A$AP Rocky Paid Rent for All Tenants in His Harlem Grandmother's Building
- A$AP Rocky revealed in a talk show interview that he quietly covered rent for every tenant in his grandmother's Harlem building
- The rapper, who grew up in Harlem, explained why he wanted to give back without making a spectacle of the gesture
- Rocky also shared a touching childhood memory about a substitute teacher who took him to see a Harry Potter film while he was living in a shelter
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Source: Getty Images
A$AP Rocky has won the internet over after a talk-show clip resurfaced showing the rapper open up about quietly paying the rent for every tenant living in his grandmother's building in Harlem, and tracing the generosity back to a moment of unexpected kindness he received as a child.
In the interview on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Rocky explained that he deliberately avoided making a public moment out of the gesture. He said that viral donation videos, where a camera is always present, felt uncomfortable to him, particularly for the person receiving the help.
"I wanted to do something that felt like giving back, but without trying to be too flashy about it. So we paid the rent for everybody, all the tenants in my grandmother's building that I grew up with in Harlem on the 140th and Lenox."
Rocky's Harlem roots and a childhood in a shelter
The rapper also looked back at a formative experience from his time living in a shelter called Volunteers of America. When the first Harry Potter film came out, a woman he had never met before took a group of roughly ten children from the shelter to see it at the cinema, covering every child's ticket herself.
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When a young Rocky asked how she could afford it, expecting someone wealthy, her answer floored him. ‘She's like, honey? No, I'm a substitute teacher, I can't even make ends meet right now,’ he recalled. The woman told him it simply felt great to do something like that, a lesson that has clearly stayed with him.
"I don't even know the lady's name, but God bless you. Thank you so much. It's stuck in my head."
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Fans react to what Rocky said
The clip spread quickly online, drawing emotional responses from viewers who said they were seeing a different side of the rapper, who is also known as Rihanna's husband.
Sallie Cauthers wrote:
"Never knew much about him except he married Rihanna, who I respect and am a fan of her music. But this dialogue changed everything…"
Cynthia Broughton Hougardy said:
"Wouldn't it be awesome if the Harry Potter ticket lady saw this? He paid it forward!"
Busayo Ogunlana put it simply:
"Someone taught him giving by giving to him."
Marilyn Marquez-Smith added:
"That's beautiful and such a strong lesson about how an ordinary person struggling could make such a huge difference."
Kate Gillespie wrote:
"I heard of ASAP Rocky but never listened to his music or couldn't tell you what he looked like until now. But he just made a fan out of me."
Rick Richards reflected:
"'God's gift to you is life; what you do with your life is the gift you give God.' He's giving gifts without the public fanfare."
One dissenting voice came from Cheyanne Anderson, who asked:
"Isn't he doing the same thing by airing it out on live television?"
A$AP Rocky dismissed the idea that Rihanna supports him
ASAP Rocky spoke out after fans claimed Rihanna's billionaire status meant she was financially supporting him.
The rapper drew a clear line between his multi-million dollar wealth and Rihanna's $1.4B fortune, saying her success is never his demise.
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Source: Briefly News
