A$AP Rocky covered everything from his Harlem roots to his relationship with Rihanna during his nearly two-hour appearance on The Jason Lee Show, but it was an unexpected video of his daughter Rocki that delivered one of the interview’s most heartfelt moments.
Toward the end of Wednesday’s (Aug. 5) BET exclusive interview, host Jason Lee surprised the rapper with never-before-seen footage of his daughter Rocki crawling for the first time — a clip Rocky admitted he had never seen. The video then sparked a conversation about fatherhood, raising three children with Rihanna and why being a present parent has become one of the most important roles in his life.
When asked how he manages to love each of his children equally while embracing their different personalities, Rocky said becoming a father has come naturally. While his eldest son RZA helped him discover what parenthood felt like and Riot reinforced those instincts, welcoming a daughter brought an entirely new perspective.
“RZA was my first. So by the time Riot was born, I naturally just loved both of them equally,” Rocky explained. “By the time Rocki came, it was like, ‘Oh snap, this is different because this is a girl,’ so you got to handle them a little bit differently.”
Though he said he was “ultra, ultra gentle” with his daughter, Rocky teased that she’s turned out to be the toughest of the three siblings.
“She’ll grab your nose, squeeze it, she takes my braids, yanks it. I’ll be like, ‘Damn, girl. Why you beating up daddy for?'” he laughs.
Despite each child having a distinct personality, Rocky said he doesn’t play favorites.
“It’s easy, Jason. I’m a present dad. I don’t ‘favoritize’ any of them. They all have such different personalities that you love each of them for what it’s worth.”
Lee then praised Rocky and Rihanna for remaining hands-on parents despite their busy schedules as superstars, noting that the pair are often seen doing everyday family activities like taking their children to school, grocery shopping and more. Rocky was quick to acknowledge that while they make an effort to stay involved, they also have help from family members and nannies.
“It’s our mothers, our nannies. It’s a lot of help. I’d be lying if I told you we don’t got help.”
Rather than presenting an unrealistic image of parenthood, Rocky instead took a moment to recognize parents who don’t have the same support system.
“Some mothers, some single mothers… I commend them,” he said. “I know as a dad, as a present dad, how much I just want the best for my kids and I want to be present, but I’m a hardworking man. When I’m not at home, I just need to know that my kids are being looked after and loved.”
The conversation eventually broadened into a discussion about Black fatherhood, with Rocky arguing against stereotypes surrounding absentee fathers. He pointed to generations of systemic oppression and the crack epidemic’s devastating impact on Black families. While acknowledging that every family situation is different, Rocky believes most Black fathers genuinely want to be involved in their children’s lives.
“For the most part, majority of Black guys want to be present in their children’s lives… So when you see me being a dad, that’s all these n—-s out here. We all proud.”
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Watch the exclusive BET interview below.