A$AP Ferg - Black Singers, Facts and Family

He was born Darold D Brown Ferguson Jr., on October 20, 1988, in the notorious neighborhood of “Hungry Ham” in Harlem, New York City, US. His father, Darold Ferguson, ran a boutique that printed shirts and record-company logos, such as the logo for ‘Bad Boys Records.’

Ferg was artistic as a child and helped his father with designing shirts and record logos. In his teens, he wished to start his own clothing and jewelry line someday.

After his father’s death due to kidney failure, he stared his own business. He was still in art school at that time, but the business proved to be a success. He launched ‘Devoni Clothing’ in 2005 and started producing high-end accessories such as belts, which were worn by celebrities such as Chris Brown and Diggy Simmons.

By the time he was 20 years old, his focus shifted to music. He was a perfectionist, and he put his heart and soul into whatever he did. As a result, he soon began making his mark in the entertainment world.

He was a good friend of rapper A$AP Rocky from his high-school days. They got together and became members of the hip-hop group ‘A$AP Mob’ in 2010, from where he picked up his stage name, “A$AP Ferg.” Ferg initially designed costumes for the group and then went on to collaborate with Rocky to release hits such as ‘Get High,’ ‘Ghetto Symphony,’ and ‘Kissin’ Pink,’ which made them popular with the youth.

However, the two friends soon found out that they were more successful as solo artists. His debut single, ‘Work,’ was released in August 2012 and was featured in the ‘A$AP Mob’ mixtape ‘Lords Never Worry.’ The music video gained over two million views within a short span of time and was listed among the ‘50 Best Songs of 2012’ by ‘Complex Magazine.’ A remix of the track, featuring fellow rappers A$AP Rocky, Trinidad James, French Montana, and Schoolboy Q, was released in May 2013.

He got a big break when he signed an agreement with ‘RCA Records’ and ‘Polo Grounds’ in August 2013 and released his debut album, ‘Trap Lord,’ that peaked at number nine on the ‘Billboard 200’ chart and sold over 46 thousand copies in the US. The success of his debut album motivated him to turn music into his full-time occupation.

His popularity due to his debut album earned him the ‘Rookie of the Year’ honor at the 2013 ‘BET Hip Hop Awards,’ from where there was no looking back. He appeared as a featured artist on Ariana Grande’s track ‘Hands on Me’ from her album ‘My Everything,’ released in August 2014. With this, he became a celebrity in the music industry.

In 2015, he created his own dance steps for the video of the single ‘Dope Walk,’ which was to be part of his mixtape ‘Ferg Forever.’ The video, which featured stars such as Kris Jenner, Alexander Wang, and Justin Bieber, became viral on social media. The dance steps became the most talked-about subject among college students that year.

Ferg directed the video ‘Thought It Was a Drought’ by rapper Future. He then released his second studio album, ‘Always Strive and Prosper,’ in April 2016. The lead number from the album, ‘New Level,’ was certified “gold” by the ‘RIAA’ in August that year. This gave a significant boost to his credibility as an artist.

The success of his second album gave him the confidence to come out of his shell and leave all his inhibitions behind. He became a true youth icon and identified with his fans by producing the type of music that reminded him of his days in Harlem.

Lately, A$AP Ferg was featured in the ‘Lost Kings’ track ‘Look At Us Now,’ with singer Ally Brooke. In 2016, he was part of a tour that had 23 venues.

Ferg has released two studio albums, 25 singles, and two mixtapes.

His two studio albums are ‘Trap Lord’ (2013) and ‘Always Strive and Prosper’ (2016).

He won the ‘Rookie of the Year’ honor at the ‘BET Hip Hop Awards’ in 2013 and was also nominated for the ‘Video Director of the Year’ at the same award ceremony.

Ferg has been associated with a number of women from the entertainment world. However, he is yet to get into a serious relationship with anyone and is believed to be single.

He went through a period of depression until he read the book ‘The Tao of Wu’ by RZA. The book helped him comprehend the meaning of his life. The book’s perspective on spirituality and numerology made him understand life better.

Ferg has traveled around the world, performing in Russia, South Africa, and Australia. However, he loves to be in Harlem and follow the laid-back lifestyle of his childhood. He is often seen patronizing the restaurants he used to visit as a kid.

Ferg is known to be passionate about his work, whatever it may be. It is due to his hard work and dedication that his transition from clothing and jewelry to music seemed seamless, with no hitches.

A challenge from A$AP Rocky was the main reason behind Ferg’s decision to leave his clothing line and venture into rapping as a full-time occupation.

He loves mink jackets and is often seen sporting a cap and decked with gold chains. He is known to be conscious of his complexion and uses several skin-care products, many of which he has also endorsed as a brand ambassador. He once stated that he was introduced to most of the beauty products by his girlfriends.