Power couple Rihanna and A$AP Rocky has been in the making for years.
Rihanna and A$AP Rocky’s longstanding relationship as music collaborators, fellow fashion enthusiasts, and close friends has been speculated about by fans for some time. After years of denying romance rumors, the pair are now reportedly an official item.
Over the past decade, Rihanna has transformed from successful singer into makeup and fashion mogul, and was ranked as the highest earning female musician by Forbes in 2019. Rocky has also grounded himself in both the music and style industries, becoming an award-winning rapper, key member of hip-hop group A$AP Mob, and major fashion collaborator.
Here, L’OFFICIEL charts the timeline of their relationship to power couple status.
2012: Rocky and Rihanna collaborate together on the remix of Rihanna’s song “Cockiness (Love It).”
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Rihanna – Cockiness (Love It) (Remix) (Audio) ft. A$AP ROCKY
The 2012 MTV VMA performance of Rihanna’s remixed single becomes infamous when Rihanna and Rocky get cozy on stage and Rocky even gets a little handsy. Fans begin to wonder if the pair simply put on a great show or if there’s something more to their connection.
© MTV
2013: Rocky tours with Rihanna, and rumors circulate on set of Rocky’s “Fashion Killa” music video.
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A$AP Rocky – Fashion Killa (Explicit Version)
As Rocky and Rihanna individually climb in musical success, Rocky opens for the North American leg of Rihanna’s Diamonds World Tour.
In the same year, Rocky releases his music video for “Fashion Killa,” featuring Rihanna. Paparazzi capture photos of the two getting cozy while filming, igniting romance rumors–even though Rocky was dating (and reportedly engaged to) Victoria’s Secret model Chanel Iman at the time. But the two confirm they’re just friends. Rocky tells MTV News, “I don’t even look at her like that. She’s sexy, but I’m good.”
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June 2017: Rumors diffuse as both Rocky and Rihanna are romantically linked to other celebrities.
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Rihanna starts seriously dating billionaire and heir Hassan Jameel and Rocky is linked to Kendall Jenner.
June 2018: Rocky and Rihanna attend a Louis Vuitton show during Paris Fashion Week together.
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Rihanna and Rocky show their longstanding friendship with wide smiles while sitting together front row at the Louis Vuitton menswear Spring/Summer 2018 show in Paris.
September 2018: Rocky attends Rihanna’s annual Diamond Ball in New York City.
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Rocky shows his support for Rihanna’s annual charitable fashion event, in support of the Clara Lionel Foundation.
September 2019: Rocky attends Rihanna’s Diamond Ball for the second year in a row.
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Rocky once again attends Rihanna’s Diamond Ball, wearing Raf Simons.
December 2019: Rocky and Rihanna appear at the Fashion Awards in London together.
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The pair walk the British Fashion Awards red carpet together, displaying their friendship and mutual love of fashion. Rocky shows support for Rihanna’s luxury fashion brand, as the duo both wear Fenty attire.
January 2020: Rihanna and Hassan Jameel split, and rumors of Rihanna and Rocky re-ignite with a New York City hotel stay.
Other romantic endeavors may have cooled romance rumors between Rocky and Rihanna for a few years, but not for long. Rumors are re-ignited shortly after Rihanna and Hassan Jameel end their three-year relationship and sources reveal Rihanna and Rocky shared a hotel suite in New York City together.
But Rihanna seems to just be having some single girl fun, not interested to jump into a relationship with Rocky. A source told The Sun that Rihanna is “reluctant to put a label on it so soon after Hassan,” but that her and Rocky are “enjoying each other’s company and taking things easy.”
July 2020: Rocky joins Rihanna in promoting the release of Fenty Skin.
Rocky once again shows his support for Rihanna, starring alongside her in the launch of her skincare line, Fenty Skin.
November 2020: Rihanna and Rocky have a night out with friends in New York City.
A significant step from the New York City hotel suite rumors, Rocky and Rihanna take their relationship out on the town, spotted dining with friends at The Beatrice Inn restaurant.
December 2020: More New York City outings and sources confirm their romance.
Rumors accelerate even more when Rocky and Rihanna are snapped by paparazzi on a night stroll together in New York City. Though neither Rihanna or Rocky address the rumors, a source tells People the pair are “inseparable.”
December 24th, 2020: Rocky and Rihanna spend Christmas in Barbados with her family and get cozy.
© BACKGRID
Rocky travels to meet Rihanna and her family in Barbados for Christmas, proving the pair is getting pretty serious. Not long after Christmas, they display some PDA on a yacht and jet ski together in Barbados.
January 2021: Rihanna kicks off 2021 with some new footwear, designed by Rocky himself.
On New Year’s, Rihanna posts a picture on Instagram in a metallic bikini and skirt and, most importantly, the Anima Muaddi X AWGE LSD Gladi Thigh High Heel, a collaboration between Rocky and footwear designer Amina Muaddi – just another example of how the couple has always been supportive of each other as music and business moguls.
Collage: Lesya Pakharyna