Key Takeaways
- Ferg says dropping A$AP from his name reflects personal growth and a return to the identity he had before joining the Mob, not disrespect toward A$AP Rocky.
- “We’re not mobbing anymore,” he said, explaining that the members have grown up and need space to build separate careers rather than follow one another’s dreams.
- Rocky said the change hurt him but stressed there is no bad blood, while Ferg released “Cycle” and confirmed a new album for early next year.
Ferg is explaining why dropping ASAP from his name wasn't about disrespecting ASAP Rocky or turning his back on where he came from.
During a conversation with Ashley Nicole Moss on Complex Bets' In Motion, the Harlem rapper responded to Rocky previously admitting that Ferg removing the A$AP moniker and distancing himself from the Mob "hurt" him.
"I feel like that's a personal thing for him," Ferg said. "You could feel how you want to feel, but at the end of the day, it's like I got to follow my truth for sure and how I feel. And there's nothing wrong with growing."
Ferg explained that he sees the name change as getting back to his original identity rather than abandoning A$AP.
"I got ASAP tatted on me. I've always been Ferg. I've always been Ferg growing up," he said. "When I came to work with the mob, that's when I became ASAP Ferg. So, now I'm just going back to who I am."
The 37-year-old also pointed to how much life has changed for everyone involved since the Mob's earlier years.
"Like now it's like, 'All right, we grown. You got kids, you doing your thing, and I'm over here doing my thing. We're not mobbing anymore,'" he said. "Like we're grown."
For Ferg, that evolution means establishing himself outside of the collective while Rocky and other members pursue their own paths. He compared their respective careers to building separate towers alongside one another, pointing to Rocky's work in film while he expands into areas including fitness and brand partnerships.
"Let me show people what Ferg is about," he said.
Ferg added that constantly moving alongside Rocky and the rest of the crew could have prevented him from finding opportunities of his own.
"Imagine if I'm moving around with them everywhere and going on Rocky tours and doing that thing, it's like I'm not able to even bump into my blessings because I'm following somebody else's dream," Ferg said. "It's like I got to go and do Ferg. People got to know who I am before I leave this earth."
That includes strengthening his individual connection to New York.
"I want people to feel like, you know, when we go to New York, we got to check Ferg," he said.
Ferg also rejected the idea that A$AP Mob should be viewed solely as a rap group. Instead, he described the collective as an entity capable of launching artists and careers, comparing its potential to Bad Boy Records and recalling the late A$AP Yams' ambitions to work with acts including Pro Era and Young Thug.
Rocky addressed Ferg's decision during an appearance on The Jason Lee Show, admitting that the change bothered him.
"That hurt me too. The Ferg dropping A$AP hurt me as well," Rocky said.
Despite his feelings, Rocky made it clear he doesn't consider Ferg an enemy.
"I don't got no bad blood towards Ferg," he said. "Me and Ferg could hash it out any day now because I love Ferg."
Ferg, meanwhile, is continuing to move forward under his shortened name. He released his latest song, "Cycle," on Sept. 23 and confirmed that a new album is expected early next year.
