ASAP Ferg
Darold Durard Brown Ferguson Jr.[2] (born October 20, 1988), known professionally as ASAP Ferg (/ˈeɪsæp/ AY-sap; stylized as A$AP Ferg), is an American rapper from Harlem, New York City. He is a lead member of the hip hop collective ASAP Mob, from which he adopted a recording contract with Polo Grounds and RCA Records—the same labels that helped launch ASAP Worldwide—in January 2013. Two years prior, the group's cohorts ASAP Rocky and the late ASAP Yams effectively negotiated their own respective deal.
A$AP Ferg
Darold Durard Brown Ferguson Jr.
Ferg
October 20, 1988[1]
New York City, U.S.
- Rapper
- songwriter
2007–present
- Roc Nation
- ASAP Worldwide
- Polo Grounds
- RCA
His 2013 commercial single, "Work (Remix)" (featuring ASAP Rocky, French Montana, Schoolboy Q, and Trinidad James)—a remix of his 2012 debut single—was released in May of that year; it marked his first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 and received triple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The song led his debut studio album Trap Lord (2013), which saw positive critical reception and peaked within the top ten of the Billboard 200 along with his second album, Always Strive and Prosper (2016). His 2017 single, "Plain Jane" (remixed featuring Nicki Minaj) became his first Billboard Hot 100-top 40 single and led his commercial mixtape, Still Striving (2017). Ferguson's 2020 single, "Move Ya Hips" (featuring Nicki Minaj and MadeinTYO) peaked at number 19 on the chart—becoming his highest-charting single—while marking one of the largest downward movements in the chart's history the following week.[3] He signed a management deal with Roc Nation the following year.[4]
Outside of music, Ferguson founded the street fashion brand Traplord in 2012, which is namesake for his debut album. In 2013, he was named "Rookie of the Year" at the BET Hip Hop Awards.[5]
Early life[edit]
Darold Durard Brown was born on October 20, 1988, in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City to Trinidadian parents.[6] Ferg was raised in Hamilton Heights.[7] His father, Darold Ferguson, owned a small Harlem boutique and printed shirts and logos for record labels; including Bad Boy Records and performers Teddy Riley, Heavy D and Bell Biv DeVoe. Before starting his music career, Ferg initially aspired to start his own clothing line.[7] Inspired by his father, who died of kidney failure, Ferg launched clothing and jewelry lines at a young age and attended art school.[8] In 2005, Ferg began launching the "Devoni Clothing", that he designed and distributed high-end belts, which have been worn by Chris Brown, Swizz Beatz and Diggy Simmons.[7]
Musical career[edit]
2009–2012: Career beginnings with A$AP Mob[edit]
By 2009, he started developing an aggressive, trap style of hip-hop. "Trapping means hustling," he explained. "I went from painting to making clothes to rapping. I always put myself into everything I do one hundred percent. It doesn't matter what I'm working on. I want to perfect everything I do. Success is the only option. They call me 'Trap Lord' because my hustle game is impeccable." Friends since high school, A$AP Rocky recognized that Ferg had an "impeccable hustle game" and pushed Ferg to continue rapping as much as possible. They later joined the hip hop collective A$AP Mob, from which they both adopted their respective monikers.[7] Since 2010, they collaborated on various songs such as "Get High," "Kissin' Pink" and "Ghetto Symphony", the latter being from Rocky's chart-topping major label debut, Long. Live. A$AP (2013).[9]