A$AP Ferg

The genius who brought the A$AP clan to the world passed away a little over a year ago, but he very much still holds weight in the crew. All members of the Mob expressed their grievances after their loss, but Ferg promised to keep his vision alive as much as possible. “I keep him alive by just doing me, being me. He loved who I am. He loved who Ferg is as a person and as an artist. I’m just going to continue to do me, and that’s how I represent him. I’m not going to disrespect myself or misrepresent myself, so whenever I represent myself, I’m representing him. I’m representing A$AP as a whole.” 

Yams was the wizard behind the curtain, making the moves for the crew, and they trusted him. So when A$AP Rocky was the first to be pushed into the spotlight, the Mob followed suit with the plan. But it would be a lie to say that Ferg didn’t wonder about his own path and how he could fit in — or, in other words, stand out.  with the plan.

“I was like, ‘Man, we putting all the energy into him, what’s left?’ He got GQ, Vogue, and I’m like, ‘What lane am I going to be in?’ But there was definitely a lane. There were things open. There were things that I love, that Rocky hate. And there are things that he loves, that I don’t like. I just went with being me. That was my lane. I’m the designer. I’m the artist but I’m a nasty rapper, battler, an MC, and I’m charismatic. I was in the clubs when A$AP wasn’t in the clubs. I’m the reason for A$AP being in the clubs. That’s who I am. I’m going to provide those anthems, those big songs that hit the festivals. That’s what Ferg is bringing to the table.”

Ferg’s confidence in the place he holds amongst the more than 10-member gang could easily be taken as cockiness or competition. But only an idiot could question if there is jealousy amongst all of them. A band of brothers that shares so much more than just their love for music, they have become each other’s biggest supporters. You’ll catch Rocky coming to Ferg’s shows, or Ferg rapping on tracks with A$AP Nast and A$AP Twelvyy. The family dynamic is there and it’s strong — and it’s clear that is important to Ferg. When you hear Ferg shouting out “A$AP Mob for life,” that’s a promise he intends to keep.

Like his adopted family, Ferg’s bloodline holds a large part in his heart and everyday living. The rapper keeps his family members as close as possible while they play major parts in his career. “It’s tough. I see my family sometimes. My uncle is with me all the time. My cousin is with me all the time. I like my family to travel with me; that’s why a lot of my family works with me, because I don’t get to see them that much. And I just couldn’t fathom being on the road by myself and not having people who actually really care about me with me. These are the people who are around me, who are really looking out for me.”

And look out for Ferg, they truly do. Ferg’s mother, though hesitant at first, supported Ferg’s musical career and has been doing so throughout the course of it. “Most moms would be like, ‘What? You’re trying to make art?’ But she stuck by it. She supported it. She gave me money for it. So I thank her for allowing me to be free and do my thing.” You’ll catch his mother at Ferg’s listening sessions or hear stories about her on his tracks, a clear indication that she has been a big influence in the continuance of his career. As are Ferg’s uncles, T-Ferg and Psycho.

The two men, both well known in Hungry Ham--that’s Harlem for you non-New Yorkers-- took slightly different paths than Ferg. But their struggles became his motivation to detour onto another road. And he made sure to bring them along with him. After a 15-year bid, T-Ferg has been on the road with Ferg, supporting him as he continues to work on music. As for Uncle Psycho, Ferg reps him on his track, “Psycho.” His name describes him perfectly as he barely gave a fuck and found himself living a path that often stressed out his family. Ferg wanted to be just like him growing up but instead expressed his admiration for Psycho and T-Ferg through his lyrics. 

Ferg’s grandmothers have often gotten some special shout-outs when he put pen to a paper. Both have stood by him and have left great impacts on him. Ferg raps about the hurt he feels since his maternal grandma has passed on the track “Grandma.” Wishing she was by his side so he can share his earnings, Ferg recalls the pain and struggles his grandmother endured. Though missing his grandma, he has used what she taught him to continue to build his empire. Ferg’s paternal grandmother, Mama Ferg, has also pushed him to be greater. “My grandma is an artistic grandma. She’s very young, youthful, a big spirit. Does a lot for the community. She’s all about the kids. She teaches dancing classes. She’s very poetic. She’s a dope grandma. She always understood me. She always rooted for me. She inspired me to keep Harlem alive by always visiting and doing things in my neighborhood.” 

But there is no one who has had as large an influence on Ferg as his father, Darold Ferguson, Sr. The well-known designer worked his way up and owned his own boutique in Harlem. The boutique had work coming in and out for artists like Heavy D, Bell Biv DeVoe, Teddy Riley and so many more. But Ferguson, Sr.’s logo design for Bad Boy Records heightened his level of authenticity. And long after his passing, his reputation has held up. With his father’s name mentioned often in the streets of Harlem, Ferg had some large footsteps to follow. But he used that as motivation to tap into his own artistry. “My father is one of my biggest inspirations because he’s reached sky limits. Growing up, I thought it was so hard to walk in his shoes because he accomplished so much, but I always use that as a source of motivation.”