Rakim Athelaston Mayers, known professionally as A$AP Rocky, is an American… Read Full Bio ↴Rakim Athelaston Mayers, known professionally as A$AP Rocky, is an American rapper, record producer and record executive. Born and raised in Harlem, he embarked on his musical career as a member of the hip hop collective A$AP Mob, from which he adopted his moniker. In August 2011, Rocky's single "Peso" was leaked online and within weeks began receiving radio airplay. Rocky released his debut mixtape Live.Love.A$AP, later that year to widespread critical acclaim. The success of what is considered his breakout project led to a joint venture record deal with Polo Grounds Music and Sony Music's RCA Records.

His debut studio album Long.Live.A$AP (2013) debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and was later certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). In 2015, Rocky released his second album, titled At.Long.Last.A$AP. The album was Rocky's second consecutive album to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 and received mostly positive reviews from music critics. In 2018, Rocky released his third album, Testing, which peaked in the top five of several countries, including the Billboard 200.

Rocky has won a BET Award, two BET Hip Hop Awards, an MTV Video Music Award Japan and an MTVU Woodie Award, as well as being nominated for two Grammy Awards, six World Music Awards, three MTV Video Music Awards and two MTV Europe Music Awards. Rocky has also directed music videos for himself, Danny Brown, and other A$AP Mob members. Furthermore, he produces records under the pseudonym Lord Flacko.

R. Cali
A$AP Rocky Lyrics

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Niggas pistol popping like it's 1999
I was 9, maybe 10, then again never mind
Press rewind, back in time, before rappers dropping dimes
Trap or die, chopping pies, with clichés all in they rhymes
Now it's Gucci, Prada and anything designer
Money, power, the whole enchilada
Commas, dollas, the greens and the guava
They serve you to your flocka

If you disrespect that blocka blocka
Choppas on eavesdroppers
Fuck these choppas I'm about it
Grindin' like 2Pac with Biggie Poppa
Yeah you outer, but I'm hotter (Right!)
Car jacking, pistol packing
Mothafuckin' choppers clapping
Metal jacket automatic magazines head on traffic
Window smashing, windows crashing
Pants sagging, fuck your fashion

Yeah a nigga run Manhattan
Back in Cali's where it happen
It's Gucci, Escada, and anything designer
Groupies, poppers, they all gonna swallow
It was probably the robbers, the goons and the goblins
They hating a lot, medulla oblongata
Maserati like Atari with no car keys, push to start it
New Buggatti, Two Bugattis
Tesstarossa, New Ferrari
Lamborghini, system bumping
Me no worried, Rastafari
This the hardest supersonic
Systematic, too retarded
New versace, new apartment
Bigger closet, newer carpet
Hit departments, cool it all

Must set my goal if you accomplish
Shoot a target, you the target

Overall Meaning

In A$AP Rocky's "R. Cali," the artist begins by commenting on the current state of certain urban neighborhoods, where violence is commonplace and people carry guns like it's 1999. He then reflects on his own youth, alluding to the fact that he was around 9 or 10 years old in 1999, and noting that the present moment is far removed from the simpler times of his childhood. He then criticizes the present-day rap industry for its over-reliance on cliches and predictable rhyming structures.

The song then transitions to a more celebratory tone, as Rocky boasts about the luxury brands and material possessions that he has acquired through his success. He name-drops brands such as Gucci and Escada, and emphasizes the importance of money and power in his world. He also references various high-end cars, including a Maserati, a Bugatti, and a Lamborghini. The song ends with Rocky detailing his ambitions and his unwavering determination to achieve them, emphasizing that he will stop at nothing to reach his goals.

R. CaliA$AP Rocky Lyrics

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R. Cali
A$AP Rocky Lyrics