even so, it seems as though becoming a father might be what's really on the forefront
of A$AP's mind at the moment.
As he told Entertainment Tonight,
"I'm just excited for what I don't know yet, you know?
Everything is new to me, so.
You know, I'm excited."
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